Families in Japan are of a different structure, but families around the world have proven to be universally a center of love and support. Families in Japan are very tightly knit. Where the dysfunctional family seems to be growing more commonplace in the United States, the typical Japanese family may be remincient of the US during the 1950s. The typical Japanese family consists of grandparents, father, mother, and an average of three children. The Japanese live in an extended family structure. This means that each household will commonly have grandparents living under the same roof. In comparison, in the US, the structure is referred to as a nuclear family structure consisting only of parents and children.
To better illustrate a typical Japanese family, I would like to introduce my Japanese host family.
Like many Japanese families, the father typically has an office job in the city and must commute to and from work. Father's are usually portrayed as "workaholics" because they usually leave the house very early and don't return until just before dinner. Father's wear black suits to work. My host father, left for work later than it is stereotyped because his means of transportation was by car.
Mothers are mostly housewives in Japan. Very few women work. Women are expected to care for the father and children, while maintaining the house. In many cases, women are expected to put themselves after their husband and children. In my opinion, Japanese mothers are like superheroes. Though caring for their husband and children and maintaing the house is said in just a few words, the actual jobs that this entails is much greater. While mother's and wives in the United States are given the freedom of ordering their children to complete chores, that is seldomly done in Japan. My host mother for example woke up everyday at 6 in the morning to make breakfast and pack O-bento box lunches for her three children (and me at the time). She is all the more powerful in that she also has a job. By 7:30am, she was out the door with my host brother Yoshi, to take him to school. When Yuka and I came down for breakfast, the table was filled with freshly cooked dishes. When we returned from school, snacks were awaiting us in the kitchen. Every possible need is taken care of by my host mother. It is most likely that this is the case for all Japanese mothers.
Children are children. This phrase should sum up the typical behavior of a Japanese kid. Child behavior seems to be universal. TV, video games, manga (comics), toys, music, food, and sleep are the most important aspects of everyday life. This is very similar to the United States.
The difference in structure seems to produce one very obvious family characteristic. There is a layer of respect that covers the family. Tangibly, this can be seen with the cheerful "Ohayoo" everyone greets each other with, the strict family dinner gathering, the feeling that family also equals friends, and the outward care everyone shows. Children are subconciously subordinating themselves below their parents. Parents are inherently respectful to the elders. There was no instance of arguing to be heard of or even friendly bickering. This mood and sense of respect each and every member of the family has for each other bounds the family tightly together. Children understand that whenever they are in need of advice or help, the family will always be the first to lend that helping hand. It is this element of respect that seems to be ebbing away in American families.
Setting the one difference aside, Japanese families are much like American families. It is in the family where everyone is at complete ease, and share endless laughs. Staying with my Japanese family has only emphasized the qualities of love, care, and support that every family in the United States seems to possess. Family interactions are universal regardless what corner of the earth they are on.