The Japanese put their highest social priority on harmony because 1)
Japan’s geographical characteristics—a country surrounded by an
ocean—emphasizes its isolation; 2) Japan has the densest population per
square foot of any country in the world, which creates an unavoidable
close proximity of persons to each other; and 3) Japan is a homogeneous
society (McCreary). Fulfilling one’s position in a harmonious way, or in
other words, not destroying the harmony of the society by taking an inappropriate
position in relation to others, is important for Japanese people.
The Japanese try to avoid conflict between parties in order to keep
harmony. Also, Japanese society is described as a strong vertical society
(Nakane; Graham and Sano; McCreary; March). Sempai-Kohai [seniorjunior]
relationships determine the role of a person in most situations,
and this hierarchical system controls Japanese social life and individual
activity