As a history major, culture has always been of interest to me. I am fascinated by everything from fashion to music to grass-roots social movements, and especially how all of these entities interact and adapt over time. For the most part, my cultural knowledge is limited to the United States and Europe, but this does not seem sufficient in our increasingly globalized world. My interest in Japan stems from this knowledge gap; it is a culture completely foreign to me, but also one that wields so much influence on a global scale. It is my hope that study of Japan will not only help me to understand this completely unique society, but also how to approach studies of culture in general. It is, ultimately, people and their cultures that are at the root of all political decisions and historical events.