Josh B personal research project


For my topic, I will be exploring the evolution of technology in Japan. I am going to start with the gaming culture in Japan and their influence on the modern development of technology including the impact of technologies such as VR on people’s attitudes towards technology. From there, I will go on to explore other technologies both common and niche and how Japan influences these technologies on a global scale. Included in this section will be Japanese values and how they impact the Japanese people’s attitude towards technology and what drives them to be such a leader in the development of technology. After this, I will explore how these values impacted the Japanese after exiting from isolation during the industrial revolution and how the Japanese managed to completely catch up to and then surpass the rest of the world so quickly despite starting so far behind. Finally, I will be exploring technology during ancient Japan when it was developed as a necessity of war and how it shifted over time into the modern view of technology being mainly for comfort, convenience, and entertainment. My research questions that will be driving my investigation while in Japan are as follows:

1. What drives the Japanese people to develop and adopt technology at the rate they do? For example, what core values do the Japanese people hold that sets them apart from the rest of the world?

2. What has changed throughout the various eras in Japan in regards to the Japanese people’s attitude towards technology? (ie. the shift from a necessity of war to gaming and comfort)

3. What is the origin of Japanese values that contribute to their attitudes towards technology?

In order to answer these questions, I will be visiting various museums, visiting gaming centers, and interviewing people. The purpose of visiting museums will be to get a sense of the ancient weapons of Japan and find out about their use and the values held by the Japanese people in ancient times. When visiting gaming centers, I will be observing people and their attitudes towards technology as well as interviewing people in these centers to get a sense of their values and why they view technology the way they do. Finally, I will be interviewing people outside of gaming centers to see if there is a marked difference between the gaming culture in Japan and the common people in regards to their view of technology and its impact on day-to-day life.

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