Yes this is amazing insight! There is a lot of truth to what your teacher has taught you, in that the geography of Japan is so precarious (located on the Ring of Fire, there are many earthquakes, tsunamis, and other natural disasters) that the culture had to develop in a way where it put the community ahead of the individual to ensure society’s survival. I am sure that the limitlessness of the United State’s geography is also what spurred a culture of competition before collaboration.

While modern society and technological developments have changed what’s necessary for survival, cultural traditions and values are slower to change and persist through generations, maybe explaining the difference between what boundaries in Japan vs. the United States look like today.

I love this response, and your insight is so thoughtful — thank you for sharing!