The main geographical difference is that Japan is a group of islands while the USA is not. Similarly, the climatic conditions in both the countries are very different with Japan receiving more sunny climates than most of the United States. The similarity is that both the countries have a lot of water resources like rivers, streams and seas.

Cultural difference

Culturally the United States is a conglomeration of many cultures thanks to the diversity of its citizens drawn from many parts of the world. On the other hand Japan has had its own ethnic people and a strong sense of traditional values. In Japan, family values are still autocratic with the father occupying the central position of power. In contrast, the Americans are more liberal and family values are not given much importance. Meal times are very important in the US because almost all the discussion between family members happen when they sit together for a meal. On the other hand, in the social households of America, people rarely enjoy staying at home for a meal and have a great affinity for socializing and staying outdoors. The Japanese houses have a very formal hierarchical order [John C. Condon and Fathi Yousef, 1975]

The Americans receive their guests informally and they can go to any part of the house. In the Japanese homes by contrast, there is more emphasis on continuity and space rather than boundaries. The houses though distinct and impregnable to outsiders can be extended or altered in the inside by easily removable partitions.

The cultural and social changes in Japan, obviously contributed by the global changes, that is affecting the worlds has also influenced the United States. For example the US always considered the Japanese market as impregnable and often predatory. However, with more Japanese embracing the cultural values of the west, the US has easy access to market in Japan. Similarly, Japan has had many opportunities to expand its business in the US. Cultural exchange has caused more interaction between the Japanese and the Americans and there has been a great deal of cultural exchange between the two countries [Glosserman, 2004]