Globalization can be seen through many aspects of Japanese culture, but I think that the most significant example is through food. Everyday when I walk by the McDonald's on campus there is a plethora of Japanese students eating their favorite grease-intense burger and fries. It is not just Kansai Gaidai's campus that is enjoying Western fast food, because you can see these fast food chains everywhere. The number of McDonald's sprouting around Japan has more than tripled in the past 10 years. This is contributing to more and more health concerns in the country. In fact until the late 19th century, people practicing Buddhism and Shintoism were banned from eating meat at all. Seafood was the exception to this rule, which in addition to Japan being an island, helps explain the popularity of seafood in the Japanese diet. Now, it is hard to find any meal without meat being present in someway. The other day I ordered an eggplant-tofu dish, assuming it was vegetarian, but soon discovered small beef bits in the sauce. This has happened in some way on several occasions. Apparently Japanese society has left their vegetarian ways, and adopted a more carnivorous way of thinking. Some equate meat-eating with becoming more Western. And with the popularity of McDonald's and KFC increasing, it is a hard idea to disagree with. To read more on this topic go to this website: http://www.scribd.com/doc/95256/Effects-of-Globalization-on-Japanese-Food-Culture-and