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You don't have to turn Japanese to find value is some aspects, surely...

...and now for a musical interlude

Interesting topic. In the way of this video, which lifts eight good things about Japanese culture into view, you could probably also find a number of good things about Dutch culture. Similarly, a given culture also has a shadow side, which becomes clear while living a number of decades as part of it.

Whether adopting a culture’s good properties is a good way towards learning to be a better person, or even a more mindful or more Buddhist person, is another matter. You don’t experience the level of conditioning of growing up in a culture, the immersion of experiencing a childhood within it. You likely acquire a certain surface-level impression.

I think about it.
But, at 78, with family here as cohabitants.....
It does not get much past "Think".

@Shoshin1 said:

On the topic of becoming more conscious

I'm reminded of this:

Thank you for sharing this @Shoshin1. It was a very helpful pebble in my shoe.
Many years ago, I became aware of attention. It's like it took it becoming an observable, dare I say not-self, being slightly behind it, to even notice it exists.
But I couldn't tell you what awareness was, at least not within normal non-woo-woo conciousness.
Today, lazing in my recliner, and watching my troublesome anxiety, remembering this video, it clicked.
Attention remains the thingy that focuses on something, as opposed to everything else.
Awareness is the thingy that registers everything. It has no likes and dislikes and does not exclude anything. If it has any charactersistics, it's a sense of ease and spaciousness.

Grateful for:

1. Vegetarian lunch of nut and beetroot burgers with tomato sauce and cheesy pasta and a green salad
2. Started watching a recommended gentle comedy 'Small Prophets' https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Small_Prophets
3. Something to read up on https://pluralistic.net/
4. All the great messages/insights on NewBuddhist