ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Nihonjinron

Nihonjinron is a big fancy word that grown-ups use to talk about understanding what makes Japanese people Japanese. Imagine you and your friends all like to play different games and eat different foods, and have different ways of talking and being with each other. Well, just like that, people in different parts of the world have their own special ways of doing things that make them unique.

So, Nihonjinron is all about trying to learn what's special about Japanese people, their culture, and their way of doing things. It's a bit like learning about how your family does things differently than your friend's family or how your city might have different customs than another city.

Some people might study Nihonjinron to learn about things like the way Japanese people speak and write or how they interact with each other, their families, and their communities. Others might be interested in things like the kinds of food Japanese people like to eat or their traditional art forms and ceremonies.

Overall, the idea behind Nihonjinron is that by understanding what makes Japanese people different, we can gain a better understanding of them and their ways of thinking and being. So, if you're curious about Japanese culture and want to learn more, Nihonjinron might be a good thing to study.