2026 Annika’s Blog

Sleep is essential for maintaining both physical health and mental performance, yet in modern society it is often treated as a luxury rather than a necessity. Personally, I usually sleep around 7 hours per night. While this seems sufficient, factors such as academic pressure, noise, social media, and overthinking can reduce the quality of my sleep. This highlights how modern lifestyles affect not only how long we sleep, but also how well we rest. In Japan, sleep patterns are strongly influenced by demanding work culture. According to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development , Japanese people average about 7 hours and 22 minutes of sleep , one of the lowest among developed countries (as cited in Mainichi Shimbun, 2025). Long working hours and overtime often lead to sleep deprivation. Documentary evidence further suggests that some workers sleep significantly less, sometimes only a few hours per night, due to these demanding schedules (Free High-Quality Documen...

This week's class helped me reflect on how my "self" is shaped by culture, especially when meeting others for the first time. Using the Cultural Iceberg Model by Edward T. Hall (1976), I realized that self-introductions reflect not only surface elements like name, hometown, or hobbies, but also deeper cultural values such as modesty and respect. In Bruneian culture, I usually introduce myself by sharing my name, where I'm from, my studies or work, my hobbies and my connection to the group.  From my discussion with a Japanese student, I learned that greetings in Japan reflect deeper cultural values. For example, Japanese people tend to bow instead of hugging, especially between males and females, and they maintain a comfortable distance when speaking. This shows respect and awareness of personal space. Similarly, in Bruneian culture, people also value politeness and respect when interacting with others. While a certain level of personal space is maintained, especially ...

 Hello, World! Yours truly, Annika