This reinforces the idea that group life is very important whereby teenagers spend time together in these friendship groups for e.g. a common activity is to go shopping. .
Japanese teenagers today tend to have money at their disposal, similarly some Australian teenagers work part-time and earn their own money but also with the assistance of their parents. Japanese society recognizes this value among teens of spending money and does a great deal of marketing to the teenage audience. Especially since teens in Japan strive to be exactly like their friends due to the importance of the group in Japan, trends are most likely to be followed. Similarly Australian teens are also influenced by their peers and tend to adjust themselves to "fit in" and become accpeted amongst their friends.
Japanese society are embedded with traditional values, a classic example, being bearing and raising an academically superior child. Parents are very concerned with having their children succeed in school and receive good grades. Such academic success, of course, is valued in many societies, but in Japan people go to great lengths to achieve it. .
In Australia, education up until year 10 is compulsory, and post-compulsory education may be pursued if the teenager wishes to continue their studies and gain entry into university. Some parents do place emphasis on their child to achieve high results, thus there isn't a great expectancy to that of the Japanese society. Much study options are to the discretion of the child. To raise an academically superior child in Japan sometimes requires them to adopt a competitive nature toward his or her peers, but in Australia, once again it is far more lenient as whether to dedicate their time and efforts to their studies, and always have many avenues such as joining the workforce after they have completed the compulsory education endorsed by the Board of Studies.
In Japan, there is a common belief that men have more power than women.