Many decades later, we are not the only creatures in this universe.

Far away from

the Earth, there is a star war among the planets. Most planets are ambitious to
dominate the universe. They destroy, deforest, and expand their territory anywhere.
Meanwhile, on the Neptune planet, a group of aliens believes there must be a way to
reunify the galaxies. Miniti, a brilliant resident of Neptune. has a responsibility
to make an Alpha Jump to the Earth. And here he must find out 5 lost pieces of
diamond in Sweden and Japan. And finally, they’re gonna be a message for the whole
universe after all.

Now, Miniti, make an Alpha Jump to become an Earthling and do your duty.

In the first space dimension, you’ve become a Swedish husband living in Japan, with
a Japanese wife.

Honey, next month is Naki Sumo Crying Baby Festival, I’m waiting for our baby to
join it.

Can you tell me more about it?

Well, this is an annual event in my country. Most Japanese babies take part in this
festival. Each sumo will hold a baby. And then two babies compete, who cries first
will be the winner.

Are you kidding? I don’t care whether all the Japanese will engage in it. This is
clearly fighting. And they are just little children. Why are we happy when our
babies are crying?

No, honey. When he cries, a loud and forceful cry predicts a healthy, strong
upbringing for the infant.

I will never take my baby to come to that festival. It clearly protests children’s
rights.

It is not really serious. I will show you this clip.

You see, it is not really serious as what you think. The babies just touch each
other. There is no real fighting between two babies. Also, it is very typical for a
newborn to cry, especially when he is held in the arms of a strange person.

Hmm. Ok, so I will try to let our baby take part in the festival this year. I hope
our little boy to try the multicultural lifestyle. Certainly, I may consider about
this activity after that.

You are so cute, honey.

So, we can realize that the reason for this unavoidable problem is the differences
in individualistic culture between Japan and Sweden.

According to the theory, it is in Japan that they usually put harmony of groups
above the expression of individual opinions. However, with a score of 71 in
ìndividualism.

Individualist, Sweden is a loosely-knit social framework in which individuals are

expected to take care of themselves and their immediate families only. That’s the
reason why the husband does not follow the Japanese tradition and disagrees with
his wife.

To sum up, individualistic culture is partially different between the two any
countries. To keep an agreement. It is essential for the insiders to sit down and
consider which action should be taken in a particular situation. Besides, the
modern people nowadays are advised to be collectivistic, so that they can easily
integrate into the new world. However, it is also vital for collectivistic people
to have mutual respect of the individual lifestyles of others.

I bet you’ve learned somethinging about individualism. So, this is the very first
piece of diamond for you. Let’s jump to the other!

In the second space dimension, you’re a Japanese girl who has to work in a team
with Swedish and Vietnamese boys.
At the end of April 2021, when the covid pandemic broke out. A group of students
from Ho Chi Minh city of Education was working on a project to design an English
self-study website. The group includes 3 friends: Andrew from Japan, Lisa from
Sweden, and Long from Vietnam. During the project, when members expressed their
ideas. Andrew always underestimated others’ opinions.

Hey Lisa, I think we should create our website based on the Google Sites platform.
It is super convenient.

Well, Google Sites seems good overall, but for me, Wix is a better option. Wix has
many templates and third-party apps which provide us with a wide range of choices.

Yeah, That’s exactly what I am thinking Lisa.

No, I still think Google Sites is better. Don't you think its enormous template
makes us confused?

I don't think so Andrew, Google Sites is so limited for us.

Anyway, our web should be based on Google Sites.

What? Are you serious? Why don't you listen to others’ opinions?
Andrew, I think you shouldn't do this to Lisa. She comes from Sweden. A country
that appreciates individual opinion and gender equality. So, in terms of group
work, listening to others’ opinions is a must for Swedish.

Lisa, I totally feel you. But let me tell you this. In Vietnam and Japan, the men’s
role is highly appreciated. Because trace back to the past, King is the leader of a
nation, and many crucial positions in politics are held by men. However, this idea
is fading in my country but Japan still. So I think this belief affects Andrew so
much. And also explain why he didn't listen to us.

Lisa, I feel so sorry for everything I said. I’m totally wrong when I don't listen
to your ideas.

Okay, Andrew. But I also didn't put myself in your shoes. Long explained everything
to me. I also have the responsibility in this quarrel.

Yup, problem solved. Now we could get back to work like a team.

The cause of this situation depends on whether people come from a Masculine society
or a Feminine society.

Masculinity stands for a society in which social gender roles are distinct while
femininity stands for a society in which social gender roles overlap.
As we can see from the Hofstede website. Japan scores 95 on this dimension while
Sweden is at a pretty low score - only 5. Japan is considered one of the most
Masculine societies in the world.

Do you wonder why Japan is a masculine society? Originating from history, Japan was
a country that followed an absolute monarchy. Only men could be the King and held
crucial positions. While women only can take care of the housework and raise
children. Let me take the Oshin movie as an example. Throughout the film are the
injustices and frustrations that women have to endure. Women almost have no right
to give their opinions but must obey the arrangement of men.

So, back to our story between Andrew and Lisa. How could you avoid this situation?
In the new era, our people will also have to change. Instead of criticizing and
evaluating the opinions of others in a one-sided way. We should listen and absorb
these opinions to become better. No matter who you are, where you are from, or what
you do. Listening to and understanding others will contribute to your success.

You’ve successfully accomplished the Masculinity challenge. Miniti, you’ve figured

out the second piece. And now, another space is awaiting you!

In the third space dimension, you’re a Swedish expert who is having a meeting with
many experts in the world to promote the global economy.

In 2009, during a meeting of the World Experts on options to promote resource

exploitation to boost the economy. There is an argument between Mr. Sweden and Ms.
Japan.
More intensive exploitation should be made to overcome the global economic crisis.
Because Sweden is already rich in natural resources. And if we invest in mining
this source, it will bring many benefits to the country and the world.
It is too foolish to exploit our valuable resources that much. Instead, we should
think about the future, the long-term national interest. And this action might
affect the world seriously because: Natural resource is limited. Intensive
exploitation might affect the global climate. 10 years coming, it is likely that
many countries will depend on Swedish gas (in the Russia-Ukraine conflict, for
example).
You overdid it.!!
If you don’t believe him, let’s jump to the future!
In the next 10 years, especially in 2022. There will be a war between Ukraine and
Russia which strongly affects the whole Europe countries. For example.
So, many Europe countries cannot depend on the amount of gas from Russia. They need
to find another gas supplier to make sure they have enough gas to use. Now, which
country is gonna be the goal? Your country, Sweden, for sure.
Now, I know what you mean. Over-extracting the natural gas just make my country
worse in the future. Think for today but live for tomorrow. I would take long-term
measures into consideration for a better life. I’m sure!
Hi everyone, little did you know that Japan had reached 92 out of 100 in
Uncertainty Avoidance. Meanwhile, Sweden was just 29 according to Hofstede's
website. So what is Uncertainty avoidance? In the easier way, it’s talking about
the culture of preparing everything for the future. Because some countries are
threatened by unknown situations and whenever they do something. They always think
about the risks or long-term benefits.
To make it clearer, in Sweden, do you know that Sweden is the world’s 16th
wealthiest country. It has an extensive welfare for residents. In addition, there
are significant quantities of natural resources extracted each year, around 250
million tonnes in 2017.
Meanwhile, Japan has been suffered so much from a series of earthquakes and
tsunamis. Therefore, every people in Japan is greatly serious about whatever they
do. They do not only think for the present, but they broaden their vision to the
future. They really want everything to be kept under their control. That’s also the
reason why Ms. Japan criticized on what Mr. Sweden had thought. As Warren Buffet
told: “Risk comes from not knowing what you’re doing.”
Uncertainty Avoidance is a precious lesson for your Neptune planet. Well done,
Miniti, you’ve got the third one. Let’s move on and confront a new challenge!

In the fourth space dimension, you’re a Japanese husband who is always working and
working.

His wife is a Swedish woman who usually works during office hours, not overtime.
She wants to spend more time enjoying married life. However, the husband's schedule
is pretty tight. He usually registers to work overtime every night and weekend.
That is normal for most of the employees in his company, and people even assume
this as a company culture.

Hey honey, we haven’t had any new trips recently. I wanna travel to Singapore next
weekend. How do you think?

Oh, my schedule doesn’t allow me to do that. I’m sorry. Staying there and enjoying
your time is still good.

Your life is just for working. You seem to be a person who doesn't have a wife to
take care of.

Oh no. It’s normal here. My friend's married life is also like ours now. Working is
important which makes our future more stable. If I don't work overtime like
everyone else, I may be seen as a lazy person, not focusing on the group's work,
and maybe I’ll feel lost at the company.

No. It’s a boring life. We need to enjoy our life more, not just working. Just
ignore what people think about us.

I’m tired. It’s late, I need to sleep soon to be ready for work tomorrow.

Get married with your job!!!

Next day, the husband exhaustedly comes home after working at the company. He
accidentally turns his eyes to the pictures taken 2 years ago when he and his wife
traveled to Poland. In a moment, those memories come flooding back.

Hey sweetie, I’m sorry for everything. I think I’ve been destroying our married
life. I’m sorry for spending so much time on working, not paying attention to your
feelings. And letting you down. I’m a bad husband.

Okay. I think It’s also partly my fault. I didn’t think much about your feelings
when you were at work. But anyway, your time is unbalanced. You should manage your
time again to ensure quality of life.

Sure, I will. How about the trip to Singapore next month.

Cool! Love you!

Okay, as we all know, each married life also has their own problems. And for the
situation, I’ve just shown you. The cause of the spouse's quarrel is the
differences of indulgence culture.

According to the theory: Indulgence dimension is the extent of feelings of

subjective happiness, how people control their desires and impulses. based on
social norms. For this dimension, there are 2 types of societies: indulgent and
restraint. Indulgent societies: allow people to fulfill their needs and to enjoy
life. Restraint societies: prohibit the satisfaction of needs with strict social
norms.

Based on the situation I’ve just shared. We definitely can figure out: Japan has a
culture of restraint, on the other hand, indulgence is a cultural feature of
Sweden. Or we can see the difference more specifically according to the Hofstede
website. Japan is marked with a 42 score while Sweden’s score is 78.
In Japan: Since ancient times, Japanese education has always emphasized
collectivism. They assume that doing something following the majority is correct
and the minority is not. So those who separate from the crowd will be called
"kusemono" (weirdo).

Therefore, Japanese do not put much emphasis on leisure time. The satisfaction of
their own needs and desires is not a priority. Social norms and the feeling that
indulging themselves is somewhat wrong completes the picture.

In Sweden: Sweden is one of the prominent countries which has a great social
welfare for their citizens, provides the most basic needs to all its citizens. And
shows significant commitment to social equality.

Therefore, Swedish possess a positive attitude and have a tendency towards

optimism. In addition, they prioritize leisure time. And they act as they please
and allow themselves to fully experience their emotions.

Both indulgent and restraint cultures have their own benefits. So we shouldn’t
prioritize one of them but take advantage of the good points and balance between
them.

“Positive thoughts generate positive feelings and attract positive life

experiences. You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough.” — Mae
West

So, when it comes to Indulgence, I guess you’ve noticed something. Now, the fourth
piece is unraveled. Let’s move on to the last one!

In the last space dimension, you’re a Swedish man, who has already been an employee
in a Japanese company.

John was born in Sweden. He has worked and lived in Sweden since he was a child. He
began to relocate to Japan because his Japanese wife desired to live there. He was
forced to leave his current position at his previous employer. and apply for a
position with a Japanese company.

Everything appears to be running smoothly. However, something unexpected occurred.

when the company needed to meet to discuss some upcoming plans and projects. John
is a hyperactive and energetic individual. When he walked into the meeting, he
noticed that it was rather quiet and solemn. During a meeting, he appeared to hear
only the leader's words. and no comments from the other employees present. He felt
that there were some points in the leader's plan that were still unclear. So he
asked the Japanese leader for permission to express his thoughts. When John raised
his hand, the Japanese leader was taken aback. But agreed to let him ask. When the
leader heard him speak his mind. he didn't pay much attention to the Swedish guy's
sentence. But instead tried to explain it briefly before continuing to say his
part. The Swedish employee was taken aback and felt he was not respected. Because,
in the previous environment. He and the leader, as well as other employees, always
had an exchange when discussing something. And there appeared to be no gap between
superiors and subordinates.
After a few minutes of the meeting, the leader had a private talk with the Swedish
employee. After that talk, John began to better understand how leaders lead. It
turns out that before any meeting, the leader prepares everything carefully. So
there is almost no error and the staff just listens and follows. Since then John
gradually got used to the difference from Japan compared to his own country.

It can be explained that when a Japanese leader begins a meeting, he or she must
conduct extensive research before bringing it up at the meeting. And it appears
that every plan has been meticulously planned and perfected to the greatest extent
possible.

According to Hofstede-insights, the power distance score in Japan is 54, while it

is only 31 in Sweden.

In this case, we can clearly see the difference in power distance between Sweden
and Japan. While the power distance appears to be small and nonexistent in Sweden,
where everyone is equal and has their own voice. The opposite is true in Japan.
This has to do with the Japanese tradition of respecting seniors and juniors. When
confronted with this situation, it is critical to understand the appropriate time
and setting in which to express our opinions. Because not all locations will have
the same power distance and it takes many factors to form. All you need to do is
learn how to learn and adapt to them in order to have the best experience in that
country.

The Power Distance is the last challenge for you. Now, Miniti, mission
accomplished. You have all pieces of diamond so let’s turn back to Neptune! Many
people are awaiting you there.

These are 5 pieces of diamond on the Earth, sir. Now, we can unlock the universe
message:

Every country is the unique one. Sharing and respecting are the keys to a better
life.