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Change will not come overnight given that the non-acknowledgement of the disease has roots in Japan's culture that are very deep -- roots that reach back before the beginning of AIDS in regards to Japan's sense of exceptionalism and sense of remove from what are seen as Western problems. However, given the fact that Japan desires to be part of the international community and economy, it cannot afford to ignore pressure from international AIDS organizations. Organizations which bring together activists from many nations and international health organizations like WHO (the World Health Organization) can work in conjunction to create an international climate in which an insufficiently aggressive AIDS policy is viewed as a profound negative for a nation in PR terms. Activists within Japan can also put pressure on the government, create privately-funded public awareness campaigns, and help to raise the public profile of the disease with education. The fact that Japan is not a sexually conservative society will hopefully facilitate franker talk about the illness.

Q2. Based on the influence of the individualistic society Americans live in, their view is based on the individual and their needs in comparison to the Eastern cultures whom are influenced by the collectivistic society they live in and the impact of social and interdependent relationships that focus on the group do you think this plays a role in Japan not wanting to embark upon an initiative? "Living in a society where neighbors and friends know most of what happens amplifies the shame felt by families and individuals affected by HIV" (Li et al., 2007). Would this also play a role for Japan?

Japan's collectivism undeniably plays a role in its attitude towards AIDS. In a collectivist society, the actions of the individual are not simply viewed as harmful or helpful for that individual's future. Rather, they are viewed in terms of how the individual's actions relate to his or her family and community. When someone reveals he or she has AIDS in Japan, this is seen as reflecting badly upon his or her family. People are more likely to remain quiet about suffering from the disorder because of the shame they worry it will bring upon their family. They may be afraid of being ostracized from their community. Community plays a profound role in establishing an individual's identity in collectivist societies like Japan. In an individualistic culture, someone might think, 'I can join another community if my current one rejects me, I am still myself,' but in a collectivist culture identity is inextricably bound up with one's family and current social sphere, and a person may not feel he or she has a 'self' outside of this collective firmament.