Is Japan a western nation?

Many Gaijins(foreigners) go psychotic in Japan for a reason. For some it is just too hard to deal with culture so different from the west.

The Japs want to be in the western camp so that they can easily launch surprise attacks, just like what they did at pearl harbour.

Japan does get some influence from the west, but there ideology is completely different from the west.

You hit the nail on the head when you wrote "From outside looking in it seems to have a lot of western influence"" it does! and outside is where most of the western influence remains..on the surface
The Japanese language is so rich in it's ability to express complex concepts in a single word that it's a handy cultural exploration tool

Aware, for example, A Wa Re, is a word that means the poignant, almost wistful appreciation of ephemeral beauty , the cherry blossom season evokes aware', because it's beauty may only be enjoyed for a brief moment.....bittersweet
English needs 2 sentences to express that for which the Japanese language only needs one word

How truly different European culture is from the Japanese culture for me is clearest
in the cultural attitude that it's worse for a woman to be considered opinionated
that to be thought ugly....

I hope they never embrace the West completely. They are light years ahead of the West in their veneration of the elderly and many of their ancient ceremonies are hauntingly beautiful.

I think economically it's Western but culturally very Eastern.

It might have to do with the bases the US has over here. I'm currently station in Okinawa, Japan I'd say we do influence them a lot in good and bad ways.

I quite like the Japs. They seem to have made the transition from fanatical monsters, in 1945, to pretty nice people with high morals in 2012. That goes for the Germans, as well.

is Jap a politically correct term these days? Just askng :) I got in trouble using English words I thought were correct but have been told they are no longer acceptable.

God knows! I think 'Brit' is an equivalent term, and I'm certainly not offended by that. I still can't believe some people find the word 'coloured' offensive! We live in strange times.

as you said they have western ideology ..
the location doesn't mean any thing ..i believe

I don't think the location matters either because look at Australia and New Zealand

yes you are right.