Learning from Japan: America and Japan in the 21st Century

In many areas—society, language and education, art, religion, finance, industry, trade, international relations—, it is my belief that the US may still have something to learn from Japan. Japan is perhaps the most comparable to the US of all major nations, China and India being at earlier stages of development and European nations being smaller scale economies.
In each of the above areas in turn, Japan demonstrates a social equality, a high level of literacy, notable achievements in the arts including architecture, a confusing plethora of religions in a basically non-religious society, a financial stability, a strong work ethic, an ingenuity at ‘making things’ and an astuteness in marketing them, a reluctance to meddle in other nations’ affairs—all of which are to some degree lacking in the US of today. The exception is religion, an area in which Japan has remained rather undeveloped, apart from the rarified world of the priesthood of certain Buddhist sects.
With virtually no natural resources apart from abundant water, Japan is nevertheless still close to being the world's number two economy. I believe Japan is currently the US’s largest creditor nation. Its currency has been the world’s strongest for a quarter century: Japan must be doing something right.