peer groups in japan and america

I am sure that peer groups exist anywhere in the world. However, depending on the country, the types of groups differ. In class, we mainly discuss the difference between peer groups in Japanese high schools and American high schools. Since I went to an all-boys school in Japan, I am not too familiar with how the groups are made in coed and all-girls schools. What I can say is that Japanese high schools have fewer groups. The main reason for this is probably because Japanese students feel the strong need to fit in. In America, I would think that students like to express them selves freely and be unique. This is not so for Japan. In fact, Japanese society prevents this. In most Japanese schools, students are expected to be normal; wear the same clothes, carry the same bag, have the same color hair, etc. This way of thinking has gotten so infiltrated, that Japanese students are comfortable with being the same as others. Therefore, it is common in Japanese high schools to only have 2 or 3 large groups while American high schools have many small groups. Japanese students feel the need to stick together with as many people as they can. They are afraid to be different. In conclusion, I think that the way peer groups differ has a lot to do with the culture and concept of the country.