Essay on Japanese and Chinese Culture

Japan and China had many contrasting responses to western penetration in the nineteenth century, including economic interaction - economically China suffered and Japan prospered, Japanese agricultural productivity increased while China’s did not, and China only accepted a small amount of goods while Japan accepted a wide range of goods- and political interaction - China went to war but Japan did not, Japan adopted western learning styles but China did not, and Japan heavily increased taxes on their people after 1890, while China did not -but had very comparable geographic traits – both had ocean borders – Japan was completely surrounded by water while China was bordered on a large percentage of itself, both kept their ports either fully

Cultural differences are apparent from one group of people to another. Culture is based on many things that are passed on from one generation to the next. Most of the time people take for granted their language, beliefs, and values. When it comes the cultural differences of people there is no right or wrong. People should be aware of others culture and respect the differences that are between them. The United States and China are two very large countries that have cultures that are well known through out the world. There are many differences between the United States and China, but there are many contributing factors that shape the cultures of these two countries.

As Mahatma Gandhi said, “No culture can live, if it attempts to be exclusive” (Mahatma). Our culture identifies who we are and how we behave in social environments and provides us with a foundation in which to live our lives and raise our families. Each individual culture has certain customs and courtesies that are important. Exposure to the cultures of others can be intimidating and can leave a person feeling confused and unsure about how they fit in (Schaefer 60). Culture shock can leave a person feeling out of place in an unfamiliar culture (Schaefer 60). Our diverse societies demand understanding and acceptance of other cultures. Learning and understanding these cultures before being

One major example of a similarity is their social order. They both used feudalism, a social order based on power and land. To start, they both had a top dog. Japan had an Emperor, and Europe had the pope. And it continues, being the same system, they both work like this: The highest lords pay lords under them land. Those lords then

People often confuse China with Japan, especially when it comes to their history together. Because of this, one might infer that the two have striking similarities. But in fact they have a multi duos amount of differences such as their economies, cultures and politics. As China and japan sport similar beliefs and curiosities towards Christianity and the European Missionaries, they feel threatened due to their underlying beliefs. Disagreements led to China and Japan's economy to launch by establishing grounds and Christianity also took a big toll onto their diplomacy.

China was part of the mainland, accessible by both land and sea. This exposed China’s borders greatly as there was much land and coast to protect, leading to consequent invasion. On the other hand, Japan was isolated as an island, only accessible by sea. This protected Japan by leaving only the coast to protect from invaders, and almost a lack of invaders. They did not have to deal with nomads in the north and west or rising empires in the south, but rather shared a common awareness with China for Russia. Both feared Russia and Europeans as well because of the new rise of their empires and their expeditions to China and Japan. Japan feared the Russians because they were pressing hard to engage in trade with them. In contrast, China feared the Russians because of their new expansion and political power after several wars and conquests. Both also greatly feared the Europeans because of their behavior at ports they were at and their aggressive style of trade and Christianity. The Chinese despised the Europeans because they were rowdy and obnoxious at port cities like Macao, while the Japanese feared the Europeans because of their aggressive conversions of Christianity that sparked some uprisings. All in all, the Japanese and Chinese had vastly different locations and geography which led to different problems arising, but

Modern China and Japan share many similarities, such as geographical location, and the way the population has grown through the years. Although modern China and Japan bear similarities, the differences between the two nations are plentiful as well. China and Japan have two different forms of government, and separate economies as well. Despite these differences, the rich culture that both these countries boast, connect one nation to the other.

China and Japan had similar but different experiences with the Western civilization. China and Japan reacted differently to the Western nations and it was China’s reactions to the West that would break the Chinese’s isolation leaving their traditions behind. The Industrial trade in Europe and the United States had created a gap between Asia and the West, This left china and Japan far behind technologically and they were not able to stand up against the western nations and although at different times China and Japan both ended up having to sign unequal treaties, and to open their ports for merchants.

This is completely different from US religious beliefs in many ways. For one, all the religions practiced in the United States worship a specific god or gods. Another thing that’s completely different in Japan than in the US is that they are more accepting of different religions. The other religion that is widely practiced in Japan is Buddhism. Brought over by missionaries in 552 AD and emphasizes simplicity to beauty, devotion to study and severe self-discipline. All the concepts of both of these religions are not concepts that American religions emphasize. Religion is huge for the Japanese and in most houses Shintoism and Buddhism are both practiced and shrines are usually done of both religions. There are many other cultural customs in Japan that are different from those in the US.

China and Japan are two unique civilizations that went through similar, yet vastly different changes throughout their histories. Their growth and response to other nations differed in many ways in government, lifestyle, and general well-being. One of the main causes for such difference between the countries is the way the West influenced each region, and the way China and Japan responded to this influence. China focused more on the idea of being a "status oriented" society, while Japan was more "goal oriented" based. In China, anyone had the ability to better themselves and change their status through civil examinations given by the government. Western impact however slowly changed this old age system. Japan's caste system viewed

Both Japan and China lie in the East of Asia. ‪To a certain extent，Japan and China own similar culture background, in the Confucian Cultural Circle. But when we look back into the modern history development, Japan and China made quite different decisions when facing the western countries’ aggression. China suffered the invasion in 1840 after the first Sino-British War. Japan was in a similar situation in the black boat incident in 1853, the Opium War made the West began to pay attention to East Asia. From then on, Japan began to face the western culture. ‬The reactions, as well as the result of Japan and China were quite disparate. This article wants to discuss what lead to the difference. ‬‬

Throughout the course of East Asian history, Japan has been largely influenced by the Asian mainland. From ancient times to the medieval period, significant contributions to Japan can be seen coming from both Korea and China. Both of these countries diffused elements of their cultures to form the basis of Japanese society – namely China. These foreigners would influence various aspects of society including technology, philosophy, politics, and religion.

Do you see any parallels between today’s Modern China and post-World War 2 Japan? What differences are evident?

All around the world, religion is a dominant idea for many cultures; exemplifying a certain way of life, serving as a basis for faith, and bringing charity to the world, religion is a extensive concept. For several cultures and countries religion may vary according to demographics, socio-economical class, and ethnicity. Main concepts of religion in Japan are natural and superstitious based. The leading religion in Japan remains Shinto, while other religions have come and go, interweaving themselves among the Japanese society.

Japan, of course, has had more time than the United States to work out its unique interpretation of the older Chinese culture, but both countries reflect their cultural ancestry.