Japan is actually a very pride, 'authentic' nation, isn't it?
- Thread starter Meiki
- Start date
borrowing "concepts"
The root idea to discuss ideas crossing artificial national boundaries you cannot see many of them (boundaries) from a helicopter or airplane
...is interesting. People have been interchanging ideas almost as much as people have been destroying those who held different or opposing ideas.
What we have in this discussion is the reason why we can have some hope for the future...people from all around the world writing about the origins of concepts...and we all know that it really does not matter any more who has more pride or "authenticity". It is the roots of Shinto and the power that the Japanese(Nipponese) character has based mostly due to the Isolation and refinement of the society during the closure of the nation to outsiders.
Now that Japan is "open" it is an example to the individual and other nations/peoples in many ways.It was the closure to the outside... of the islands that contributes to the unique character of Japanese culture. First closed then open, then closed now open...Or No?
The root idea to discuss ideas crossing artificial national boundaries you cannot see many of them (boundaries) from a helicopter or airplane
...is interesting. People have been interchanging ideas almost as much as people have been destroying those who held different or opposing ideas.
What we have in this discussion is the reason why we can have some hope for the future...people from all around the world writing about the origins of concepts...and we all know that it really does not matter any more who has more pride or "authenticity". It is the roots of Shinto and the power that the Japanese(Nipponese) character has based mostly due to the Isolation and refinement of the society during the closure of the nation to outsiders.
Now that Japan is "open" it is an example to the individual and other nations/peoples in many ways.It was the closure to the outside... of the islands that contributes to the unique character of Japanese culture. First closed then open, then closed now open...Or No?
caster51 said:
THANK YOU !
Chinese do know Japanese ARE WISE BUNCH unlike those bittered Koreans refer Hanja as " foreign ",a reason to eradicate the Chinese script entirely from public places.
As a Chinese descent,I am a bit flattered by Japanese still respect our Chinese script as an integral part of modern Japanese language.We Chinese can get around Japan without speaking Japanese tongue,we can communicate in writing.
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Maciamo said:
Japan,Korea,and China SHARE A COMMON HERITAGE ..... period.
There are right-minded Japanese and Koreans do privately acknowledged their country is VERY MUCH INFLUENCED BY Chinese civilization,oppose to some with nationalistic view might outright reject it.
It's a matter of national pride for Japanese and Koreans not loosely accept what's constantly throw at their faces ... your culture CAME FROM CHINA.
I can honestly say,Japanese SMARTLY DEVELOPED OWN UNIQUE BRAND of JAPANIZED Tang culture of China.
China is no longer a great country Japan and Korea ONCE LOOKED UP TO AS CULTURAL CENTER for that region.
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- 17 Jul 2002
- 5,907
- 385
ricecake said:
I don't see why you get all flustered. European countries as well as the US, Canada and Australia got a good deal of their culture from ancient Greeks, Romans and Germanic tribes (Franks, Anglo-Saxons, Goths...). Yet you can also that they each linguistic group in Europe smartly developed their own unique brand of (country name)ized post-Greco-Roman culture. The Roman Empire is no longer a great country as well (no longer a country at all). But you can't deny the origin of a country's culture, even if it evolved separately in its own unique way later (all countries do, even tiny ones like Luxembourg).
Sometimes I wonder why Japan, which 'imported' part of its culture from China over 1000 years ago, remains more culturally similar to modern China than neighbouring European countries like France and Germany, or Italy and Switzerland. Japanese and Chinese people share so much more than looks, kanji and traditions. They are both materialistic, money-minded, love eating, hierarchical in politics and business, very self-centered and concerned about their country's image in the world, like similar kind of music, clothes, etc.
My point is that, comparing European countries between each others, eventhough they all share a similar cultural and historic heritage too, their modern culture has become very different for such things as egalitarianism (e.g. egalatarian Scandinavia vs hierachichal France), importance attributed to food (British vs French), national pride (e.g. Belgians or Germans tend to associate more with their region, while the French or Irish are very proud of their national identity), etc.
Maciamo said:
As a Chinese descent,I am FLATTERED by your assertion Chinese civilization indeed has " long lasting imprint " on Japan after all these centuries for it's quite a compliment.By the way,we shouldn't leave out Korea once prided itself as " little CHINA ".
Again,it's matter of national pride and separate identity lead to some Japanese and Koreans would rather say it's their version of imported Chinese culture instead of our culture is basically Chinese.
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Maciamo said:
I have a PARALLEL EXAMPLE for you.
Koreans and Chinese HAVE THE SAME MENTALITY oppose to Japanese and Koreans SHARE CLOSEST FACIAL SIMILIARITIES,with Japanese is " a different culture " within the world of Chinese civilization.
This is ONE SECRET these 3 NE Asian nationalities are full aware of,which is not a commonly known fact to foreigners.
- 17 Jul 2002
- 5,907
- 385
ricecake said:
I am not sure I understand what you mean. Facial traits are mostly irrelevant in cultural comparisons. But I agree that modern eastern Chinese, Korean, Japanese, and even Vietnamese cultures all descend from ancient Chinese culture, and thus all belong to the same civilisation. We could call it Chinese Civilisation, but also East Asian Civilisation to be more politically correct.
Maciamo said:
Japan,Korea,Vietnam are the 3 Asian nations MOST INFLUENCED BY Chinese civilization,but with own respective traditions and customs.
Japanese and Koreans APPEAR CULTURALLY Chinese,only Japanese people THINK DIFFERENTLY from both Chinese and Koreans or DO NOT HAVE SAME MENTALITY as Koreans and Chinese do.This is ONE SECRET only us know.
Japanese and Koreans are XENOPHOBIC and have " collective mindset ",these traits Chinese generally don't have.
Korean food is more spicy,Chinese foods are regional,and Japanese food is typically light except for tempura.
Japanese is more open about " sex " than Koreans and Chinese.
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- 17 Jul 2002
- 5,907
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ricecake said:
I am not sure there is more reason to be flattered than for a modern Italian or Greek to say that the culture of the USA orginated in their country.
Btw, it seems that 99% of East Asians forget that the Korean and Japanese people have the same ethinc origins as Han Chinese. In the Yayoi-period it was Koreans who invaded Japan (then inhabited by the Ainu), and all modern Japanese descent primarily from those Koreans. But the most interesting is that Korea was not a really country at that time, but more like 3 of the kingdoms belonging to the Chinese civilisation.
I think it would be a fair to compare the ancient people inhabiting what is the Korean peninsula and Eastern China to the numerous Celtic tribes (with slightly different languages and customs) inhabiting most of Central and Western Europe before being unified by the Romans.
It's only modern nationalistic propaganda and the ignorance of the masses that make us oppose Chinese, Korean and Japanese people as if they were already those 3 distinct people 2000 years ago. They were NOT. Likewise, there was no France, no Spain or no Germany in Europe at that time. There were hundreds of Celtic and Germanic tribes, all fairly independent, with their own (fairly similar) culture and dialect. Linguistico-cultural groups are much more clear cut nowadays than they were 2000 or 3000 years ago. Just look at ancient languages. Ancient Greek, Latin, ancient Celtic and ancient Germanic languages were much closer together than modern European languages (despite common modern terms for sciences, technology, academics and politics). Early Japanese people spoke a language much closer to the Korean of the time than modern Japanese and Korean. In fact, my guess is that Yayoi, Kofun , Yamato or Nara-period Japanese felt much more like cousins of the inhabitants of Korea and Eastern China than they do now.
japan is a farming society.....
we need always harmony to cultivate...(like vietnam,,..south east asia.)
There is a group or cooperative system at first in japan and then there is a individual.
in case of china, china is multi-ethnic country.The enemy is necessary to bundle them like USA.
korea need it ,too
American public's strength is proportional to strength of the competition of
the individual.
the bacic is whether it is a harmony society or competitive society that we need
caster51 said:
Chinese do not have problem with Japanese created words use in all facets of our culture .... period.
We are fine with it,not nationalistic as those bittered Koreans.
caster51 said:
Agree,it's TWO-WAY TRAFFIC with mainly inflow of Japanese modern culture to Chinese-dominated nations in the past century.
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- 17 Jul 2002
- 5,907
- 385
If you consider Monaco as a country. It does not have its own currency, own army, etc. Seriously, most of the Japanese I have met believed as if it was a hard fact that the Japanese were originally (whatever that means) farmers, while Westerners were hunters. They go as far as to use this theory to explain that the Japanese are more group-minded (which they define as typical A-blood type personality, prevalent in Japan), against the individualism of Westerners (defined by O-blood type, although not more prevalent than A in Europe).ArmandV said:
oops...I mean rice
japan is rice farming country.
it means settled as rice farming.
we can see that in religion that is deffrence between monotheism and polytheism.
I think the persons who believe a God and Gods are so defferent.
the person who believe a God wants the unification.
on the other hand, the person who believe Gods wants "wa". that is harmonization
I think The monotheism is egoism of the race who was born in the place that is destroyed the forest and became the wilderness.(like middle east?
)I think The monotheism is a very belligerent religion.
permanent peace of Human race is impossible without the criticism or the control of this monotheism.
I think The dividing of the monotheism and polytheism was caused by the difference of the agricultural output and produce..
The wheat farming is agriculture of the plant rule by man.
Stock-farming is animal rule by man, too.
In such a civilization, man's power is valued.
Nature is assumed to be the one ruled by man.
And, the monotheism thatﾂ group believes absolutethe god arises.
As for polytheism, the attention of the reverence to nature is strong.
The coexistence of man and other living things is intended.
Polytheism that admits the existence of the pantheon everywhere of nature grows up easily in it.
there are Matsuris or festivals eveywhere in japan that ppl thank to nature ,gods and kami
