History of East Asia - Essay Example

Civilization of Japan The fact that arguments have been put forward to the effect that a nation can resist the wave of civilization by standing firm on its principles cannot be disputed. However, to those who have taken their time to investigate the present world condition, it is apparent that resisting civilization is impossible1. The civilization of the west started earlier than that of Japan, and thus it is conventional that the more civilized takes control of the less civilized2. The arrival of civilization has brought the freedom for the people to live as they wish. Nevertheless, despite the clarity indicating that civilization is a force that Japan or any other country cannot fight, it has not taken root in Japan as it should have, since there are some quarters of resistance. Therefore, it is Fukuzilwa Yukichi's argument that Japan must simply fight for civilization, since the present world is a world of competition. The western civilization has spread virtually everywhere through the help of the existing communication facilities, such that its wind is being felt everywhere in the East. However, the western civilization did not take effect in Japan with the speed that would have been anticipated. This is because; despite the fact that people gradually understood the importance of embracing civilization and started to accept it, the political structure in Japan did not favor civilization. Thus, as much as the people would struggle to adapt the characteristics of western civilization, “there lay on the road of progress an old fashioned government”3. Civilization is in fact vast, such that a country can no longer consider its own independence from the concept of civilization. This is because; “the question of a country’s independence from foreign countries is no more than one small part in a complete theory of civilization”4. Civilization is also very intrusive, such that it has permeated into almost every aspect and endeavor of the human spirit, so much so that it becomes difficult for people to dissociate with it. It is not only Japan that has some political and custom factors that acts as barriers to civilization, but also the other countries of East Asia. Japan is neighbored by China and Korea, and the two countries have also resisted civilization by clinging to their old customs. Nevertheless, the fact remains that civilization cannot be avoided, owing to the fact that even though China and Korea have stuck to their old customs, “they are not cut off from seeing and hearing of civilization5. The West is already civilized than Japan and the rest of East Asia. The simple fact that the West is more civilized then means that the west must exert its control over the rest of the world that is not civilized. There is a need to fight for the independence of Japan through the principle of patriotism6. However, even though the independence of Japan is crucial, there is no doubt that the West has a greater influence on Japan. Due to the foreign ties that Japan has with the foreigners, it is inevitable to contrast its civilization with that of the others. This contrasting shows that the civilization of Japan is inferior, not only on the technological level, but also on the mentality. The difference between the western civilization and the civilization in Japan can be perceived from the fact that the western people are personally disciplined, intellectually vital and also have good social relations. Thus, the Western is more civilized than Japan is, and “there is no one who in his heart does not admit this fact”7. This superiority is not only on a national level, but also when it is assessed down from the household level. However, the problem is that since civilization has already found its way in Japan, there is no way of fighting it, since “civilization is just like an epidemic like measles”8. The fight for national independence is therefore not an easy task, considering the fact that the disparity in the level of civilization between Japan and the West dictates that the West will always have an influence on the lesser civilized nations, Japan inclusive. The fact that it is inevitable for other nations to be influenced by western civilization, should be enough to make the lesser civilized nations move towards embracing this civilization. However, there are some quarters of resistance of the western civilization, which would have completely shunned away anything to do with civilization, if at all it was possible. The merits brought about by civilization are many, but the current religious, political and cultural systems in Asia are organized in such a way as to hinder the full civilization of this society. The major reason why civilization has not taken place fully in Japan is because “civilization is incompatible with the conventionalism of Japan”9. The fact that the custom of traditional politics, customs and religion is not only a preserve of Japan but also of its neighboring countries such as Korea and China serves to explain why the East Asia region has lagged behind in civilization. This notwithstanding, Korea and China are more rigid than Japan when it comes to reforming their people into accepting Western civilization. The traditional custom of loyalty to those in power is gradually degrading in Japan, and a “greater effort is now being attached to individual effort”10. Thus, Japan is now moving towards civilization, but more still remains to be done, to see the nation completely flourish in civilizing its society, because civilization is not something that Japan should stand against, but rather should help in spreading it and causing the people to get increasingly exposed to its spirit11. In conclusion, Japan is at a crucial stage of attaining its independence, not from the influence of the foreigners, but independence from the yoke of the traditional customs, religion and politics, which have hindered it from realizing full civilization. Despite the fact that its people are moving towards embracing civilization at a gradual scale, there is a need to speed up the process and refuse to rest, until civilization has fully taken its effect. Bibliography 1. Yukichi, Fukuzilwa. On departure from Asia. Canada: University of Alberta, 1884. 37-38. 2. Yukichi, Fukuzilwa. “Discussion of our national independence” in an outline of the theory of civilization. Tokyo: Sophia University, 1974. 171-197. Read More