Cultural View of China and Japan - Essay Example

Mandakini Gaba MLA Style 10th December, 2007 Topic: Compare/contrast the many ways in which China and Japan has shared cultural, political, economic, social factors and how they have differed in their own unique hi. Cultural view of China and Japan:- Chinese culture is one of the world's oldest and most complex civilizations covering a history of over 5,000 years. Chinese Culture: the connected split between Old and New. Chinese Culture can be divided into: Traditional & Modern Culture. Chinese Culture is changing continually. It has evolved and changed, during the 20th century. Many ethnic groups have existed in China. The pre-eminent ethnic group is the 'Han Chinese'. Most social values are derived from Confucianism and Taoism with a combination of conservatism. Reincarnation and rebirth is the connection between real-life and the next-life. Spoken Chinese consisted of a number of Chinese dialects. The ancient written standard was Classical Chinese and it was used for thousands of years, but was mostly reserved for scholars and intellectuals. A large part of Chinese culture is about finding the balance of Yin and Yang in relation to Qi, in order to find harmony. Chinese medicine consists of a number of treatments including Chinese herb logy and acupuncture. Other forms of health improvement include meditation. Japanese culture has evolved from the 'Jomon' culture, which combines influences from Asia, Europe and North America. Archaeological research indicates that people were living on the islands of Japan as early as the upper paleolithic period. Japanese is written with a combination of three different types of scripts: Chinese characters 'Kanji' and two syllabic scripts, 'Hiragana' and 'Katakana'. The Hindu-Arabic numerals are generally used for numbers, but traditional Sino-Japanese numerals are also commonplace. Japanese sculptures mainly settled on the subject of Buddhist images. Wood has traditionally been used as the chief material. The oldest sculpture is a wooden statue of 'Amitabha'. 'Chanoyu' and 'Ikebana' are the traditional rituals. The most popular professional sports are Sumo, Judo, Jujutsu and Kenjutsu. Political view of China and Japan:- The deadlock of the Chinese Civil War has resulted in two political states: the People's Republic of China (PRC), known as China, which controls "China proper" as well as Tibet, Inner Mongolia, Xingjian, Hong Kong, and Macau; and the Republic of China (ROC), known as Taiwan, which controls the island of Taiwan and its surrounding islands. The PRC is governed under the one-party system by the Chinese Communist Party, but the ROC has moved towards democratic government. After the founding of the PRC, both states claimed to be the sole legitimate ruler of all of "China". The ROC had more international support but most international diplomatic recognitions have shifted to the PRC. Both regimes use diplomatic and economic means to compete for recognition in the international arena. Currently, the PRC is recognized by most world organizations such as the World Health Organization and the International Olympic Committee. Today, there are 24 U.N. member states that maintain official diplomatic relations with the ROC while the majority of the U.N. member states maintain official diplomatic relations with the PRC. Japan is recognized as a liberal democracy with free and fair elections, has operated with a dominant-party system known as the Liberal Democratic Party. It takes place in a framework of a parliamentary- representative- democratic- monarchy, whereby the Prime Minister of Japan is the head of government. Executive power is exercised by the government. Japan is generally considered a constitutional monarchy, based largely upon the British system with strong influences from European continental civil law countries such as Germany and France. The Emperor of Japan is "the symbol of the State and of the unity of the people" and exercises a purely ceremonial role without the possession of sovereignty. The constitution is called "the Pacifist Constitution" Economic view of China and Japan:- China today is the fourth-largest economy in the world. It is the second largest in the world when measured by purchasing power parity-GDP, and is the fourth largest in the world when measured by nominal-GDP, and is the fastest growing major nation in recent years. The gross domestic product of China in 2006 was estimated at about 20 per cent that of the USA (using nominal exchange rate). The Chinese leadership has reduced the role of ideology in economic policy. Its ongoing economic transformation has had a profound impact on the world. The market-oriented reforms, it has implemented over the past two decades have unleashed individual initiative and entrepreneurship. The result has been the largest reduction of poverty and one of the fastest increases in income levels ever seen. It has become a preferred destination for the relocation of global manufacturing facilities. Its strength as an export platform has contributed to incomes and employment in China. In recent years, authorities have been giving greater attention to the management of state assets--both in the financial market as well as among state-owned-enterprises--and progress has been noteworthy. Japanese economy is studied for its spectacular growth after the Second World War when the island nation rose to become the world's second largest economy. It's industrialized, free-market economy is the world's third-largest, adjusted to purchasing power parity (PPP). It is the second-largest by market exchange rates. Its economy is highly efficient and competitive in areas linked to international trade although productivity is lower in areas such as agriculture, distribution, and services. It includes the cooperation of manufacturers, suppliers, distributors, and banks in closely-knit groups called 'keiretsu'. Vital commercial sector, level and quality of investment, labor force, high productivity growth and product diversification became essential ingredients of the growth patterns of many keiretsu. The nation has also benefited from 'economies of scale'. Social view of China and Japan:- The majority of Chinese people follow Buddhism. People usually worship in joss houses of the Chinese folk religion. Chinese religions are family-oriented and do not demand the exclusive adherence of members. Major forms of religion that developed within China include ancestor veneration, Chinese folk religion, shamanism, Daoism and the veneration of localized deities. Most Chinese have a conception of heaven and yin and yang. Many Chinese have also believed in such practices as astrology, Feng-Shui, geomancy, and numerology. China's traditional values were derived from various versions of Confucianism. In China 90.9% of adults are literate and compulsory education age is 7 to 17 years. The primary religions of Japan are Buddhism and Shinto. Most Japanese people do not believe in just one exclusive religion; instead they incorporate the features of both religions in their daily lives in a process known as syncretism. There are two categories of holidays in Japan: matsuri (festivals) and nenjyuu gyouji (annual events). Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) is responsible for comprehensive educational administration of Japan. In Japan adult literacy rate is 99% and education age is 6 to 15 years. Chinese and Japanese own unique hi:- The first recorded observations of comets, solar eclipses, and supernovae were made in China. The earliest inventions were the abacus, the "shadow clock," and the first flying machines such as kites and Kongming lanterns. The compass, gunpowder, papermaking, and printing, were among the most important technological advances. The pinnacle of Chinese technology manifested itself in the Great Wall of China. On August 2007, China and Russia started joint military exercises in a large operation which involves troops, tanks and aircraft. By that, it would be the first time ever; China participates on such a combined mission abroad. China is a member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), whose charter aims to strengthen security and stability in Central Asia region. Japan is the third largest technology leader in the world. It is a much renowned country for its automotive and electronics industries which account for a very large share in the world market. Some of Japan's important technological contributions are found in the fields of machinery, robotics, optics, chemicals, semiconductors and metals. It also produced QRIO ("Quest for Curiosity", originally named Sony Dream Robot or SDR), ASIMO ("Advanced Step in Innovative Mobility"- first humanoid robot created by Honda Motor Company), and Aibo ("Artificial Intelligence Robot"). Sony and Fuji are the two international corporate which geared Japan towards commercial products. The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) conducts space and planetary research, aviation research, and development of rockets and satellites. It also built the Japanese Experiment Module, which is slated to be launched and added to the International Space Station during Space Shuttle assembly flights in 2007 and 2008. Kansai International Airport (a man-made island) is the current and biggest technological achievement of Japan. It is home to some of the world's largest automotive companies such as Toyota, Honda, Suzuki, Mitsubishi, Yamaha etc. Read More