Wait a second!
More handpicked essays just for you.
More handpicked essays just for you.
Essays on japanese culture
Essays on japanese culture
Essays on japanese culture
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
Recommended: Essays on japanese culture
Japan is an excellent example of a modern nation. “By identifying the modern as a cluster of related principles rather than as merely a period, we are able to trace its occurrence in different periods in different national or cultural settings” (Goto-Jones, 7). The idea of what is culture and what is modern can be subjective. Time and setting are merely measurements showcasing a particular in relation to everything else. Although Goto-Jones is critical of what it means to be “modern,” reasons supporting his opinion on whether Japan is modern or not can be given by looking at some of the changes Japan has made; observations of the dynamic and stagnant in Japan’s past and present. By comparing and contrasting through history the government, technology/knowledge, tradition and culture of Japan, it is to be seen as why Japan is a prime example of a modern nation within the 21st century. These characters, joined together old and new, will present a rendition for the modernity and culture of Japan.
Japan’s government has been ever-changing during the periods of variable great renditions that occurred in the past two centuries. As part of Japan’s modern identity, the governments of its history of been the result of continuous change to come. A big push in the continuing change came about when Commodore Perry arrived in 1853, bringing about western influence. The Tokugawa bakufu ruled Japan from about 1600 to 1868 (Goto-Jones, 24). This government involved a hierarchy which included a social ranking from high to low; the samurai, farmers, artisans, and merchants (Goto-Jones, 30). This was the last feudal Japanese Government. When Emperor Komei died in 1867, his son Emperor Meiji, took the throne. Following his take to throne sparked the...
... middle of paper ...
... growth. Japan has been continuously adapting its identity to adjust to a changing world. Japans modernization may have been influenced from the west, but it has grasped its own unique take. Japan created their own standard of modern. Through this, they have establish an identity.
Goto-Jones, C. (2009). Modern japan. New York, NT: Oxford University Press Inc.
Craig, A. (2009). Civilization and Enlightenment: The early thought of Fukuzawa yukichi . (1st ed.). Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
Kang, H. (2005). Under the black umbrella: Voices from colonial Korea, 1910-1945. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press.
McCormack, G. (2001). The emptiness of japanese affluence (japan in the modern world). Armonk, NY: M E Sharpe Inc.
Bary , C. (2006). Sources of japanese tradition, abridged: Part 2. (vol. 2 ed.). New York, NY: Columbia University Press.
In 1900 Britain was in many respects the world’s leading nation, enjoying a large share of world trade, a dominant position in the international money market, and possessing a far flung empire supported by the world’s most powerful navy. Japan was a complete contrast, sharing with Britain only the fact that it too was a nation of islands lying off the shore of a major continent. Until the 1860s it had possessed a social and economic structure more akin to that of feudal, rather than twentieth century, Europe. By the 1990s, the positions were almost reversed. This paper sets out to examine the contrasting democratic political systems of the two nations and to explore the social and democratic consequences of the changes that have occurred.
Ogawa, D. (1993) The Japanese of Los Angeles. Journal of Asian and African Studies, v19, pp.142-3.
Nakae Chomin’s Discourse was published in 1887, a period that demarcated a crucial turning point in Japan’s politics and economy. The book itself suggested the great debate that the people of Japan were having in deciding the future of the nation, and draws on Chomin’s studies on Western politics in France and his journalistic and political involvements in Japan.
21 Pitts, Forrest R., Japan. p. 113. -. 22. Davidson, Judith. Japan- Where East Meets West, p. 107.
Most American citizens remember December 7, 1941 and the significance that the incidents of that day had. The attack on Pearl Harbor was a shock to the United States of America and it engaged our country in the Second World War of that century (Pearl, 2009). Unfortunately, due to that incident, many Americans harbor many negative feelings and attitudes towards the country of Japan. While this is an understandable sentiment, it is unnecessary, because Japan is an influence on not on the United States but the entire world. Throughout this paper, we will look at the country of Japan as many have never viewed them before. Their actions of the past are just that, the past. Japan is a thriving and successful country within our environment and it is in our best interest to understand that country better. Japan, as a culture, is the
Tsuzuki, Chushichi. The Pursuit of Power in Modern Japan, 1825-1995. New York: Oxford University Press, 2000. Questia. Web. 28 Apr. 2011.
Though it seems that it was the Western influence that set off this revolutionary change, a more scrutinizing look into Japanese society at the time reveals that Japan was in fact on the brink of supplanting the fixed, hierarchical Tokugawa order for one that was better suited for its fast evolving, capitalistic society. As historian David Lu states, “Our people began to discover [modern civilization’s] utility and gradually and yet actively moved towards its acceptance. However, there was an old fashioned and bloated government that stood in the way of progress.” (Lu, 351). Therefore in a way we can view the intrusion of Western powers in Japan on that infamous July day in 1853 as an event that occurred during a time when Japan was ready for a world renewal, and not a direct and complete cause of modernization of Japan; in fact it was Japan’s revaluation of modernization and what it meant to be Japanese amidst strong western influences that eventually ...
Denison. B. (2002, January 1). A Basic Overview of Japanese Culture . . Retrieved May 3, 2014, from http://www.mizukan.org/articles/culture.htm
Imperialism has not only influenced colonial territories to better themselves or to further the mother country’s realm of power, it also had a significant impact on the people’s culture, education, environment, and political systems. Japan and Britain were two imperial systems that countered each other in many facets but also had strikingly similar qualities that had helped them become strong imperial powers that needed one another to continue their position amongst others. The Japanese empire was an inspirational country to other Asians that spearheaded the fight against the European imperialism. After the Meiji restoration, the emperors decided that the modernization of Japan was going to begin and in order for it to be a success, the government had to change along with their culture, “.restored authority faced new dangers in a new age.
Therefore, this part tries to cover those issues and seeks to answer how people affected rapid growth of post-war Japan.
Western Washington University (2011). US / Japan culture comparison. Retrieved February 9, 2014, from www.wwu.edu/auap/english/gettinginvolved/CultureComparison.shtml
...high power status, Japan had to have a self-reliant industrial common ground and be able to move all human and material resources (S,195). Through the Shogun Revolution of 1868, the abolition of Feudalism in 1871, the activation of the national army in 1873, and the assembly of parliament in 1889, the political system of Japan became westernized (Q,3). Local Labor and commercial assistance from the United States and Europe allowed Japan’s industry to bloom into a developed, modern, industrial nation (Q,3). As a consequence production surplus, and food shortage followed (Q,3). Because of how much it relied on aid of western powers, Japan’s strategic position became especially weak. In an attempt to break off slightly from the aid of the west Japanese leaders believed that it would be essential for Japan to expand beyond its borders to obtain necessary raw materials.
Deal, William E. 2006. Handbook to Life in Medieval and Early Modern Japan. Facts on File, Inc., 2006. eBook
Japan is one of the greatest countries in the world and it has offered many things as well. The Japanese have given the world a better understanding of their culture and history along with a good look at the future from a technological standpoint. They have developed and created the future for their country that has allowed them to be prosperous and powerful. They once isolated themselves from the rest of the world, but now they share their knowledge with other countries in order to create a better understanding of the world. Through their trade and creative thinking they have become one of the world’s largest and powerful countries and have allowed their economy to flourish and prosper.
Emperor Meiji Fukuzawa was one of Japan’s most powerful emperors during the imperialism era in the 1800s. Meiji was born on November 3, 1852 inKyōto, Japan; He was the emperor of Japan from 1867-1912, his death. “Japan benefited only from its rapid industrialization but also, from being an island nation. And by having a neighboring military rival a great, but crippled power, China” (Beasley, 1).