NCTA Seminar on JapanWinter 06

Mineharu (J.J.) Nakayama

The Ohio State University

January 10 & 17, 2006

Nakayama.1@osu.edu

http://japan.osu.edu

East Asia

Basic facts about Japan

• Japan – Nippon/Nihon• Flag - Nisshooki• Emblem - Chrysanthemum• Anthem – Kimigayo• Population - about a half of the US

population• Average life expectancy – M 77.8 F 84.6

in ’05est (US M 74.9 F 80.7 in ’05est)• Minorities: Ainu, Chinese-Japanese,

Korean-Japanese, (village people)

• http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/ja.html

         

Land • covers from Maine to Florida• No part of Japan is farther than

70 miles from the sea

• Tokyo (latitude) – Grand Canyon

• 4 major islands – Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku, & Kyushu

• 47 states/political regions

• Size – about the size of California

• 67% - Forests• 14% -Agriculture

Japanese language: writing systems

Kanji characters: 日 本 Hiragana: に ほん Katakana: ニ ホン Romaji: Ni hon English: Nihon/Japan

Jomon Culture (10th- 3rd C BC)• Rope figured pots, Dogu (doll)

• First Emperor – Jimmu (660 BC)(http://w2.avis.ne.jp/~jomon/culture/index.html)

Yayoi Culture 3rd C BC – 3rd C AD• Smooth pottery

• Rice cultivation (irrigation)

• Queen Himiko (Land of Wa) Kofun Period 3-6th C

• Tombs

• Haniwa

• Shinto/Kami

• Buddhism (538 AD)

A quick history

TateanaTateana

IzumoIzumo

Prince Shotoku

• Buddhism becomes the state religion

• First Constitution (17 articles), Chinese calendar

• Horyu-ji (Temple) Hosso Sect

History: Asuka Period (mid 6th -mid 7th c)

Nara Period (710-784)• Heijo-kyo – imitating Changan, China• Kojiki (Records of Ancient Matters) First history book• Nihon-Shoki (Chronicles of Japan) First written

mythology• Manyooshu (Collection of Myriad Leaves)• Shosoin (Imperial museum)• Todaiji (Temple) Kegon sect – Daibutsu (Great

Buddha)

History: Nara Period (710-784)

• Heian-kyo in Kyoto (Changan-like)

• Aristocratic life style (Fujiwara Family)

• Tendai sect (Saicho); Shingon Sect (Kukai)

• Kana was developed

• Kokinshu (Collection of Ancient and Modern Verse) imperial anthology

• Tale of Genji by Lady Murasaki – World’s first novel• Pillow Book LP

• Japaneseness

History: Heian Period (794-1191)

Heian LadyHeian Lady

Heian ManHeian Man

Late Heian PeriodHeike (Taira family) vs. Genji (Minamoto family) struggle

Kamakura Period (1192-1336)• 1st Shogun – Minamoto-no Yoritomo• Different Buddhist sects -> Pure Land sect, True Pure Land sect,

Soto Zen sect LP, Nichiren sect• Kubilai Khan’s attack -> Kamikaze

Nanboku-cho/Ashikaga Period (1336-1573)Golden Pavilion, Silver PavilionNoh – Zeami1467-1477 war in Kyoto1467-1568 civil war1543 – Portuguese commerce arrived and left a gun1549-57 Francis Xavier

History: Feudalism

Kinkakuji Ginkakuji Kinkakuji Ginkakuji

Ryuanji Zen Rock GardenRyuanji Zen Rock Garden

1568 Oda seized Kyoto• 1582 Oda assassinated

• Toyotomi kept the campaign and completed in 1590 (national unification)

• 1592-7 Toyotomi sent troops to Korea

• Toyotomi was never a Shogun

History: Azuchi-Momoyama Period (1568-1603)

Edo Tokugawa Shogunate• Feudal Lords; 4 classes (outcasts) LP; National Isolation

Policy; Neo-Confucianism

Ninjo vs. Giri – Bunraku (puppet shows)

Haiku, Kabuki, Ukiyoe 1853 Commodore Perry (Nakahama Manjiro LP)

1867 Last Shogun Tokugawa Keiki resigns

History: Edo Period (1603-1867)

Meiji Restoration in 1868 LP

• 1869 Emperor moved to Tokyo

• 1872 Compulsory Education; Railroad 1889 Imperial Constitution (cf. Weimar)LP

1890 Diet (Peers and Representatives)• 1881-98 6177 British, 2764 Americans, 913 Germans,

619 French, and 45 Italians

1894-5 Sino-Japanese War (control of Korea) 1904-5 Russo-Japanese War

• 1907 Universal Education

History: Meiji-Taisho

• 1910-45 Occupation of Korea

1914-8 Entry into WWI • 1925 Universal male suffrage

1931 Depression; occupied Manchuria• 1933 withdrawing from the League of Nations

1937 War against China (Rape of Nanking) 1940 Greater East Asia Co-prosperity Sphere

• Rome-Berlin-Tokyo Axis

• 1941 Pact with Russia

1941 WWII• (3 choices - backing down in China, seize Indonesian oil, compromise

with the US) LP

1945 Atomic bombs (8/6 Hiroshima; 8/9 Nagasaki) LP

8/8 Russia joined the war against Japan

8/15 JT Unconditional surrender (Potsdam Proclamation)

History: Taisho-Showa PreWWII

1945-52 Allied Occupation of Japan 1946 New Constitution (effective 3/3/47)

• 1950 Korean War

• 1951 San Francisco Peace Treaty; US-Japan Security Pact• 1956 Peace treaty with the Soviet Unions; Joined The United Nations

• 1964 Tokyo Olympic Games (1972 Sapporo Winter Olympic Games; 1998 Nagano Winter Olympic Games)

• 1965 Treaty with South Korea; Vietnam War

1969 Reversion of Okinawa (effective in 1972)• 1973 Oil Crisis

80’s (Japan as No.1), Economic bubble 1989 Emperor Hirohito dies (End of Showa) 1993 Coalition Government

• 1996 Great Hanshin Earthquake

• 2002 Prime Minister Koizumi visited North Korea

History: Post-WWII

Japan’s occupation of Korea 1910-45 Korean War ended in 1953 Kidnapping during 60s-70s North Koreans living in Japan

Prime Minister Koizumi visited North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) on September 17, 2002 and May 22, 2004) to meet North Korean Leader Kim Jong-Il)

Kidnapping of at least 13 Japanese

Yasushi & Fukie Chimura, Kaoru & Yukiko Hasuike,

Hitomi Soga & Charles Jenkins

Kidnapping by North Korea

Soga and JenkinsHitomi SOGA Returned in 2002Kidnapped in August 1978 and married Sgt. Charles Robert Jenkins while in North Korea. She returned to Japan one month after the summit.

Charged with desertion

Disappeared across the DMZ in January 1965

Married Japanese kidnap victim Hitomi Soga, they have 2 daughters

He is planning to live the rest of his life in Japan

Charles Robert Jenkins

South Korea: Takeshima / Dokdo dispute

http://www.pref.shimane.jp/section/takesima/eng/top.html

http://www.geocities.com/mlovmo/page4.html

People’s Republic of ChinaSenkaku / Diaoyu islands dispute

Political relations with Korea & China

Political relations with K & C have been strained due

to PM Koizumi’s visits to the Yasukuni Shrine (honoring Japanese war dead).

14 class A war criminals are among the 2.5 million

people enshrined at Yasukuni. The Japanese Constitution provides separation of

church and state, much like the U.S. Constitution.

Japan’s trade with China Japan's top trading partner for the first time in 2004

Japan's trade with China and Hong Kong, including exports and imports, rose to a record ¥22.2 trillion ($213.2 billion), 20.1 % of Japan's total foreign

trade, in 2004

Trade with the US - the ¥20.5 trillion ($194.5 billion) in 2004

More than 13 % of all Japanese exports are for China.

Japanese imports from China - 20.7 % of the country's market.

Some concepts to understand the Society

Honne (real feeling) & Tatemae (what is supposed to be) consideration to those who you care

Ie (House/family, duty to Ie), On (benevolence) , filial

piety , Giri vs. Ninjo, Uchi vs. Soto

Kao (face) losing one’s face; role, company position creates face

Use of the go-between first introduction; conflict resolution

Decision making Ringi (nemawashi root binding)……takes time

Entering a long relationship – the relationship is valued

Compulsory education

• Elementary (6 years); Junior high school (3 yrs)

Textbooks (free), curriculum (decided by the Ministry of Education, local board of education/school), Lesson studies

Non-Compulsory education

• Kindergarten (cf. Daycare) LP• High schools/vocational schools/colleges – 3, 5

years • Comm. Colleges (2 yrs), Colleges (4 or 6 yrs)

Current Education System

Speak slowly and clearly no need to speak loudly

Don’t use the first or nick names in rather formal occasions and even informal occasions (the use of the first name may be all right to the person who was addressed to, but often not acceptable to others who are in the same conversational domain – esp. business contexts)

Japanese “Yes” does not mean the same YES in English - They are translating Japanese “hai”, which is just promoting the conversational discourse (i.e., Yes, I am listening,etc.)

Don’t maintain steady eye contact while talking

Addition: Communication with the Japanese People