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“THE IMPORTANCE OF NATIONHOOD”

 

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 Acknowledgement 

 

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In the name of Allah, the most merciful and Compassionate First of all we thank 

 Almighty Allah, giving us courage to do this project and without the courage given

 by Almighty Allah we would never be able to complete this project. We are thankful

to our Mam.Qurat-ul-ain who helped us in the preparation of this project. We

also thankful to our seniors who give us help regarding the completion of this

project.

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Special thanks and dedications to our beloved parents who motivated and

supported us in this research project and remained a source of inspiration for us

and prayed for our success all along.

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 DEDICATION 

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“ THE IMPORTANCE

OF

NATIONHOOD”

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Nationhood……………………………………………………………….…………6

History .....................................................................................................................................6

Defining a nation; ....................................................................................................................9

People in the culture ..............................................................................................................11Chinese Festivals ...................................................................................................................13

The culture of Japan has evolved greatly over millennia, from the country's prehistoric

Jomon culture to its contemporary hybrid culture, which combines influences fromAsia, Europe and North America. After several waves of immigration from the

continent and nearby Pacific islands (see History of Japan), the inhabitants of Japan

experienced a long period of relative isolation from the outside world under theTokugawa shogun ate until the arrival of "The Black Ships" and the Meiji era........... 15

Japanese language .................................................................................................................15

The Japanese language has always played a significant role in Japanese culture. The

language is spoken mainly in Japan but also in some Japanese emigrant communitiesaround the world, it is an agglutinative language and the sound inventory of Japanese

is relatively small but has a lexically distinct pitch-accent system. Early Japanese is

known largely on the basis of its state in the 8th century, when the three major worksof old Japanese were compiled. The earliest attestation of the Japanese language is in a

Chinese document from 252 A.D. The Japanese language is derived from Chinese and

Korean linguistic roots. It is regarded as an extremely hard language for westerners tolearn as adults................................................................................................................ 15

Visual arts ..............................................................................................................................15

Painting ................................................................................................................................. 15Clothing ................................................................................................................................. 16

Popular culture ......................................................................................................................16

 Nihonjinron ...........................................................................................................................17

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Table of Contents

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A nation is a body of people who share a common history, culture, language or ethnic

origin, which typically inhabit a particular country or territory. The development andconceptualization of the nation is closely related to the development of modern industrial

states and nationalist movements in Europe in the 18th and 19th centuries, although

nationalists would trace nations into the past along uninterrupted lines of historical

narrative.

Benedict Anderson argued that nations were "imagined communities" because "the

members of even the smallest nation will never know most of their fellow-members, meet

them, or even hear of them, yet in the minds of each lives the image of their communion",

and traced their origins back to vernacular print journalism, which by its very nature waslimited with linguistic zones and addressed a common audience.

Though "nation"  is also commonly used in informal discourse as a synonym for  state or country, a nation is not identical to a state. Countries where the social concept of "nation"coincides with the political concept of "state" are called nation states.

HistoryEtymology and early use

The English word "nation" is derived from the Latin term nation (nātĭō, stem nātiōn-),

meaning:

• The action of being born; birth; or 

• The goddess personifying birth; or 

• A breed, stock, kind, species, race; or 

• A tribe, or (rhetorically, any) set of people (contemptuous); or 

• A nation or people.

As an example of how the word natio was employed in classical Latin, consider the

following quote from Cicero's  Philippics against Mark Antony in 44 BC. Cicero contrasts

the external, inferior nationes ("races of people") with the Roman civitas ("community"):

"Omnes nationes servitutem ferre possunt: nostra civitas non potest."("All races are able to bear enslavement, but our community cannot.")

St. Jerome used this "genealogical-historical term ... in his Latin translation of New

Testament to denote non-Christians — that is, 'others.’” An early example of the use of the

word "nation" in conjunction with language and territory is provided in 968 by Liutprand,

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 bishop of Cremona, who, while confronting Nicephorus II, the Byzantine emperor on

 behalf of his patron Otto I, Holy Roman Emperor, declared:

"The land ...which you say belongs to your empire belongs, as the nationality and language

of the people proves, to the kingdom of Italy.'" (Emphasis added.)

Although Liutprand was writing in Latin, his native tongue was Lombard, a Germanic

language.

A significant early use of the term nation, as natio, was at mediaeval universities ( see:nation (university)to describe the colleagues in a college or students, above all at theUniversity of Paris, who were all born within a  pays, spoke the same language and

expected to be ruled by their own familiar law. In 1383 and 1384, while studying theology

at Paris, Jean Gerson was twice elected procurator for the French natio (i.e. the French-bornFrancophone students at the University). The division of students into a natio was also

adopted at the University of Prague, where from its opening in 1349 the studium generale

was divided among Bohemian, Bavarian, Saxon and Polish nations.

Birth of the concept of "Nation" during the French Revolution

The concept of nation (both political and cultural) as we understand it today, i.e. as a basically political notion, emerges around the end of the 18th century and coincides with

the end of the Ancient Régime. At that time, the first solid theoretical formulations of the

nation occur and are applied in concrete political demands like the American Revolutionand the French Revolution. Ever since, the ideas of political nation and cultural nation have

evolved intertwined. Nevertheless, the term "nation", derived from Latin, existed before

with other meanings.

The term Nation has two distinct meanings: The political nation, used in the domains of international law and politics is the political subjects which exerts the political

sovereignity.of a democratic state. The cultural nation is a sociological or ideological

concept, which is more subjective and ambiguous in its meaning than the political nation.The cultural nation can roughly be defined as a community of people with certain common

cultural features, which are ethically or politically relevant to them. In a broader sense,nation is also sometimes used to refer to a number of other things: State, country, territoryor inhabitants of the former, people, among others.

Political nation and the constitution of the State

In the domain of political sciences, the political nation is the holder of the sovereignty

which shapes the fundamental norms governing the functioning of the state.

From the French Revolution up to today, the differences and similarities between theconcepts of "political nation" and "people" have been object of heated debates. A related

debate concerns the concepts of national sovereignty and popular sovereignty..

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A classical distinction exemplifies "national sovereignty" in the French Constitution of 

1791. In this system, sovereignty is held by a parliament elected by census suffrage. This

contrasts with the Constitution of 1793, in which the population is understood as a conjunctof individuals. This idea would eventually lead to direct democracy and universal suffrage.

 Nevertheless, these sense already started to get blurred in the very same revolutionary

 period. Many authors employed the words with divergent meanings. Following GuillaumeBacot, the differences started to become merely a matter of terminology, and between 1789

and 1794 the unified revolutionary concept of sovereignty was used.

"Nation" and "people" were used in 1789 by the abbot Sieyès as synonyms, with a socio-

economic meaning. But only shortly thereafter, he changed the meaning of his words,establishing a fundamental difference for his ideas of sovereignty and the constitutional

state. He defined the nation then as emanating from natural law, prior to the State. "People"

was determined as following from the concept of nation after the creation of the State. For Sieyès, the nation is the holder of sovereignty, which it exercises through the povoir 

constituent. After the establishment of a constitution, "people" is defined as the holder of 

the pouvoir constitué. In short, the people are defined by Seyès as a nation organized by aconstitution.

  Nicolas de Condorcet only uses the word "people", but he agrees with Seyès in

emphasizing the distinction between pouvoir constituent and pouvoir constitué as the basis

for the functioning of a liberal and democratic state.

For those two authors, the role of holder of sovereignty ("nation" or "people", as the casemay be) is exhausted after the use of the  pouvoir constituent". What remains is only a

reminder of the foundation of the State, which could only become manifest in exceptional case, e.g. rebellion against a tyrant.

The ideas of Sieyès y Condorcet lay the foundation for a basic idea of a constitutional state,still common today: this kind of state has no sovereign.

Cultural Nation

The concept of cultural nation poses one of the major problems in the humanities since

there is no consensus how to define it. A base line would be to say that the members of acultural nation are aware of constituting an ethical-political body together, which is

differentiated from others by the members sharing a number of defining cultural features.

Those features can include language, religion, tradition, or shared history. All this can be

taken as a sign of a historically evolved distinct culture. The question whether a nationneeds to have an associated territory is subject of debate.

 National identity specially refers to the distinction of specific features of a group. A vast

array of different criteria is used, with a range of different applications. Like this, small

differences in pronunciation or different dialects can be sufficient to categorize someone asa member of a different nation.

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The cultural nation and the State

A state which identifies itself explicitly as the home of a cultural nation is a nation-state.

Many of the modern states are in this category or try to legitimize their existence in this

way, although there might be disputes and contradictions as to the appropriateness of this.

Because so many of the states are nation-states, the words "nation", "country", and "state"are often used synonymously. If the cultural nation is conceptualized as exclusively

ethnically, and not as requiring a territory, a number of nations without land can be found.A prominent example would be the "gypsy nation".

Defining a nation;

The national identity refers both to the distinguishing features of the group, and to theindividual's sense of belonging to it. A very wide range of criteria is used, with very

different applications. Small differences in pronunciation may be enough to categorize

someone as a member of another nation. On the other hand, two people may be separated

 by difference in personalities, belief systems, geographical locations, time and even spokenlanguage; yet regard themselves, and be seen by others, as members of the same nation.

Primordial or Perennial Definition

The first requirement for the definition is that the characteristics should be shared  —a group

of people with nothing in common cannot be a nation. Because they are shared, the national population also has a degree of uniformity and homogeneity. And finally, at least some of 

the characteristics must be exclusive —to distinguish the nation from neighboring nations.

All of the characteristics can be disputed, and opposition to secessionist nationalism oftenincludes the denial that a separate nation exists.

Common descent

Almost all nationalist movements make some claim to shared origins and descent, and it is

a component of the national identity in most nations. The fact that the ancestry is  shared 

among the members of the nation unites them, and sets them apart from other nations,which do not share that ancestry.

The question is: descent from whom? Often, the answer is simply: from previous

generations of the same nation. More specifically:

• the nation may be defined as the descendants of the past inhabitants of the nationalhomeland

• The nation may be defined as the descendants of past speakers of the national

language, or past groups which shared the national culture.

Usually, these factors are assumed to coincide. The well-defined Icelandic nation isassumed to consist of the descendants of the island of Iceland in, say, 1850.Those people

also spoke the Icelandic language, were known as Icelanders at that time, and had a

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recognized culture of their own. However, the present population of Iceland cannot

coincide exactly with their descendants: that would imply complete endogamy, meaning

that no Icelander since 1850 ever had children by a non-Icelander. Most European nationsexperienced border changes and, migration over the last few centuries, and intermarried

with other national groups. Statistically, their current national population can not coincide

exactly with the descendants of the nation in 1700 or 1500, even if was then known by thesame name. The shared ancestry is more of a national myth in some cases than a genetic

reality—but still sufficient for a national identity nevertheless.

Common Language

A language is the primary ingredient in the making of a nation. Without a common

language a nation cannot evolve. A common Culture, a common History is dependent onLanguage. Also to deal with everyday affairs within a group of people living in a specified

 boundary need a common mean of communication to trade and socialize. Thus even if a

group of people sharing common Language, Culture and History may live in different

countries but would still consider themselves attached to their respective nations as long asthey share the same language.

Common Culture

Many nations are constructed around the idea of a  shared culture, the national culture. Thenational culture can be assumed to be shared with previous generations, and includes a

cultural heritage from these generations. As with the common ancestry, this identification

of past culture with present culture may be largely symbolic. The archaeological site of 

Stonehenge for instance is owned and managed by English Heritage, although no 'English' people or state existed when it was constructed, 4 000 to 5 000 years ago. Other nations

have similarly appropriated ancient archaeological sites, literature, art, and even entirecivilizations as 'national heritage'.

Common religion

Religion is sometimes used as a defining factor for a nation, although some nationalist

movements de-emphasize it as a divisive factor. Again it is the fact that the religion is shared , that makes it national. It may not be exclusive: several nations define themselves partly as Catholic although the religion itself is Universalist. Some religions are specific to

one ethnic group, notably Judaism. Nevertheless, the Zionist movement generally avoided a

religious definition of the 'Jewish people', preferring an ethnic and cultural definition. Since

Judaism is a religion, people can become a Jew by religious conversion, which in turn canfacilitate their obtaining Israeli citizenship. Jews in Israel who convert to other religions do

not thereby lose Israeli citizenship, although their national identity might then be

questioned by others.

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The Culture of China (traditional Chinese: 中國文化 ; simplified Chinese: 中国文化 ;

 pinyin: Zhōngguó wénhuà) is one of the world's oldest and most complex culture. The areain which the culture is dominant covers a large geographical region with customs and

traditions varying greatly between towns, cities and provinces.

People in the culturePeople in imperial China - Qing dynasty

Identity

Many ethnic groups have existed in China. In terms of the numbers, however, the pre-

eminent ethnic group is the Han Chinese. Throughout history, many groups have been

assimilated into neighboring ethnicities or disappeared without a trace. At the same time,

many within the Han identity have maintained distinct linguistic and regional culturaltraditions. The term Zhonghua Minzu has been used to describe the notion of Chinese

nationalism in general. Much of the traditional cultural identity within the community has

to do with distinguishing the family name.

Society

Gold detailing on a throne used by the Qianlong Emperor. The Chinese dragon was a

symbol reserved for the Emperor of China or high level imperial families during the QingDynasty.

Structure

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Since the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors period, some form of Chinese monarch has

 been the main ruler above all. Different periods of history have different names for the

various positions within society. Conceptually each imperial or feudal period is a similar,with the government and military official ranking high in the hierarchy, and the rest of the

 population under regular Chinese law. Since the late Zhou Dynasty (1046–256 BCE),

traditional Chinese society was organized into a hieratic system of socio-economic classesknown as the four occupations. However, this system did not cover all social groups while

the distinctions between all groups became blurred ever since the commercialization of 

Chinese culture in the Song Dynasty (960–1279 CE). Ancient Chinese education also has a

long history; ever since the Sui Dynasty (581–618 CE) educated candidates prepared for the Imperial examinations that drafted exam graduates into government as scholar-

 bureaucrats. Trades and crafts were usually taught by a sifu. The female historian Ban Zhao

wrote the Lessons for Women in the Han Dynasty and outlined the four virtues womenmust abide to, while scholars such as Zhu Xi and Cheng Yi would expand upon this.

Chinese marriage and Taoist sexual practices are some of the customs and rituals found in

society.

Values

Most social values are derived from Confucianism and Taoism with a combination of 

conservatism. The subject of which school was the most influential is always debated as

many concepts such as Neo-Confucianism, Buddhism and many others have come about.

Reincarnation and other rebirth concept is a reminder of the connection between real-lifeand the next-life. In Chinese business culture, the concept of  guanxi, indicating the primacy

of relations over rules, has been well documented.

Language

Spoken Chinese has consisted of a number of Old Chinese, and thenMiddle Chinese, for its first 4,000 years, then became Chinese dialects

and languages throughout recent history, beginning 1,000 years ago. In

the Ming Dynasty standard Mandarin was nationalized. Even so, itwasn't until the Republic of China era in the 1900s when there was any

noticeable result in promoting a common unified language in China.

The ancient written standard was Classical Chinese. It was used for thousands of years, but

was mostly reserved for scholars and intellectuals. By the 20th century, millions of citizens,especially those outside of the imperial court were illiterate. Only after the May 4th

Movement did the push for Vernacular Chinese begin. This allowed common citizens to

read since it was modeled after the linguistics and phonology of a spoken language.4thMovement did the push for Vernacular Chinese begin. This allowed common citizens to

read since it was modeled after the linguistics and phonology of a spoken language.

Literature

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Chinese literature began with record keeping and divination on Oracle Bones. The

extensive collection of books that have been preserved since the Zhou Dynasty demonstrate

 just how advanced the intellectuals were at one time. Indeed, the era of the Zhou Dynasty isoften looked to as the touchstone of Chinese cultural development. The Five Cardinal

Points are the foundation for almost all major studies. Concepts covered within the Chinese

classic texts present a wide range of subjects including poetry, astrology, astronomy,calendar, constellations and many others. Some of the most important early texts include I

Ching and Shujing within the Four Books and Five Classics. Many Chinese concepts such

as Yin and Yang, Qi, Four Pillars of Destiny in relation to heaven and earth were all

theorized in the dynastic periods.

  Notable Confucian’s, Taoists and scholars of all classes have made significant

contributions from documenting history to authoring saintly concepts that seem hundred of 

years ahead of time. Many novels such as Four Great Classical Novels spawned countlessfictional stories. By the end of the Qing Dynasty, Chinese culture would embark on a new

era with Vernacular Chinese for the common citizens. Hu Shih and Lu Xun would be

 pioneers in modern literature.

Music of China

The music of China dates back to the dawn of Chinese civilization with

documents and artifacts providing evidence of a well-developed musical culture

as early as the Zhou Dynasty (1122 BCE - 256 BCE). Some of the oldest

written music dates back to Confucius's time. The first major well-documentedflowering of Chinese music was for the qin during the Tang Dynasty, though it

is known to have played a major part before the Han Dynasty.

Chinese FestivalsIntroduction

People might say that the Chinese are not really religious. Chinese festivals are celebrations

of customs and traditions. The nation has gone througth a very long history. Throughout

these years, it has developed three major responses, Taoism, Confucianism and ChineseBuddhism which between them cover an amazing range of religious, ethical and

 philosophical fields. All three systems are still powerfully at work in Chinese society.

Chinese New Year

The Chinese use the lunar calendar for Chinese festivals. The Lunar calendar is based on

the time the moon takes to go around the Earth whereas the Western calendar is based on

the time it takes for the Earth to go around the Sun.

Ching Ming Festival

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It falls around the 5th day of the fourth lunar month. Traditionally, this is an occasion for 

 people to go to their ancestor's tomb and pay their respects. The Chinese believe that the

generations of their family start from their ancestors. A visit to the tombs is a sign of memory and respect.

Dragon Boat Festival

It falls on the fifth day of the fifth month. There is a story

 behind this festival as follows.

Long ago their lived an honest and upright official called ChuYuen. Unfortunately the Emperor of that time was a cruel and

greedy man who forced taxes on the people until they were in dire poverty. Chu Yuen had

written several letters to the Emperor asking him to have pity on the poor people butwithout any response. He decided to commit suicide to draw attention to the bad

government.

To save his body staying at the bottom of the river, the local people threw rice dumplings

wrapped in bamboo leaves into the water to feed the water animals and fish. A boat was built with a dragon head and the noise of drums was used to frighten those creatures.

Two major elements of the festival recall this story. The first is the rice dumplings which

are cooked for this event. The second is the dragon boats race. The tempo for the rowers isset by the banging of the drum set in the middle of the boat.

Mid-Autumn Moon

It falls on the 15th day of the eighth lunar month, which comes right in the middle of 

autumn, hence its name. At this time the moon is the brightest of the year. There is a myth behind it.

Once there was a beautiful and kind queen, Sheung Ngao, who had stolen the immortal pill

from the tyrant king. He chased after her with a sword in his hand. Sheung Ngoa swallowedthe pill while she was escaping from her husband. Gradually she rose up from the ground

and flew higher and higher up to the moon. The story is told by adults asking children to

look at the shadows on the moon and to see whether they can see Sheung Ngao.

One of the major features of this festival is the beautiful lanterns of various shapes - rabbits,fishes, dragons, birds etc. and a small candle is placed inside each of the lanterns. It is a

great time for the family gathering where children play with the lanterns and adults sit

around the table with moon cakes and fruits.

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The culture of Japan has evolved greatly over millennia, from the country's prehistoricJomon culture to its contemporary hybrid culture, which combines influences from

Asia, Europe and  North America. After several waves of immigration from the

continent and nearby Pacific islands (see History of Japan), the inhabitants of Japan 

experienced a long period of relative isolation from the outside world under theTokugawa shogun ate until the arrival of "The Black Ships" and the Meiji era.

Japanese language

The Japanese language has always played a significant role in Japanese culture. Thelanguage is spoken mainly in Japan but also in some Japanese emigrant

communities around the world, it is an  agglutinative language and the sound

inventory of Japanese is relatively small but has a lexically distinct  pitch-accent system. Early Japanese is known largely on the basis of its state in the 8th century,

when the three major works of old Japanese were compiled. The earliest attestation

of the Japanese language is in a Chinese document from 252 A.D. The Japaneselanguage is derived from Chinese and Korean linguistic roots. It is regarded as an

extremely hard language for westerners to learn as adults.

Visual arts

Painting

Painting has been an art in Japan for a very long time: the brush is a traditional

writing tool, and the extension of that to its use as an artist's tool was probablynatural. Native Japanese painting techniques are still in use today, as well as

techniques adopted from continental Asia and from the West.

Calligraphy

The flowing, brush-drawn Japanese language lends itself to complicated calligraphy.

Calligraphic art is often too esoteric for Western audiences and therefore general exposure

is very limited. However in East Asian countries, the rendering of text itself is seen as atraditional artform as well as a means of conveying written information. The written work 

can consist of phrases, poems, stories, or even single characters. The style and format of the

writing can mimic the subject matter, even to the point of texture and stroke speed. In somecases it can take over one hundred attempts to produce the desired effect of a single

character but the process of creating the work is considered as much an art as the end

 product itself.

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Sculpture

Traditional Japanese sculptures mainly settled on the subject of Buddhist 

images, such as  Tathagata, Bodhisattva and Myō-ō. The oldest sculpture

in Japan is a wooden statue of  Amitabha at the Zenkō-ji temple. In the Nara period, Buddhist statues were made by the national government to

  boost its prestige. These examples are seen in present-day  Nara and

Kyoto, most notably a colossal bronze statue of the Buddha Vairocana in

the Tōdai-ji temple.Wood has traditionally been used as the chief material in Japan, along

with the traditional Japanese architectures. Statues are often lacquered, gilded, or brightly

 painted, although there are little traces on the surfaces. Bronze and other metals are alsoused. Other materials, such as stone and pottery, have had extremely important roles in the

 plebeian beliefs.

Clothing

The Japanese word kimono means "something one wears" and they are thetraditional garments of Japan. Originally, the word kimono was used for all

types of clothing, but eventually, it came to refer specifically to the full-length

garment also known as the naga-gi, meaning "long-wear", that is still worntoday on special occasions by women, men, and children. Kimono in this

meaning plus all other items of traditional Japanese clothing is known

collectively as wafuku which means "Japanese clothes" as opposed to yofuku

(Western-style clothing). Kimono comes in a variety of colors, styles, andsizes. Men mainly wear darker or more muted colours, while women tend to wear brighter 

colors and pastels, and, especially for younger women, often with complicated abstract or floral patterns. The lighter and simpler casual-wear version of kimono often worn insummer or at home is called yukata. Formal kimono are typically worn in several layers,

with number of layers, visibility of layers, sleeve length, and choice of pattern dictated by

social status, season, and the occasion for which the kimono is worn

Popular culture

Musashi Miyamoto  in Vagabond by Takehiko Inoue, adapted from an Eiji

Yoshikawa's novel, Musashi.

Japanese popular culture not only reflects the attitudes and concerns of the present but also provides a link to the past. Popular films, television programs,

Manga, and music all developed from older artistic and literary traditions, and

many of their themes and styles of presentation can be traced to traditional artforms. Contemporary forms of  popular culture, much like the traditional forms,

 provide not only entertainment but also an escape for the contemporary Japanese from the

 problems of an industrial world. When asked how they spent their leisure time, 80 percentof a sample of men and women surveyed by the government in 1986 said they averaged

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about two and one-half hours per weekday watching television, listening to the radio, and

reading newspapers or  magazines. Some 16 percent spent an average of two and one-

quarter hours a day engaged in hobbies or amusements. Others spent leisure time  participating in sports, socializing, and personal study. Teenagers and retired people

reported more time spent on all of these activities than did other groups.

Many anime and manga are becoming very popular around the world, as well as Japanesevideo games, music, and game shows[6]; this has made Japan an "entertainment

superpower " along with the United States and European Union.

In the late 1980s, the family was the focus of leisure activities, such as excursions to parks

or shopping districts. Although Japan is often thought of as a hard-working society withlittle time for leisure, the Japanese seek entertainment wherever they can. It is common to

see Japanese commuters riding the train to work, enjoying their favorite manga, or listening

through earphones to the latest in popular music on portable music players.A wide variety of types of popular entertainment are available. There is a large selection of 

music, films, and the products of a huge comic book industry, among other forms of 

entertainment, from which to choose. Game centers, bowling alleys, and karaoke are

 popular hangout places for teens while older people may play shogi or go in specialized parlors.

Together, the publishing, film/video, music/audio, and game industries in Japan make up

the growing Japanese content industry, which, in 2006, was estimated to be worth close to14 trillion Yen.

Nihonjinron

Main article: Nihonjinron

The term Nihonjinron literally means "theories/discussions about the Japanese" and refersto a large number of texts, ranging over such varied fields as  sociology,   psychology,

history, linguistics,  philosophy, and even science, published predominantly in Japan byJapanese, though noted examples of the genre have also been penned by foreign scholars, journalists and residents.

 

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The Japanese tend to be more of a collective culture than the Chinese. The Japanese tend to

strive to do the best and be the best. While both cultures have strict rules for etiquette and

respect, the Japanese tend to be more consistent with the practice.In recent years, the relations between two countries are improving. China is the largest

trade partner of Japan, Japanese anime are popular in China.

Almost everything in Japan came from, or was based on something from China. Even the

written language of  kanji literally means "Chinese Characters". But later on Japan made

their own written languages.  Hiragana is the most commonly used written language in

Japan. Katakana is used to write foreign words.

Japanese people and Chinese people have many different mannerisms and have many

different ways of viewing life. So generally speaking, Japan is its own country, and so is

China.

The Influence of Chinese Culture on Japanese Culture

The Chinese civilization was a much older civilization than the Japanese civilization. The

Chinese and the Japanese had cultural and commercial relations that date back to 200 A.D.

Chinese culture flowed out of China and into Japan to influence Japanese culture in several

waves. The degree to which the Japanese adopted Chinese cultural influences depended onthe receptivity of the latter at that particular historical juncture. Chinese influence on

Japanese culture is readily apparent.

Some of these influences are:

• Language. The Japanese had no written language at the time of their first contactwith the Chinese and their use of Chinese proved important for the purpose of 

 political unification under the Japanese Emperor.

• Religion. Buddhism and Confucianism are important features of Chinese culture.As a systematic belief system, Buddhism forced the local Japanese religions, which

were less coherent systems, to define themselves in relation to Buddhism.

Confucianism, a systematic religious belief system, had a lot to say aboutgovernance and society and proved attractive for the Japanese. Consequently it had

an important influence on Japanese culture.

System of government. The method of organization of the Imperial Court, a significant

element of ancient Chinese culture, was also adopted by the Japanese. The JapaneseImperial Court as well as its bureaucracy, including titles, ranks and functions, soon came

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to be modeled after Confucian principles. City-planning is also an aspect of Chinese culture

 borrowed by the Japanese. Kyoto and Nara, capital cities constructed along these lines, are

examples. Several localities around these old capital cities reveal a system of fields andirrigation systems divided into even rectangles based on the ancient Chinese model of city

 planning. The use of a road system to hasten communication and control rebelling localities

are also important features of this system of planning.

Compare and contrast: Chinese vs. Japanese

Described as “water spirits with human shapes wearing a crown of serpents on their heads"

or as "snake-like beings resembling clouds," Chinese and Japanese dragons are both

amazing but different. The cultures they emerged from saw different meaning in the

dragon; they both used them as guardians of their temples and other special places, and assymbols of happiness, immortality, procreation, fertility and activity. And yet they each

were a different and unique to the Chinese and Japanese. Chinese dragons were often red

or gold, turquoise or white. The turquoise dragon was the symbol of the Emperor, the East,

the rising sun, the rain as well as the fifth element of the Chinese zodiac. The white dragonon the other hand stood for the West and death. Chinese mythology, dragons lived under 

the surface of the Earth and only visited the world in the second month of the Chinesecalendar to cause rain and thunder. Each one of its four short legs had five claws on each

foot. The five-toed dragons symbolized power and in China these dragons were called

“Lung.” They are also associated with the weather as the bringer of rain and water in an

agriculturally driven nation. In Chinese mythology there are five types of dragons: celestialdragons that guard the mansions of the gods, spiritual dragons who rule wind & rain but

also can cause flooding, earth dragons that cleanse the rivers and deepen the oceans,

treasure-guarding dragons that protect metals and stones, imperial dragons that have fiveclaws instead of the usual four. All of the kinds of Chinese dragons, with their symbolic

nature and many forms are unique to their culture.

In Japanese mythology, a dragon is a guardian of the imperial family, also the god of 

thunder and lightening. Most Japanese Zen temples have a dragon painted on the ceiling of their assembly halls. The Japanese dragon has three claws, unlike the Chinese dragon. This

may be because the number four is an unlucky number in Japan. The Japanese dragons

have a sleek snake-like form and some have whiskers. Some of the Japanese dragons have  been said to grant wishes, and others to have the powers of healing, flight, and

transformation among other things. These dragons are similar to the Chinese, and yet have

a few very outstanding characteristics all their own.

In both Chinese and Japanese mythology, the dragon is closely associated with the watery

realm, and in artwork is often surrounded by water or clouds. In myth, there are four dragon

kings who rule over the four seas. Images of dragons are found painted frequently on tomb

walls to dispel evil. In both China and Japan, the character for "dragon" is used often intemple names, and dragon carvings adorn many temple structures. In both Chinese and

Japanese mythology, the dragon is one of four legendary creatures guarding the four 

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cosmic directions, the others being the red bird (also known as a phoenix), the tortoise, and

the tiger. Most of the time Japanese and Chinese dragons look like snakes and had no

wings. The dragons of Japan and China are both similar in their one of kind features, andare marvelous in their own way.

These dragons of myth and of the Chinese and Japanese traditions are in way, magical,mystical, and important figures in the societies of China and Japan. They are alike but

different and are more amazing than other dragons in most every way. As a significantsymbol and figure in the lives, buildings, and stories of the ancient Chinese and Japanese

world.