Essays on Japanese Society

One of the main advantages of literature lies in its ability to communicate various cultural experiences and provide greater knowledge and deeper understanding of foreign traditions for the reader. In the Western civilization, Eastern religious traditions and cultures informed by them are perceived with interest, fascination and even fear; while lack of understanding can often impair successful interaction and communication. In addressing the issue of religious values, the authors of two books, Confucius Lives Next Door: What Living in the East Teaches Us about Living in the West and Children of Dust: A Portrait of a Muslim as a ...

The Tokugawa Period lasted between 1603 and 1867 (Yanemoto). It was founded by Tokugawa Ieyasu, and it was also called the Edo period. The Tokugawa period was characterized by political stability, internal peace, and economic growth. The people were led under military dictatorship. During this time, the Japanese society experienced some changes. Some of the transformation include educational expansion, commercialization and economic growth among others. The social order in the society was totally frozen. The society was divided into four classes: Samurai class, Farmers/Peasants, Artisans, and Merchants. Peasants were concerned with food production through farming. Artisans used their crafts ...

The three countries chosen for this paper are Jordan, Japan, and Germany. These three countries were chosen because they are among the most developed in their own specific regions. Geert Hofstede’s cultural dimensions helped establish a positive framework for cross-cultural communications; in fact, part of his theories are implemented in every major international business course in the world. Hofstede’s model is based on six dimensions: the power-distance index, individualism vs collectivism, the uncertainty avoidance index, masculinity vs femininity, long-term orientation vs short-term orientation, and indulgence vs restraint. Each country and each culture has very different levels of ...

The Early Modern Scientific Period started with the invention of the Portuguese caravel which paved the way for the rest of the inventions which came along with the concept of trading. The commercial revolution began from the 13th century, and the Middle Ages experienced an expansion of commerce and mercantile progress which was a by-product of the voyages of the Europeans into the Spanish countries of the time (Burlingham). The Industrial Revolution came as another significant change to the economic system whereby handicrafts and products were made at an astonishingly fast rate, which increased the monetary output of the ...

According to Dekun Zheng (1983), China has been one of Asia’s most distinguished countries, and it has been known to have a class structure which has divided it into two Chinas. The upper class and the rural class has had clear demarcations in the country. The upper class of the Chinese civilization has enjoyed a luxurious lifestyle which has been visible from their expenditure, way of living and spending. Moreover, the author mentions the importance of gaining a classical education, which has been important to the Chinese upper class that helped them rise above the rural class of ...

The term “manga” refers to Japanese comics or comics written in the Japanese language with the use of specific Japanese style. Nowadays, the manga is popular not only in Japan but also all over the world. With the growth of the international popularity, it often becomes the object of condemnation due to its sensitive content. This paper aims to study the development of manga and the roles it has played in society at different times. During its history, the manga was mostly used for political mockery, but through the years, it became more diversified and started to be the ...

The Concept of the Collection: Japanese Warrior

Introduction Nature, the environment and the universe as a whole, provided a huge influence on mankind for a long time. It was particularly pronounced prior to the active development of technical progress. Japanese culture can be considered as one of the brightest representatives of such influence. It is a multi-faceted, surprising and unusual world of images and objects. Everything is living his own life in harmony with the surrounding space. Japanese style evolved over the centuries. Now it is an excellent example of the preservation of a constant shape in combination with the cycle of patterns and colors. The ...

Introduction

Myths and legends played a vital role in the progression of culture of the great civilizations of in the ancient world. In today’s ideological contemporaries, the role of myths to a specific culture fascinated scholars for ages and several theoretical approaches were attributed to understanding the context of myths. In this discussion Eastern mythology will be explored specifically the myth of the creation of the universe and Japan. Exploring the mythological context of creation employs the feminist and anthropological theoretical underpinnings. In addition, referencing other literatures to explain how the Japanese society makes use of the myth, its ...

Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s Love in the Time Cholera and Yasunari Kawabata’s Snow Country are two novels that redefined the contours of Latin American and Japanese literature. Kawabata’s writing style and magical realism went on to win him a Nobel Prize in Literature while Marquez became one of the best writers of the 20th century. In both texts by Kawabata and Marquez there is a constant struggle between tradition and modernity. Water is a significant recurring motif in Love in the Time of Cholera inasmuch as it reflects on the struggle of the main characters to balance ...

Introduction

This research aims at understanding the development of the Samurai culture as a worldview that it became through its a thousand years of existence. The culture of the samurai is interesting as it developed from the simple armed support to the landowners, into the feudal leadership of the country of Japan. The code of ethics and unity that brought the Samurai together is of a very unique status in the society as it developed in a people that would otherwise be expected to remain servants. In most civilizations, the guards and other security servants often retain their servant status ...

The relevance of this work is expressed by the fact that the interest to Japan is increasing today. Many people, who are interested in modern Japan, are also interested in its history and culture. Consequently, the interest to theaters is also increasing, including the theater of Kabuki, which captivates the audience with its colorfulness and accessibility. The aim of this work is to fully consider the birth of Kabuki theater and study its origins, the specificity and role in Japanese culture. On the basis of the work’s purpose I have set the following objectives: - Consider the occurrence ...

The rigid social hierarchy and the already miserable situations of both Jihei and Kohei were the two catalysts that prompted to their suicide as an escape from the harsh reality of 18th century Japanese society. The story was originally intended as a play for the Bunraku Puppet Theatre but due to the immense popularity, the play was adopted in to Kabuki theatre which further emphasized the realistic theme of the play. Chikamatsu was indeed a master of Japanese play with his successful combinations of social duty and love to create conflict. The timeless romance between the star-crossed lovers Kamiya ...

Readings by Goldberg and Napier are devoted to examining specific aspects of Japanese animation culture. Whereas Goldberg represents the analysis of a famous animated film titled “Grave of the Fireflies,” Napier examines major characteristics of Japanese anime. Goldberg pays special attention to the investigation of children’s suffering which is taking place throughout the story. The author claims that due to the film, a set of questions about the way Japanese people should talk about their history, in particular about the period associated with the World War II. Furthermore, it is argued that the film is “critical of a ...