Saturday 1 November 2014

Chinese vs Japanese Culture



I've realized after doing some research on both Chinese and Japanese cultures why so many people including myself quite often tend to get them mixed up. There are a number of similarities between China and Japan because of the influence China had in the development of Japan. Their similarities include geographical, arts and culture, cuisine, religious beliefs and a strong sense of loyalty as well as strict work ethics. China and Japan are both located in eastern Asia. China is on the eastern part of the Asian continent near Mongolia, Russia and India while Japan is an island located in the Pacific Ocean to the east of the Asian continent. I will outline similarities and differences between the two countries.




Major Similarities between China and Japan

1) China and Japan have similar religions. One of the religions that is widely practiced in both countries is Buddhism. 
2) Both cultures reflect a strong sense of loyalty. In both countries, Chinese and Japanese tend to be loyal to their families, groups in society as well as the companies they work for. 

3) The two countries have adopted Confucian values. An example of a Confucian value is that the man is the head of the home with the woman playing a humble subservient kind of role and the eldest male is the natural heir to the family's wealth. 

4) Both China and Japan are notorious for having crime syndicates in their society. China has the Chinese mafia which is known as the Triad and Japan has the Japanese mafia known as the Yakuza.  

5) Both countries are found in the eastern part of Asia.

                                       6) A variety of the arts and culture in both China and Japan are quite similar. 

7) China and Japan are known for having call girls who are highly educated, sophisticated and properly trained in the knowledge and practice of various forms of the Arts. These women are referred to by different names. In China they are known as Courtesans and they are known as Geishas in Japan.


  
                                            Chinese Courtesan                                 Japanese Geisha



Major Differences between China and Japan


1) One of the biggest differences between China and Japan is that Japan was strongly influenced by the western side of the world while China was not. This is why Japan is considered to be far more developed and modernized than China.

2) In China, there is one written language which is Chinese and multiple spoken languages while in Japan it is the opposite with multiple written languages and one spoken language which is Japanese.

3) Most Chinese dishes are fried while Japanese dishes tend to be more on the raw side. For example, egg rolls are a popular dish in China which is fried while Japan is known for the delicacy called sushi which consists of raw fish.

4) China had a strong influence on Japan when it comes to martial arts however both styles of martial arts differ. The Chinese practice Kung Fu while the Japanese style is referred to as Bushido.

5) It is quite common to see people talking and laughing out loud as well as public displays of affection in China while in Japan it is frowned upon and often considered offensive and rude to do so.

6) This one really stood out to me and shocked me a bit. In China, they do not flush the toilet paper after using it, they throw it in a dustbin that is usually near the toilet while the Japanese flush their toilet paper similar to most of the western part of the world.

7) Although the both styles of dress may be similar, Chinese and Japanese have two different common styles of dress for women. In China women wear the qipao and in Japan the kimono.

8) Chinese names tend to be monosyllabic which means words that consist of only one syllable while Japanese names tend to be polysyllabic which are words that consists of many syllables usually four or more.

9) Japan is considered to be a warrior state while China is not. Being a warrior state simply means that all aspects of being a warrior is celebrated.

10) China has a President while Japan has a Prime Minister. The President of China is Xi Jinping and the Prime Minister of Japan is Shinzo Abe.

11) China has a high birth rate even though they have a one child policy per family while in Japan there is no such rule or policy. In fact, Japan has a one of the lowest birth rates in Asia.

12) The infrastructure in China seems to resemble walled cities while the designs in Japan tend to be palace style.




  City Wall in Xi'an, China     (Image on the Left)              

Himeji Castle, Japan   (Image on the Right)

1 comment:

Unknown said...

Two cultures so similar yet so different....STILL cyah tell dem apart when they in front of yuh, smh!