...China and Japan Essay As oriental countries, the West often perceives China and Japan as two countries with similar politics, economics, and social norms. What many Westerners may not realize, however, is that starting in the 19th century, Japan ended its traditional isolationist policies while China sought to become isolationist, and that this distinction strongly influenced both Japan and China's political, economic, and social responses to modernization and westernization. Politically, China and Japan's reaction to Western ideas dramatically differed. When President Fillmore sent Commodore Matthew C. Perry to Japan, the ho-shogun and his advisers first resisted the visit, but finally agreed to trade with the United States upon signing the Treaty of Kanagawa in 1858. (Cohen)As a result, Western diplomats soon inundated the Land of the Rising Sun in order to persuade the nation politically, but more importantly to them, economically. The political-diplomatic, cultural-intellectual, and socio-economic relation that followed was christened the Meiji Restoration. In general, the Japanese gradually became very receptive to the concepts of democracy, liberalism, and laissez-faire, but Meiji leaders planned to remain free of Western imperialism by negotiating with Western diplomats. They did not abandon their isolationist policies of over 200 years under the Tokugawa Shogunate only to be absorbed as a European colony; instead, they wanted to learn Western military and industrialization...
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...Instructor: Course: Date: Japan under Occupation An essential story of the Occupation concerns how the United States and Japan could change their unimaginable political and social rivalry to one important ally. Amid the Pacific War (1941–45), the propaganda machines of both countries decried and dehumanized the enemy to a great and dangerous level (Gordon and Andrew 14). Every side was characterized by different atrocities, yet engaged just on those conferred by the other, and the citizens on both sides of the Pacific were on alert to expect the worse from each other. The Japanese had seen sixty-six of their significant urban areas and major cities demolished by the fierce fire of bombs and reduced to ashes. The twin bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945 cannot escape many people's mind. At their occurrences, the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings brought an unexpected end to what has been known as a 'war without mercy', yet the choice to surrender was contradicted by military leaders until the Emperor interceded and broke a gridlock that existed among his senior advisors. Japan's almost 15 year frenzy through Asia (1931–45) was done, at last killing an expected 3 million Japanese and more than 15 million Asians, for the most part in China. Japanese mercilessness actions in war, including abuse of prisoners-of-war (POWs), created assumptions favoring retaliation and punishment. It was in this unfriendly atmosphere that US troops arrived in Japan and started the Occupation...
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...The influence of the West transformed Japan, a once isolated, feudalistic society into a modern, industrial power in just under 40 years. The Meiji restoration allowed Japan to compete amongst great Western powers like the United States and Britain, learning from China and India, that modernisation was critical to maintain security. Western intervention beginning in 1853 with the arrival of Commodore Matthew Perry initiated a period of change which greatly impacted Japanese society by ending the period of isolation, reshaping Japan’s social and political structure, educational system, and causing Japan to expand their military. The demand that Japan open its country to foreign trade with the United States initiated the removal of the Shogunate state. This allowed the new government to come to power, and the abolishment of traditional society, which had flourished during the Tokugawa era. While the US was interested in extending their whaling industry and establishing links with...
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...No other country prospered more than Japan during the cold war. While the U.S. and Soviet Union try to out compete with each other, Japan was able to focus on rebuilding their economy after World War 2. Japan was a supported ally to the U.S. and contribute money and goods during the cold war. After the cold war however, Japan was slow to establish themselves as a formable super power without the U.S. in the pacific. The dispute over the Northern Territories (four small islands) has been slow down to a crawl and the threat of nuclear weapon by North Korea. Talks with China and South Korea are always on edge especially about Japan’s responsibility in compensation for war atrocities during World War 2 where the Korean and Chinese women who were forced to provide sex to Japanese troops. Japan learn some hard lessons from the Gulf War. First, the type of armed conflict can draw a nation to war. Second, as the United Nations plays the role as peacekeeper, Japan must have a prominent role in that body. Lastly, the soldier is more respect than the banker. Japan emerged from the Gulf War with a tarnished reputation despite their financial...
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...Life in the medieval times was dominated by the feudal system. Feudal Japan and Feudal Europe were so different but were so similar at the same time. The social classes the were different, there are more social classes Japan and their social classes were different. The way they treated their women was similar but still had its differences, in Japan there was more equal rights. Their armor was just completely different, one wore leather and iron and the other wore chainmail and plate armor. One of the many differences in Feudal Japan and Feudal Europe is the social classes. In Feudal Japan the empower is at the top of the social class then, shogun, daimyo, samurai, peasants, and merchants. In Feudal Europe the king was at the top then, nobles, knights, and serfs/peasants. In Japan, there are...
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...America should’ve bombed Japan. First, the Japanese acted horrifically and barbaric towards the U.S. The U.S. wanted to retaliate from Pearl Harbor, our mindset on the moral of “eye for an eye”. They also caused the Bataan Death March, where 78,000 Americans and Filipinos surrendered and then were treated inhumanely in a prison camp despite promises from Japanese commanders. Another reason that we should’ve bombed is that it saved about a million American lives. If America decided against the bomb then there would have been 2 D-Day style invasions, called Operation Downfall, costing about 1,200,000 soldiers to result in causalities and 261,000 fatalities. The military was exhausted and they were weary to fight. Also, the Japanese Field Marshall threatened to execute allied prisoners of war if we went through with Operation Downfall. The bomb was also necessary to shorten the war. Less than 2 weeks after the first bomb dropped, Imperial Japan surrendered on August 15. Contrary to the beliefs and reasons as to why we should’ve bombed, there are also many reasons as to why we should not have dropped them. First of all, the bombs were made only for defense. America used the bomb as a deterrent against Germany and other...
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...Muhammad Ali Awan Professor Wood Eng 102-24 02/03/2012 The Raft The essay, “The Raft,” by Peter Orner tells of his encounter with his grandfather who, yet again, wants to tell him a story he has told him many times before. A story from his past, from the days of World War 2 during which he was on active duty in the United States Navy. Orner uses vivid imagery and afferent details in his essay to make the deeper meaning he presents in this essay more definite to the reader. He does so at various occasions. This can be noticed when he mentions the Japanese men on the raft, his description of their condition almost parallels that of Japan itself at the end of the war. Then when we see him mention what actions were taken against these men, this can be seen as a correlation to the harsh actions taken against Japan at the end of the war. Also when he mentions the part where his grandfather takes him into his closet, where he continues his story, correlates to a confession chamber in church. This image adds to another meaning that he depicts in his essay for which he also presents many other images. He puts in question the actions of his grandfather and how they reflect upon his character. Orner’s use of distinct imagery points to a deeper meaning in every part of his essay. Throughout his telling of the tale we can clearly see that he is trying to tell us more than what he is saying. One such occasion is seen when, through the words of his grandfather he describes the...
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...Knight and Smamurais were the similarities greater than the differences Are the similarities or differences greater between a samurai and a kights. It all started in 1000 to 1600 CE Europe and Japan had a weak government and an even weaker army. It took place in feudal Europe and feudal Japan. They're completely different in the way they fight to the way they trained.They're a different soldier in so many ways. Feudalism that's how it started when a lord acquires a large piece of land and gives some of it to a lesser noble exchange for military services,food,and farm land.They trained these lesser nobles into soldiers,in Europe they were called Knights and in Japan they were called Samurais. They were different by what they called their leaders and by the way they were brought up. They were different by what they believed in. (Background Essay) There leader was called by a different names in Japan they were called Daimyos and in Europe they were called Lords. As the Samurai worked for the Daimyos the Knights worked for the Lord's. Both were taught differently and both started at different times for their training. They were both started at different times. As a Saumiras, when he or she hit the age of 14 they were called a Genpuku. When a Knight became 14 they were called a Squire a Squire continued with weapon...
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...The tale itself, highly symbolic and tinged with an unmistakable pathos, ultimately led me to select as a focus for my major work the Taisho period of Japan, a period of social, political and literary fermentation. The Taisho period was a time of literary reflection on the changes the Meiji period had brought about, it was a period where a great many authors turned their minds towards locating an authentic cultural identity distinct from Western influence. Decidedly thus influenced by this topic, my critical response was to have the purpose of illustrating the tensions that exist between modernity and traditional culture, additionally dealing with the...
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...Ethan Watters’ essay is not so much on depression but analyzing the distinctive differences between cultures. In the essay, we are introduced to a campaign held by western pharmaceutical companies like GlaxoSmithKline not just trying to open a new market for their drug but change the perception of another country on a subject. That subject being depression, conflicts arise on defining it. The narratives or theory of cultural progress is in a way subjective. The theory of one culture being more advanced, better, or years ahead of another have no base to stand on without realizing cultures themselves are indeed different to one another. GlaxoSmithKline, like many other drug companies, are confusing the idea of two cultures being incomparable to the thought of one being less than the other. This being said, what comes of companies using these narratives of culture progress? The danger of the narratives of cultural progress is the risk of our cultures misconception of illnesses being adopted by another culture we claim are behind their predetermined evolution. On one side of the coin you have the western pharmaceutical companies and on the other, countries like Japan. Depression can be defined and described differently by both sides but who is right? Should any of the two be right? US’s “depression” and Japan’s “utsubyo” mean similar things but are experienced differently by the population of both cultures. Depression is common in the US but utsubyo is not in Japan, in fact, rare...
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...impact of globalization in Japan "Globalization implies the opening of local and nationalistic perspectives to a broader outlook of an interconnected and interdependent world with the free transfer of capital, goods, and services across national frontiers"(Businessdictionary.com:1931). As the development of technology, connect between each different countries become easier, more and more countries can be easy communication or trade with other countries in many different fields, for instance economic, cultural education and other fields, that can make these countries develop fast. The globalization becomes more and more important to each country, no matter development country or developing country. As we know, after the Meiji Restoration of 1868, Japan become a highly globalized country on many fields, like economy, science and technology, education and many other fields. This essay will introduce about the impact of globalization on economic, culture and education of Japan, analyze the impact of globalization on these fields. "The economy of Japan is the third largest national economy in the world after the United States and the People’s Republic of China and is the world's second largest developed economy" (Oecd-ilibrary:2012). As we know, Japan is not a country has a vast land and rich resources, especially whole country economy almost destroyed by World War II. The globalization is the most important reason can help developing economy of Japan so fast, there are some performances...
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...EAS6211: Investing in East Asia (as 28 September 2015) Dr Harald CONRAD (Japan, Module Organizer) Dr ZHANG Zhong (China) MODULE OBJECTIVES: This module will introduce students to key theoretical issues relating to globalization, foreign direct investment and the activities of multinational corporations. The module will then consider in detail foreign direct investment, business culture, employment and human resource management, seen from the perspective of multinationals investing in Japan and China. The module will provide students with a well-rounded knowledge of the issues facing firms seeking to establish global networks and the managers within those firms charged with the task of running the overseas operations and managing workers in a different cultural context. The module will encourage students to think more deeply about the process of overseas investment and the challenges of managing and working in the global economy, thus equipping them with some of the key skills and knowledge required of managers in global firms. Dr Harald Conrad – Contact Details: 6/8 Shearwood Road, Room B-07 Ext: 28431 Email: h.conrad@sheffield.ac.uk Dr Zhang Zhong – Contact Details: 6/8 Shearwood Road, Room A-02 Ext: 28339 Email: zhong.zhang@sheffield.ac.uk The lecturers’ office hours will be posted on their office doors during Week 1 of Semester 1. MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS: Regular attendance is required at all lectures and seminars; students should read the...
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...soldiers, while Japan had lost roughly 2.12 million, or 35%, of theirs. These numbers do not even include the number of civilian deaths and the number wounded. Although America lost a significantly smaller number of people than Japan, it was still devastating for the country. It was time for President Harry S. Truman to take action and end the war as quickly as possible with the least amount of added deaths. On August 6, 1945, an atomic bomb was dropped on the Japanese city of Hiroshima and three days later another was dropped on Nagasaki. Truman was right to use atomic force to get Japan to surrender and end the war. If the option was present to sacrifice thousands of lives in order...
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...Sir George Sansom’s history of Japan was first published in 1932 and used in U.S. college classrooms into the 1980s. In it, he described the Tokugawa period (1603-1868) as an era of oppressive “feudal” rule. In this view, hierarchical divisions between samurai, peasant, artisan, and merchant were strictly maintained. Sansom described a system in which swaggering samurai used their swords to cut down commoners. Miserable peasants barely eked out a living, and urban merchants were scorned as unethical profiteers. According to Sansom, change was loathed. The government kept the rest of the world out, denying “themselves all the gifts which the West then had to offer.” This move, said Sansom, “arrested the cultural development of Japan” (Sansom 1932, 455, 457). Scholars today largely dismiss this view. Yet it remains pervasive. Films and manga comics glorify samurai bravado. But they ignore much else about the period. Thus, even the well-informed often are surprised when they read more recent histories of the period. Such newer works describe the political system as a rational “integral bureaucracy.” This system was “not merely a samurai institution.” Rather, it depended on non-elite “commercial agents and activities” (Totman 1981, p. 133). Newer histories call the era “a time of extraordinary social growth and change. In terms of population and production, urbanization and commercialization, and societal sophistication and elaboration, the century was one of unparalleled...
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...this report is to explore the cultural determinants of both Japan and United States. The report elucidates the differences between the two countries in terms of leadership styles as influenced by their respective different cultures. The reason in selecting Japan as one of the research countries is because of its deep rooted strong cultural beliefs and group centered style in a business perspective. It is well known to the world that Japan is a closed economy but at the same time, extremely competitive. On the other hand, United States make a good contrast in terms of its open culture and individualistic style of doing business. Despite the differences, both are amongst the most competitive and successful nations in the world. The compromising Japanese and confrontational Americans do make this research journey an exciting and interesting one. Different cultures exist in the world and their impact on leadership styles in their respective countries is significant. As defined by Luthans and Doh (2009, p96), “Culture is the acquired knowledge that people use to interpret experience and generate social behaviour.” And culture is gained through transmissions between individuals in forms of symbols, rituals, languages, stories told and etc. It will be interesting to find out that the countries’ cultures do in fact influence their leadership styles to quite a great extent. In this report, two entirely different cultures; Japan and United States will be explored in depth to provide a...
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