...name] AK [company name] H120 Introduction to the History of East Asia Essay 3 Andy Ricci 622624 Word Count: 2018 H120 Introduction to the History of East Asia Essay 3 Andy Ricci 622624 Word Count: 2018 Why do we sometimes refer to the events of 1868 in Japan as a 'restoration', but to those of the years following 1911 in China as 'revolutions'? Introduction The Meiji Restoration of 1868 in Japan and the Chinese Revolution of 1911 were responsible for producing an enormous amount of upheaval in both countries. Both nations were immersed in social, political and economic backwardness. In this context, both political episodes should be construed as an attempt to reverse decline and set the course for modernization. The main thesis of this essay is based on the notion that whilst there are some similarities between both political events, the main difference resides in the fact that the Meiji Restoration began the centralization of the mechanisms of governance and induced the social and economic modernization of the country. At the same time, the Chinese Revolution of 1911 did not succeed in engendering a sound system of government capable of reversing the country’s decline. The first part of the essay will deal with the main characteristics of the Meiji restoration of 1868. The second section of the essay will outline the main features pertaining to the Chinese Revolution of 1911. The third part of the essay will examine the similarities and differences between these two events...
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...module will examine the binary categories ‘modern’/‘traditional’ (and/or the ‘primitive’) as they appear in modernising societies. First, we look at representative literature from (what was until recently known as) Great Britain. The question is: why did the world’s homeland of the Industrial Revolution have a fascination with adventure, feats of derring-do and the primitive? We look at a young reader’s Victorian adventure novel, the long-enduring The Coral Island, and the later short stories of Rudyard Kipling (the ‘Bard’ of Empire), and examine the (contradictory?) lure of the primitive, even as British modernity is taken for granted. Second, the module will proceed to examine some major Chinese and Japanese writers and intellectuals (and an Indian poet and critics, the Nobel Prize-winning Rabindranath Tagore) and see how northeast Asian culture was broadly affected by their sense of Western modern superiority in technology, political organisation and literary (and other forms of creative) culture. Both China and Japan, the major countries in East-Southeast Asia, were never colonised, but they were intimidated by the presence of the Great Western Powers (and their colonies) in the region. Japan after the Meiji Restoration (1868) became the first modern Asian nation-state, and their attempts at intensive (and disruptive) modernisation of their culture had a profound impact on the whole region – and this desire to be modern also meant that Japan itself became a colonising state, following...
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...For other uses, see Essay (disambiguation). Essays of Michel de Montaigne Essays are generally short pieces of writing written from an author's personal point of view, but the definition is vague, overlapping with those of an article, a pamphlet and a short story. Essays can consist of a number of elements, including: literary criticism, political manifestos, learned arguments, observations of daily life, recollections, and reflections of the author. Almost all modern essays are written in prose, but works in verse have been dubbed essays (e.g. Alexander Pope's An Essay on Criticism and An Essay on Man). While brevity usually defines an essay, voluminous works like John Locke's An Essay Concerning Human Understanding and Thomas Malthus's An Essay on the Principle of Population are counterexamples. In some countries (e.g., the United States and Canada), essays have become a major part of formal education. Secondary students are taught structured essay formats to improve their writing skills, and admission essays are often used by universities in selecting applicants and, in the humanities and social sciences, as a way of assessing the performance of students during final exams. The concept of an "essay" has been extended to other mediums beyond writing. A film essay is a movie that often incorporates documentary film making styles and which focuses more on the evolution of a theme or an idea. A photographic essay is an attempt to cover a topic with a linked series of photographs;...
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...Essays are generally scholarly pieces of writing written from an author's personal point of view, but the definition is vague, overlapping with those of an article, a pamphlet and a short story. Essays can consist of a number of elements, including: literary criticism, political manifestos, learned arguments, observations of daily life, recollections, and reflections of the author. Almost all modern essays are written in prose, but works in verse have been dubbed essays (e.g. Alexander Pope's An Essay on Criticism and An Essay on Man). While brevity usually defines an essay, voluminous works like John Locke's An Essay Concerning Human Understanding and Thomas Malthus's An Essay on the Principle of Population are counterexamples. In some countries (e.g., the United States and Canada), essays have become a major part of formal education. Secondary students are taught structured essay formats to improve their writing skills, and admission essays are often used by universities in selecting applicants and, in the humanities and social sciences, as a way of assessing the performance of students during final exams. The concept of an "essay" has been extended to other mediums beyond writing. A film essay is a movie that often incorporates documentary film making styles and which focuses more on the evolution of a theme or an idea. A photographic essay is an attempt to cover a topic with a linked series of photographs; it may or may not have an accompanying text or captions. Contents...
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...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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...logographic Chinese characters known in Japan as kanji. * 3 Kana Scripts: * Man’yogana- (old syllabic) * Katakana- (modern angular) * Hiragana – (modern cursive) * IMPORTANT LITERATURES * Kojiki- ("An Account of Ancient Matters") (711-712) a historical record that also chronicles ancient Japanese mythology and folk songs. * Ō no Yasumaro (Died on August 15, 723) was a Japanese nobleman, bureaucrat, and chronicler. * Empress Genmei (Genmei-tennō 660 – December 29, 721), also known as Empress Genmyō, was the 43rd monarch of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession * Urashima Tarō is a Japanese legend. * Nihon Shoki - sometimes translated as “The Chronicles of Japan”, is the second oldest book of classical Japanese history. * Fudoki-refer to the oldest records called Kofudoki written in the Nara period. * Rikkokushi-is a general term for Japan's six national histories. * Shoku Nihongi-is an imperially commissioned Japanese history text. B. Classical literature (794–1185) “Heian period” -Golden era of art and Literature. * Kogo Shūi is a historical record of the Inbe clan of Japan written in the early Heian period (794–1185). * IMPORTANT LITERATURES * Genji Monogatari-“The Tale of Genji” (11th Century) considered the pre-eminent masterpiece of Heian fiction and an early example of a work of fiction in the form of a novel. * Kokin Wakashū ("Collection of Japanese Poems of Ancient and Modern Times") * Waka (short poem)...
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... Drea, Hans J. van de Ven, eds. The Battle for China: Essays on the Military History of the Sino-Japanese War of 1937-1945. Stanford: Stanford University Press, 2010. Illustrations, maps. 664 pp. $65.00 (cloth), ISBN 978-0-8047-6206-9. Reviewed by Roger H. Brown (Saitama University) Published on H-War (December, 2012) Commissioned by Margaret Sankey The Sino-Japanese War of 1937-45 was immense both in its scale and consequences. Nevertheless, Western military histories of World War II have focused overwhelmingly on the campaigns of the European and Pacific theaters, and those specialized studies of the conflict that do exist deal primarily with such matters as diplomacy; politics; mass mobilization; and, in more recent years, Japanese atrocities and public memory. Indeed, as the editors of the volume under review attest, “a general history of the military operations during the war based on Japanese, Chinese, and Western sources does not exist in English” (p. xix). In 2004, Japanese, Chinese, and Western scholars gathered to remedy this situation and in the belief that such a close study of the operations and strategy of the Sino-Japanese War would “illustrate that, in this period, warfare drove much of what happened in the political, economic, social, and cultural spheres in China and Japan.” They further recognized that because “much of the best scholarship on WWII in East Asia is naturally produced in China and Japan,” there was a need to “bring the fruits of Chinese and...
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...such games be censored? Refer to one or more countries as examples. In recent years, computing games increasingly influence modern society especially teenagers and children. There are increasingly more game makers trying to design the best games that could gain rapid popularity and are favourable among gamers. Currently, computing games that show violence seem to be increasingly prevalent. For the purpose of this essay, ‘computing games’ can be defined as electronic entertainment that is designed for the society. This essay will argue that computing games showing violence should be censored. The reasons for the argument followed by these points; firstly, sensitivity to culture, secondly, the promoting brutality in behaviour and thoughts and lastly, Inculcation of prejudices on certain groups of people. The country in reference are China, Japan, South Korea, and United States of America (USA). Firstly, computing games showing violence should be censored for concerns on sensitivity of certain cultures. This is because some games are based on real-life characters. For example, Battlefield 4 which adopt the storyline of dethronement of Chinese Government has been censored in China and been regarded as “culture invasion” (Jiayi, 2013). Another example, Fallout 3 which is a game relating to nuclear issues has been tweaked to be released in Japan. In addition, there is a nuke launcher named as Fat Man which mimics the nuclear device that was using by USA to detonate over Nagasaki...
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...so much a recentering of culture but a decentering of culture.” This quotation may be taken to mean something different for both cultures; namely, the United States and Japan. Much of this has been influenced by worldwide events that happened following the 19th century in both countries. Both nations have since prospered, and we are currently seeing a joining of both cultures. In fact, neither the West nor the Eastern country of Japan may be distinguished one from the other any longer. They have truly made the most of this new global environment where we find ourselves today. Almost all non-Western cultures have been influenced by the mores of the West, including countries in Asia. In general, this means that many of these cultures are becoming influenced by Western cultures, namely that of America. For example, in many Asian nations McDonalds and other American influences like Starbucks and clothing stores are coming to their countries. They are being influenced by Western culture, hence the "decentering of culture." What’s more, I spent some time in Japan a few years ago and was surprised to see such a preponderance of Western society in an area that was so far from home. However, the decentralization of Asian culture may go both ways, meaning that although we in the U.S. have influenced Japan greatly, so have they made significant gains on our shores. One only needs to review popular culture to see the effect of Japanese style on American youth. This includes...
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...culture could be described as adding more or intensifying the original values, norms, family configurations and other aspects of culture. On the other hand, the decentering of culture implies removing old values and adding new thoughts, philosophies ie changing old patterns for newer methods. Almost all non-Western cultures have been influenced by the mores of the West, including countries in Asia. In general, this means that many of these cultures are becoming influenced by Western cultures, namely that of America. For example, in many Asian nations McDonalds and other American influences like Starbucks and clothing stores are coming to their countries. They are being influenced by Western culture, hence the "decentering of culture." In Japan, it’s surprising to see such a predominance of Western society in an area that is far away from America. However, the decentralization of Asian culture may go both ways, meaning that although we in the U.S. have...
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...reform program that was largely borrowed from Japan. This essay was going to analyze the Kabo reforms of Korea in 1894 and compared it with the customary constitution of 2013. After the implementation of Kabo reforms, the society was thoroughly transformed. Traditionally land used to belong to the king, although some definite land belonged to the families which were passed from one generation to the next and including communal land which was owned by clans. The Japanese conducted a land survey between 1910 and 1920 to place land ownership into the modern acreage. People who tilled their land for generally but could not legally prove that the land belonged to them had their land taken away from them. Those lands taken away came into control of the colonial government or into the hands of Japanese companies. So, some former landowners became landless or tenants in their previous land. The Japanese built, new roads, railways, schools, hospitals and established a modern system of government (John B. Duncan). All these developments were meant to link Korea and Japan. These projects provided the native Koreans with employment opportunities. The Koreans worked at the lower levels of these projects. A majority of Koreans suffered under the Japanese rule. Farmers were forced out of their farms, and Korean workers working in Japanese companies were treated like slaves. The land under rice cultivation increased mainly for consumption in Japan. Japan laid down the foundation for impressive...
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...Zihua Wu 11237004 GenEd 110 section 01 Final Paper Impact of Invasion and Migration by Japan on the Chinese Society Introduction The Sino-Japanese Wars were the largest wars in the Asian battlefield during the World War II. The Sino-Japanese Wars were conflicts between China and Japan in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. There were two Sino-Japanese Wars: the first one lasted from July 1894 to April 1895; the Second one, which was known in China as the war of resistance against Japan, lasted from the outbreak of the fighting on 7 July 1937 to 14 August 1945—although recent Chinese historiography tends to date the war from the Japanese occupation of Manchuria in 1931. Both wars were crucial in the formation and ultimate defeat of Japanese imperial expansion in East Asia and in the development of a sense of Chinese nationalism. Although the Sino-Japanese Wars were end in 1945 with the victory of China, it made up more than 50% of the casualties in the Pacific War if the 1937–1941 periods are taken into account. The impacts of invasion and migration by Japan on Chinese society are various. This essay will present these impacts on three aspects, which are politics, economy and culture. The Impacts on the Chinese Politics During the invasion and migration of Japan, Sino-Japanese War broke the confrontation between pre-war China's major political parties and other parties. As the Japanese attempt to monopolize China and launch a comprehensive war against China...
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...How has Confucianism influenced modern economic development in East Asia? The rise of Asia’s so called “Tiger” economies followed by China, has given rise to the spectrum of a distinctly East Asian economic development model. The pioneering economic success of in particular, Singapore, South Korea and Japan since the 1970’s has highlighted the need to evaluate and distinguish how such economies achieved such successive growth. A variety of possible factors can explain or highlight possibilities for the successive development of East Asia. A particularly unique factor that has to be taken into account is Confucianism. The interplay between culture and development can help explain how in particular Japan and South Korea, which were relatively closed societies, have risen to attain the status of newly industrialized countries. This essay will investigate and evaluate, through the presentation of arguments and examples, the extent to which Confucianism has influenced modern economic development in East Asia. This will be achieved by firstly providing a working definition of Confucianism; then locating its positive impact within a broader debate concerning a distinctly Asian development model; investigating and analyzing the challenges presented by Confucianism in the economic development of East Asia; evaluating both the negative and positive implications of Confucianism in East Asian economies and finally assessing to what extent Confucianism has played a role in the development...
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...Comparative Criminal Justice Essay 1 The goal of comparative studies is to extend a person’s knowledge of people and cultures beyond his or her own groups. Some comparative scholars have a better understanding of their own society and of ways that society might be improved. When thinking about research in comparative justice, there are two questions that we should ask ourselves; what is it that we want to compare? What are the strategies of comparison or the perspectives of comparison? There are issues and problems that when comparing you have to deal with both internal and external to the system of criminal justice. There are multiple perspectives that are to be used: historical, systematic, relativistic, and cultural perspectives. First is the Historical perspective, which is the perspective of understanding the history and the evolution of criminal justice. Before the rise of the nation states in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, most of the world societies were ruled for centuries by different monarchies, kingdoms, and colonial powers. China, Asia, Africa, and Latin America, all had some kind of historical or traditional law. As for China they were under a traditional law that demanded that any offender must confess and voluntarily surrender. But this somewhat changed when the Qing law was reinforced, this caused the obligations to change by making provisions for alternative sentencing for those who surrendered and by lengthening the limitations...
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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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