When Neo-Confucianism arrived in Japan in the 16th century, it built on the pre-existing ideas of Confucianism that had already been imported into the island centuries earlier (Tsutsui 104). As far back as the 5th century, the Japanese had mixed with Confucian ideas about society and the role of the person in the world. Confucian ideas taught the Japanese about what it means to be a moral person. However, the Japanese also incorporated Buddhist concepts into their culture -- and these focused on the metaphysical side of nature and how to define reality (or unreality). These two systems of thought, along with Taoism, molded Japan for hundreds of years. By the time Neo-Confucianism arrived, the Japanese were ready to address the issues that the schools left unresolved. Buddhism presented life as basically unreal and that nirvana was the real reality. Confucianism taught values about society and how to respect life, but it did not provide satisfactory answers to some of life's questions (Reid 19). Neo-Confucianism served to reconcile these differences in Japan by promoting reality as real and virtue as part of one's duty.Prince Shotoku Taishi (6th-7th century) made the 17 Article Constitution for Japan. It was built on principles from both Confucianism and Buddhism. The Confucianism provided the ideals that Japanese should work to achieve -- such as the gentleman ideal -- and the Buddhism provided the ethical structure for the society. In this way, the Japanese set up their culture as a composite of two philosophical frameworks that governed that behaviors and social mores of the people for hundreds of years.
Around one thousand years later, during the Tokugawa period in Japan, the ethical systems that had been promoted by Taishi needed revitalizing. This is when Neo-Confucianism came into being in Japan. This was a philosophy that made definitive answers to questions about the nature of the world and the role of the individual in society. It resolved questions such as whether reality actually existed -- according to Confucianism, it did -- and strongly appealed to the samurai in Japan.
Zhu Xi was responsible for bringing Neo-Confucianism to Japan. He was Chinese and lived during the 12th century AD. Japanese monks who had visited China in the 15th century AD learned the teachings of Zhu Xi and returned to Japan to spread the ideas of Neo-Confucianism. They led the revival of this kind of thought at a time when the country was in great need of direction because of much fighting that had happened on the island.
Neo-Confucianism was a positive force in Japan at this time because it promoted unity among the three different main philosophies in Asia -- Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism (Tucker 495). Prior to the arrival of Neo-Confucianism in Japan it was not seen how these three philosophies could go together, even though the first two were used by Taishi to form a Constitution so many years before. The Japanese referred to the unity that Neo-Confucianism gave to the people as Sankyo, which is translated into English as the "Three Religions." In Japan, the union of these three religions, supported by Neo-Confucian philosophy helped to unify Japan culturally and socially.
Japan complex set of factors affect the culture of any country. One of the most important aspects that determine the way of life of a people is the geography of the area in which they reside. In case of Japan, a single geographic feature of the country alone -- it being an island -- determines much of the country's insular character giving rise to a unique language, culture and religion.
Japan, it may be called a period of "Chinese fixation." Chinese Fixation in Japan The Japanese were concerned about adopting attitudes brought from China during the country's early years. Prince Shotoku in particular was interested in introducing Chinese ideas into his community because he appreciated the fact that the Chinese were well organized and that their political system was structured so as for it to address the needs of both the
Global Business Cultural Analysis: JAPANAbstractThis paper primarily examines the global business culture evaluation of Japan and its repercussions on businesses. Communication, ethics, social structure, attitude, values, and religion are some of the cultural aspects that leverage Japan's business activities. Modulation and complexity substantially typify communication in Japan. A person's way of dressing, communication, and presenting themselves significantly influence business negotiation. The Japanese ordinarily gratify communal unity and hard work to
Sun Tsu Art of War Sun Tzu as Confucian Scholar-Soldier Sun Tzu and his famous book The Art of War cannot be understood apart from the Chinese cultural and historical context that produced them, although his concepts were widely borrowed and imitated over the past 2,000 years. He was a contemporary of Confucius, after all, and his assumptions about warfare were harmonized within that philosophical tradition. Warfare was an evil, a waste
Confucianism in Pre-Modern China Confucianism comes from the Chinese philosopher Confucius, after whom the philosophy takes its name. Confucius lived from the middle of the 6th century BC to the first part of the 5th century BC and was a teacher of the values of those who lived in the days of Chinese antiquity. For Confucius, the greatest years of the Zhou dynasty had come in the three centuries prior to
Green Architecture in Japan: a Reflection of Societal Values Defining Green Architecture Man has been building structures since shortly after they began to emerge from caves and to explore areas outside his immediate vicinity. Many animals build structures, such as birds and beaver. Many of these structures are functional and serve only to offer protection from predators and the elements, and so it was with the first structures built by man. They
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