Is Chinese culture respected in Japan?

Question

I would like to know if Chinese culture is respected in Japan. As far as I know before the Meiji era, many influences were from China. Especially traditional culture. However, w/ China progressing and becoming a major player in world economics, will it help Japan respect our culture more? Especially if we modernise our culture w/ change in habits, overall wealth, hygiene - how will japan view us? Continued hatred, rivalry or admiration? Not all Chinese hate Japan because we admire their preservation of certain old Chinese characteristics. We also admire their consistency and modernisation. However, we feel Japanese can sometimes do things that can easily cause resentment, disrespect or inflame old time atrocities from the past. How can we improve our relationship?

Answer 1

Japanese pay a lot of respect for Chinese culture because they still use Kanji, it is Chinese characters.

Before Meiji era during Edo era, Tokugawa shogunate about 200 years Japan had locked up of country for overseas so that ordinary people had no idea about any other country even China those days.

Increasing political and economical power of China from now on may be possible  threat or menace for Japan but it not causing any respect for the culture because the Chinese power has no relation to their own culture development at all.

Most of all Japanese have been bored to ignorant Chinese who only love to condemn Japanese due to past behavior fanatically brainwashed by official anti-Japanese education.

They has respected ancient Chinese philosophers, high priests  and artists always long time and even now. Japanese are much more able to take an objective view than Chinese. They are quite negative to political communism too. Japanese knows Mao's cultural revolution was just cultural demolision to take advantate on his power struggle among inner communist party and the red guard as his supporter was just nonsense self national suicide action by ignorant pure youth.

The best way must be Chinese choose politic liberation from communism for mutual understanding to Japan.

Answer 2

Yes. It's honestly impossible for the Japanese to hate Chinese culture, because China has contributed so much to Japan in the past. Although Japan has developed its own customs and culture, the origins of many of their beliefs and customs can be traced back to China.

I have been to China and Japan, and I honestly think that the relationship can improve with more interaction between Chinese and Japanese people. Not political or businessman; I mean ordinary citizens. Many Chinese only know Japanese people from seeing the news or reading the newspaper, but they don't personally know anyone from Japan. Similarly, many Japanese don't personally know any Chinese. This makes it more difficult to combat ill feelings when the people only know what the media shows them. Certainly there are issues between the nations and interaction between people will sometimes highlight these issues however, people can change others views much better when they are with them. Youth interaction is the best, though, because it is often more difficult to change the thoughts of adults. It can help Japanese people to understand how the Chinese feel, and also help the Chinese people to stop looking at Japan from the perspective of the past and begin looking at Japan with possibilities and hopes for the future.

There may be economic rivalry and competition, but it doesn't have to be dirty. Also, working together in business is profitable and favorable for both nations, so it wouldn't make sense for them to shut out one another economically.

I think the future of Japanese and Chinese relations could be very positive if the people are open and have more opportunities to interact with one another.

Answer 3

Very much so. Chinese culture, especially its historical heritage, is much more respected here in Japan than you might imagine. For example Sanguozhi, or three kingdom saga, is considered pretty much a must read for business people, though changes are taking place among younger generations. Kids and students may also be familiar with it through Nintendo Sanguozhi games or something though. People with a profound knowledge of old Chinese things seem much more respected than those who can only handle English.

On a personal level, contrary to what the poster below said, I have not a few Chinese friends and I love them. On the other hand I don't have any English-speaking friends except on the Internet. I sometimes wish I had learned Chinese instead of English cause it has a much more practical value as far as I'm concerned, living here in Japan. But it can't be helped coz the only foreign language I was given the opportunity to learn in school was English. In fact Chinese people are now everywhere in Tokyo and not a day passes that I don't come across them. And generally they are more friendly and easier to associate with than Caucasians, because not only are there more Chinese people proportionately, not a single one of them seems racist toward us. Said that it's good that although I don't speak Chinese and the questioner may not speak Japanese we can communicate thanks to English. Sorry for the personal ranting.

Your impression that sometimes Japanese do things that cause furor among Chinese people may be justifiable; the governor of Tokyo began badmouthing the opening ceremony as soon as he got back from Beijing, although he was just raving about the whole thing while in Beijing. No wonder cause he's notorious for taking pride in being racist and ultra-jingoistic.