NCTA Seminar on Japan Winter 06

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NCTA Seminar on JapanWinter 06

• Mineharu (J.J.) Nakayama
• The Ohio State University
• January 10 17, 2006
• Nakayama.1_at_osu.edu
• http//japan.osu.edu

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East Asia
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Basic facts about Japan

• Japan Nippon/Nihon
• Flag - Nisshooki
• Emblem - Chrysanthemum
• Anthem Kimigayo
• Population - about a half of the US population
• Average life expectancy M 77.8 F 84.6 in 05est
  (US M 74.9 F 80.7 in 05est)
• Minorities Ainu, Chinese-Japanese,
  Korean-Japanese, (village people)
• http//www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/
  ja.html

         
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Land

• covers from Maine to Florida
• No part of Japan is farther than 70 miles from
  the sea
• Tokyo (latitude) Grand Canyon
• 4 major islands Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku,
  Kyushu
• 47 states/political regions
• Size about the size of California
• 67 - Forests
• 14 -Agriculture

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Japanese language writing systems

• Kanji characters ? ?
• Hiragana ? ??
• Katakana ? ??
• Romaji Ni hon
• English Nihon/Japan

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A quick history

• Jomon Culture (10th- 3rd C BC)
• Rope figured pots, Dogu (doll)
• First Emperor Jimmu (660 BC)
• (http//w2.avis.ne.jp/jomon/culture/index.html)
• Yayoi Culture 3rd C BC 3rd C AD
• Smooth pottery
• Rice cultivation (irrigation)
• Queen Himiko (Land of Wa)
• Kofun Period 3-6th C
• Tombs
• Haniwa
• Shinto/Kami
• Buddhism (538 AD)

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Tateana
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Izumo
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History Asuka Period (mid 6th -mid 7th c)

• Prince Shotoku
• Buddhism becomes the state religion
• First Constitution (17 articles), Chinese
  calendar
• Horyu-ji (Temple) Hosso Sect

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History Nara Period (710-784)

• Nara Period (710-784)
• Heijo-kyo imitating Changan, China
• Kojiki (Records of Ancient Matters) First history
  book
• Nihon-Shoki (Chronicles of Japan) First written
  mythology
• Manyooshu (Collection of Myriad Leaves)
• Shosoin (Imperial museum)
• Todaiji (Temple) Kegon sect Daibutsu (Great
  Buddha)

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History Heian Period (794-1191)

• Heian-kyo in Kyoto (Changan-like)
• Aristocratic life style (Fujiwara Family)
• Tendai sect (Saicho) Shingon Sect (Kukai)
• Kana was developed
• Kokinshu (Collection of Ancient and Modern Verse)
  imperial anthology
• Tale of Genji by Lady Murasaki Worlds first
  novel
• Pillow Book LP
• Japaneseness

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Heian Lady
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Heian Man
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History Feudalism

• Late Heian Period
• Heike (Taira family) vs. Genji (Minamoto family)
  struggle
• Kamakura Period (1192-1336)
• 1st Shogun Minamoto-no Yoritomo
• Different Buddhist sects -gt Pure Land sect, True
  Pure Land sect, Soto Zen sect LP, Nichiren sect
• Kubilai Khans attack -gt Kamikaze
• Nanboku-cho/Ashikaga Period (1336-1573)
• Golden Pavilion, Silver Pavilion
• Noh Zeami
• 1467-1477 war in Kyoto
• 1467-1568 civil war
• 1543 Portuguese commerce arrived and left a
  gun
• 1549-57 Francis Xavier

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Kinkakuji Ginkakuji
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Ryuanji Zen Rock Garden
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History Azuchi-Momoyama Period (1568-1603)

• 1568 Oda seized Kyoto
• 1582 Oda assassinated
• Toyotomi kept the campaign and completed in 1590
  (national unification)
• 1592-7 Toyotomi sent troops to Korea
• Toyotomi was never a Shogun

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History Edo Period (1603-1867)

• Edo Tokugawa Shogunate
• Feudal Lords 4 classes (outcasts) LP National
  Isolation Policy Neo-Confucianism
• Ninjo vs. Giri Bunraku (puppet shows)
• Haiku, Kabuki, Ukiyoe
• 1853 Commodore Perry (Nakahama Manjiro LP)
• 1867 Last Shogun Tokugawa Keiki resigns

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History Meiji-Taisho

• Meiji Restoration in 1868 LP
• 1869 Emperor moved to Tokyo
• 1872 Compulsory Education Railroad
• 1889 Imperial Constitution (cf. Weimar)LP
• 1890 Diet (Peers and Representatives)
• 1881-98 6177 British, 2764 Americans, 913
  Germans, 619 French, and 45 Italians
• 1894-5 Sino-Japanese War (control of Korea)
• 1904-5 Russo-Japanese War
• 1907 Universal Education

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History Taisho-Showa PreWWII

• 1910-45 Occupation of Korea
• 1914-8 Entry into WWI
• 1925 Universal male suffrage
• 1931 Depression occupied Manchuria
• 1933 withdrawing from the League of Nations
• 1937 War against China (Rape of Nanking)
• 1940 Greater East Asia Co-prosperity Sphere
• Rome-Berlin-Tokyo Axis
• 1941 Pact with Russia
• 1941 WWII
• (3 choices - backing down in China, seize
  Indonesian oil, compromise with the US) LP
• 1945 Atomic bombs (8/6 Hiroshima 8/9 Nagasaki)
  LP
• 8/8 Russia joined the war against Japan
• 8/15 JT Unconditional surrender (Potsdam
  Proclamation)

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History Post-WWII

• 1945-52 Allied Occupation of Japan
• 1946 New Constitution (effective 3/3/47)
• 1950 Korean War
• 1951 San Francisco Peace Treaty US-Japan
  Security Pact
• 1956 Peace treaty with the Soviet Unions Joined
  The United Nations
• 1964 Tokyo Olympic Games (1972 Sapporo Winter
  Olympic Games 1998 Nagano Winter Olympic Games)
• 1965 Treaty with South Korea Vietnam War
• 1969 Reversion of Okinawa (effective in 1972)
• 1973 Oil Crisis
• 80s (Japan as No.1), Economic bubble
• 1989 Emperor Hirohito dies (End of Showa)
• 1993 Coalition Government
• 1996 Great Hanshin Earthquake
• 2002 Prime Minister Koizumi visited North Korea

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Kidnapping by North Korea

• Japans occupation of Korea 1910-45
• Korean War ended in 1953
• Kidnapping during 60s-70s
• North Koreans living in Japan
• Prime Minister Koizumi visited North Korea
  (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) on
  September 17, 2002 and May 22, 2004) to meet
  North Korean Leader Kim Jong-Il)
• Kidnapping of at least 13 Japanese
• Yasushi Fukie Chimura, Kaoru Yukiko Hasuike,
  Hitomi Soga Charles Jenkins

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Soga and Jenkins
Hitomi SOGA Returned in 2002 Kidnapped in
August 1978 and married Sgt. Charles Robert
Jenkins while in North Korea. She returned to
Japan one month after the summit.

• Charles Robert Jenkins

Charged with desertion Disappeared across the DMZ
in January 1965 Married Japanese kidnap victim
Hitomi Soga, they have 2 daughters He is planning
to live the rest of his life in Japan
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South Korea Takeshima / Dokdo dispute
http//www.geocities.com/mlovmo/page4.html
http//www.pref.shimane.jp/section/takesima/eng/to
p.html
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Peoples Republic of ChinaSenkaku / Diaoyu
islands dispute
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Political relations with Korea China

• Political relations with K C have been strained
  due to PM Koizumis visits to the Yasukuni Shrine
  (honoring Japanese war dead).
• 14 class A war criminals are among the 2.5
  million people enshrined at Yasukuni.
• The Japanese Constitution provides separation of
  church and state, much like the U.S.
  Constitution.

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Japans trade with China

• Japan's top trading partner for the first time in
  2004
• Japan's trade with China and Hong Kong,
  including exports and imports, rose to a record
  22.2 trillion (213.2 billion), 20.1 of
  Japan's total foreign trade, in 2004
• Trade with the US - the 20.5 trillion (194.5
  billion) in 2004
• More than 13 of all Japanese exports are for
  China.
• Japanese imports from China - 20.7 of the
  country's market.

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Some concepts to understand the Society

• Honne (real feeling) Tatemae (what is supposed
  to be) consideration to those who you care
• Ie (House/family, duty to Ie), On (benevolence) ,
  filial piety , Giri vs. Ninjo, Uchi vs. Soto
• Kao (face) losing ones face role, company
  position creates face
• Use of the go-between first introduction
  conflict resolution
• Decision making Ringi (nemawashi root
  binding)takes time
• Entering a long relationship the relationship
  is valued

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Current Education System

• Compulsory education
• Elementary (6 years) Junior high school (3 yrs)
• Textbooks (free), curriculum (decided by the
  Ministry of Education, local board of
  education/school), Lesson studies
• Non-Compulsory education
• Kindergarten (cf. Daycare) LP
• High schools/vocational schools/colleges 3, 5
  years
• Comm. Colleges (2 yrs), Colleges (4 or 6 yrs)

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Addition Communication with the Japanese People

• Speak slowly and clearly no need to speak
  loudly
• Dont use the first or nick names in rather
  formal occasions and even informal occasions (the
  use of the first name may be all right to the
  person who was addressed to, but often not
  acceptable to others who are in the same
  conversational domain esp. business contexts)
• Japanese Yes does not mean the same YES in
  English - They are translating Japanese hai,
  which is just promoting the conversational
  discourse (i.e., Yes, I am listening,etc.)
• Dont maintain steady eye contact while talking