Transcript Chinese_influ._on_Japan

Chinese Influences
How These Influences Became Part
of Japanese Culture
Buddhism

Officially introduced to imperial court in A.D.
522. First won favor in court circles. Later,
Japanese peasants embraced simpler forms of
Buddhism.
 Zen’s rigorous meditative process and its
emphasis on concentration appealed to the
samurai. They believed it would help them act
without hesitation in battle.
 Over time, most Japanese began to consider
themselves as both Shintoists and Buddhists, and
saw no conflict in having two religions.
Confucianism

The same monks that brought Buddhism to
Japan in the 6th century also introduced
Confucianism. Confucius’ emphasis on close
family ties, respect, honor and respect for the
aged, obedience to authority, the connection
between learning and “rightful living’, and
worship of ancestors was embraced by most
segments of the Japanese population. The use
of the surprise attack by the the samurai
contradicted the Confucian teachings.
Government

The influence of Chinese government was 1st seen
with Prince Shotoku (A.D. 587-622)
 Use a Chinese bureaucratic system to rank
advisors.It was never fully implemented in Japan custom dictated that long and prestigious ancestry,
not merit, be the primary requisite for high office.
Instead of testing for intellectual ability, Japanese
officials gave “exams” in which they reviewed
candidates’ genealogies. Japanese emperor, unlike
the Chinese, became more of a religious symbol
than a government leader.
Architecture

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Most buildings made of wood and could
withstand earth tremors.
Japanese architects borrowed the Chinese
practice of using multiple roofs to
symbolize the different level of awakening
as taught in Buddhism. Both believe that
the beauty of gardens and courtyard is an
important part of architecture. Some
Chinese influence on pagodas but Japanese
architects later modified Chinese style.
Written Language

Until Chinese characters - called kanji in
Japanese- were introduced to Japan in the 6th
century, Japan had no written language.
 Chinese characters- each stands for a word,
difficult for writing Japanese -had complex
grammar.9th century- Japanese devised phonetic
script hiragana - each Chinese symbol represented
sound of a single syllable. This made literacy
more widespread. Later, most Japanese writing
used hybrid script- kanji for nouns and verbs,
hiragana for modifiers, katakana for emphatic
expression.
City Planning

Copied the rectangular plan of the Chinese
city of Changan and laid out a grid of
intersecting streets covering an area of 2 1/2
by 3 miles with an imperial palace located
north of the city center.The city of Edo
(present day Tokyo) had Chinese-styled
streets that intersected at right angles, but an
overall maze-like layout that was Japanese.
Attire (Dress)

9th century upper-class Japanese styles like Tang
styles- for outdoor activities- men wore black
trousers and silk tunics, covered by a flowing,
brightly colored silk robe which was closed with a
sash. Women wore loose silk trousers under many
different colors of silk robes-showing wealth.
Aristocrats carried fans and parasols made of
bamboo.1367-1467- the kimono- became the
standard for men and women.
Painting
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Originally influenced by Chinese styles but
later developed its own characteristics.
Watercolor images of nature
Zen monks practiced ink painting in the
Chan style- few brush strokes in black ink
11 C. Yamato developed. Painters laid
pigments on very thick and made use of
gold and jade colors. Buddhist themes and
fiction -detailed narrative paintings
Music

Sent converts of Buddhism to leaning
centers in China where they learned how to
perform Buddhist chants and how to notate
music on paper with symbols. These
symbols were changed over time to fit
Japanese writing. Gagaku- “elegant music”
has been the court music of Japan since the
6th C. and is the world’s oldest surviving
form of court music.