I did some research around the internet over cultural views between Chinese and Japanese people. Unsurprisingly, to a certain extent, both view each other with a significant degree of prejudice. I have not found any Chinese literature that speak its view of the Japanese, however to my horror, in the most accurate description, I did find a Japanese literature that gave a most appalling description of the Chinese.
The opening statement is that of "Chinese people possess a feeble character , to best interpret Chinese kind humanity is best to ascribe that the Chinese as domesticated animal ." This sounds rather familiar, like a white elitist's view of the black slave in the 1700s. Anyway, the rest of that blog talks about his extremely prejudiced and racist (rather understated) opinion and views of the Chinese people.
I would like to input some of my response to his blog.
In his blog he talked about how the Chinese people are rude and crude, an irony of a culture that views highly of respect. Now, I have not experienced any Japanese culture first hand, but from what I understand about the Japanese culture is that it runs solely on this mentality of honne and tatemae? In other words, the traditional Japanese person holds his feelings inside and displays a rather different character on the outside; a more palatable character. Simply stated, denial. After all, if you live in a tiny island with over 120 million people, you do have to restrict yourself and force peace with your neighbors. Such is a major contribution to the suffocation of younger Japanese generation, as a result a culture of hikikomori is developed. Hikikomori is a person who is single, living in his parents' house, and for at least a period of 6 months, he does not leave the house...at all. A rather unhealthy social withdrawal that leads to a high rate of suicide and an even higher rate of mental disorder.
Such is an irony of a culture so widely accepting of the western influence. Speaking of western influence, I remember a quote from a Japanese McDonald's Franchiser, he said that eating hamburgers and french fries for a hundred years will give the Japanese white skin, blue eyes, and blonde hair. This is rather paradoxical of a culture with such arrogant national pride.
The blogger said that the Chinese people possesses an inferiority complex to the Japanese, something about how the Chinese people would almost shake in fear and anger in the presence of the Japnese. I almost laugh at such proposterous assumption. I would tell this guy to go talk to an average educated Chinese, as a Chinese I will tell you that the Chinese do not see the Japanese as much of an issue at all, the only issue with the Japanese is that it has become basically America's threatening stick to the Chinese. After all the Japanese has no military. If anything I would say that the Japanese possesses an inferiority complex to the Americans (see previous paragraph).
The blogger also stated that the present Chinese culture is hardly anything the way it was 400 years ago, and that its blood has been tainted by the Manchus and the Mongols. That the Japanese should be the real Chinese culture. Apparently the Japanese still applies the old and imperial view of China, now I do appreciate greatly the fact that the Japanese views so highly of our culture, however, what the Japanese lacks is the view of reality. Certainly the imperial ages of China was all glorious and idealistic, however the Japanese never did learn to appreciate the fact that such glory and romance began with the common man. It was the Chinese farmer who started a family, led his people, and finally to the stage of an emperor. The Chinese people was many things, the idyllic famer, and the glorious emperor. This guy saw only the glory and never learned to appreciate the "country bumpkin." Since he brought the topic of bloodlines and how the Chinese people have been "tainted" by these many other cultures, I can only say that Japan is no different. Now that I think about it, doesn't he kind of sound like Hitler? Anyway, if you want to talk about mixing of cultures among Asians, you might as well drop it, every asian person, Japanese, Chinese, Vietnamese, whatever, is a trail mix of many different people, there is no point in trying to argue that your culture is of superior because of your blood because that is 1. pure racism, and 2. the same argument could be made both ways.
I realize my response to his ignorance is becoming over-worded, I will skip my thoughts and answer his first line of statement. "Chinese people possess a feeble character , to best interpret Chinese kind humanity is best to ascribe that the Chinese as domesticated animal ." To those of you who do not know, he is speaking about how the Chinese people is willing to compromise so that they can agree with the opposite. First of all, this idea to compromise is called humility, such is also found predominantly in the Japanese culture, otherwise the idea of bowing to each other would not appear. Secondly, this idea of compromise seems very similar to the honne and tatemae philosophy yes? So in other words, I can say that Japanese people possess a feeble character...and so on. And to say that the Chinese people would rather submit than to struggle is just plain unbased and unfounded. I suggest you learn the modern Chinese history and then repeat that statement. If anything, one can say that the Japanese culture would rather submit than to struggle, after all America said that Japan cannot possess a military, and voila. Hell, America even wrote the entire Japanese constitution, you tell me that's called struggle.
Chatboard (1)