Essentialism of Japan(Week 9)

Japan has a multifaceted culture and does really well in balancing traditional and modern culture.

on the one hand it is steeped in the deepest of traditions dating back thousands of years; on the other it is a society in a continual state of rapid flux, with continually shifting fads and fashions and technological development that constantly pushes back the boundaries of the possible.

If you are looking for the infinite boundary of possibility you are sure to visit that fascinating country! 

The country's identity has long been associated with learning and creative.

Standing at the far-eastern end of the Silk Road and drawing influences from the entire continent, Japan has spent millennia taking in and refining the cultural bounties of Asia to produce something distinctly Japanese.

It take advantage of Chinese traditional culture but develop far from it, Japan people gives their own special characters in that culture. Here's a video from China's CCTV talks about the impact of Chinese culture on Japan in the history.



However, Traditional culture is only half the story, the other half may be the pop culture, it evolving contemporary-art scene, design a dynamic and various-appetite culture which suits the young. This pop culture helps shape the fascinating old-meets-new cultural landscape

Travelers to Japan have always found themselves entranced by a culture that is by turns beautiful, unfathomable and sometimes odd.

Staying in a ryokan (traditional Japanese inn) is utterly different from staying in a hotel. Sitting in a robe on tatami (woven floor matting) eating raw fish and mountain vegetables is probably not how you dine back home. And with helpful locals, spotless facilities and excellent public transport, you can experience this exoticism with ease

However, in China, our shortcoming compared to Japan may be there exists an ideological obstacle of 'stressing the past,not present', we thought we have plenty and rich history culture, but less some motivation about innovation and develop new elements, that's what we should learn from Japan.