Examples of Japan being influenced by Chinese culture

1. Clothing

Japanese kimono is based on clothing. Before the Edo period, kimono was called Wufu. This title originated from the commercial activities between Soochow and Japan during the Three Kingdoms period in China, which introduced textiles and clothing sewing methods to Japan.

On a more precise level, the term Wufu refers specifically to high-end kimonos made of silkworm silk, while kimonos made of linen and cotton are called "Taimu".

Japan’s Nara period coincided with China’s prosperous Tang Dynasty. Japan sent a large number of scholars and monks to study in China. These envoys to the Tang Dynasty brought back to Japan the culture, art, and laws and regulations of the Tang Dynasty - the "Clothes Order" was one of the systems established in the Nara period to imitate the Tang Dynasty.

2. Text

The Chinese characters in Japanese writing originated from China. Some Chinese characters have been transformed and are different in shape from today's Chinese characters. Japan first borrowed all Chinese characters to express its national language. Later, it created Japanese letters based on Chinese characters, which are called kana.

There are two styles of kana, one is formed by borrowing the cursive script of Chinese characters to form hiragana, and the other is formed by borrowing the radical caps of Chinese characters to form katakana. Some Chinese characters have different or even opposite meanings from those in China.

3. Painting

Japanese painting is also influenced by China. For example, Japan’s Han Painting School is similar to Chinese painting. Its masters, Sesshu and other Yang’s Han paintings of autumn and winter landscapes are very famous. , he arrived in China with the Ming Dynasty envoy in 1467, and was especially fond of the Southern Song Dynasty painters Ma Yuan and Xia Gui.

4. Architecture

Probably the most famous one is Jianzhen’s six trips to Japan to teach Buddhist scriptures, medicine, culture, and agricultural technology. He guided Japanese doctors to identify medicines, spread the architectural technology and sculpture art of the Tang Dynasty, and designed and presided over the construction of Tang Zhaoti Temple.

This temple, modeled on the Buddhist temple structure of the Tang Dynasty, is a pearl in the world and has been preserved to this day. After Jianzhen's death, his disciples made a seated statue for him. It is still enshrined in the temple and is designated as a "national treasure".

5. System

Japan’s most important “envoy to the Sui Dynasty” was sent by Prince Shotoku in the third year of Daye of the Sui Dynasty (607). He sent Ono Meizi to Luoyang, the eastern capital of the Sui Dynasty, with the Japanese Emperor's credentials, seeking to establish diplomatic relations with China to enhance Japan's international status. This was a major diplomatic measure taken by Japan at that time.

Prince Shotoku had a profound foundation in Chinese studies and attached great importance to developing relations with the Sui Dynasty. He hoped that through this measure, he would actively introduce various advanced cultures and systems from China to establish a sound national system. There were many foreign students and monks among the mission sent to the Sui Dynasty.

Japanese international students are all arranged to study in the Imperial College. The Imperial College of the Tang Dynasty had six schools: Guozixue, Taixue, Four Schools, Legal Studies, Calligraphy and Arithmetic. Each school had different enrollment targets. Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty ordered Zhao Xuanmo, one of the four assistant teachers of the Imperial Academy, to teach these foreign students at Honglu Temple.

Japanese students study in China for several years or even decades, and then return to Japan to spread Chinese culture and promote the development of Japanese politics, economy, and culture. The most famous among them are Abe Nakamaro and Kibi Mabe who came to China from Nara.

Baidu Encyclopedia-Japan

Baidu Encyclopedia-Japanese Culture