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**Gymngatagaica** · 05-09-2006, 08:00 AM

I wrote more on this but my pc crashed and naturally I lost everything, so here's a concised version:

Imitation is one of the most basic thing in the human nature - we learn things through imitation. I wouldn't say, however,
that the Japanese only imitate things. They adopt bits and pieces elsewhere just like any other culture. I could give you
examples of borrowing in the Chinese culture as well but I don't think you're interested in that.

As for the claim that 'the Japanese have never gone beyond imitation', I think it's not valid. I don't see how others view this but I think one
of the key features in the Japanese culture is the 'uchi-soto' concept. It might be applied to the
study of non-japanese cultural adoption as well - on the surface something can seem familiar and like a copy but when you dig deeper it has
more Japanese traits than similarities to the original model. If you think about politics, LDP and the way it works, for example,
one could say it's rather different from the American model... As for things such as tea and the tea ceremony, Chanoyu and Chadô as a whole
both feature distinctively Japanese traits - such as raku ceramics and the ideology for using that particular style.

As for the etnocentric approach, it could be traced back to the Nation State as well as the traditional ie concept
in the Japanese family. Similar way of thinking can be seen in the Chinese clan system, so if you're failiar with it,
I think it should not be difficult to understand why the Japanese work as a whole and not as individuals. I'm not trying
to say that one fact or another justifies anything, I just want to point out that there's always a cause and an effect
so nothing ever happens out of the blue and without a reason. As for regarding other Asian nations as inferior, I doubt
that similar approaches wouldn't ve present elsewhere as well - how do people in general view Africa? How do you view Africa?

If all imitation is prohibited, we wouldn't have rich culture. There's a difference between imitation and adoption.

05-09-2006, 08:00 AM	#30
Gymngatagaica Join Date Oct 2005 Posts 405 Senior Member	I wrote more on this but my pc crashed and naturally I lost everything, so here's a concised version: Imitation is one of the most basic thing in the human nature - we learn things through imitation. I wouldn't say, however, that the Japanese only imitate things. They adopt bits and pieces elsewhere just like any other culture. I could give you examples of borrowing in the Chinese culture as well but I don't think you're interested in that. As for the claim that 'the Japanese have never gone beyond imitation', I think it's not valid. I don't see how others view this but I think one of the key features in the Japanese culture is the 'uchi-soto' concept. It might be applied to the study of non-japanese cultural adoption as well - on the surface something can seem familiar and like a copy but when you dig deeper it has more Japanese traits than similarities to the original model. If you think about politics, LDP and the way it works, for example, one could say it's rather different from the American model... As for things such as tea and the tea ceremony, Chanoyu and Chadô as a whole both feature distinctively Japanese traits - such as raku ceramics and the ideology for using that particular style. As for the etnocentric approach, it could be traced back to the Nation State as well as the traditional ie concept in the Japanese family. Similar way of thinking can be seen in the Chinese clan system, so if you're failiar with it, I think it should not be difficult to understand why the Japanese work as a whole and not as individuals. I'm not trying to say that one fact or another justifies anything, I just want to point out that there's always a cause and an effect so nothing ever happens out of the blue and without a reason. As for regarding other Asian nations as inferior, I doubt that similar approaches wouldn't ve present elsewhere as well - how do people in general view Africa? How do you view Africa? If all imitation is prohibited, we wouldn't have rich culture. There's a difference between imitation and adoption.
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