The Epic Interactive Encyclopedia 1997/The_Epic_Interactive_Encyclopedia_97.iso/j/japanese/infotext

Text File | 1992-09-02 | 2KB | 42 lines

An inhabitant of Japan. Although Japan has a
highly distinctive culture, Korean and
Chinese influences were apparant during the
early centuries AD. In addition to the art of
writing, from the Chinese the Japanese
learned skills in the arts, public finance,
administration and animal husbandry.
Confucian philosophy and Buddhism were also
introduced from China, although there was
some opposition to Buddhism by the adherents
of Shinto, the principal religion. Chinese
influence in Japan waned during the decline
of the Tang Dynasty (AD 618-907). The 12th
century saw the rise of the code of warriors.
Making up approximately 8% of the population,
the samurai had the right to wear two swords,
and were the retainers of the daimyos, the
hereditary feudal nobles. Merchants, although
often wealthier than the samurai, belonged to
a lower social order. Some highly skilled
craftsmen were allowed to bear family names,
a privilege usually reserved for the highest
social tier. The lowest social group
comprised the burakunin or eta, responsible
for slaughtering animals, and engaged in such
trades as tanning leather and shoemaking.
During the late 19th century the privileges
of the feudal nobility were abolished and
Japan began to develop its Westernized
industrial base. The US-financed rapid
economic expansion of the postwar years has
caused the decline of the extended family, in
which three or more generations lived under
the same roof. Today, large corporations
provide a way of life for many Japanese,
although this appears to be less the case
with the younger generation. The descendants
of Japanese migrants are found in Hawaii and
North and South America, and Japanese
business communities now exist in the cities
of most industrial nations.