Japanese Spirit, Western Things, Essay Example

A long-held Western assumption is that modernisation  in Asia could not be accomplished without formal adoption of Western values.  Japan has never embraced Western values in domestic matters like law  and the social structure.  After the second world war Japan focused on international trading partners as an island nation and turned her back on the Asian partners, which at the time, it believed to be not progressive.  Japan is in search of an identity, and it is re-examining its place in Asian society, with the emergence of China as a world superpower.  “Japan fundamental ambiguity her Western allies and Asian neighbours stems from this historical matrix” (Picken, 2010).

Without a doubt the modern industrialization of Japan has helped with economic reform.  Japan is now one of the most densely urbanized populations of the world.  Japan invested heavily in technology as a means to communicate with and educate its people.  Those values of the West that have not been incorporated are being slowly integrated,  but being given a Japanese branding.  One distinction between Japanese philosophy and the West, is that in the Western emphasis is placed upon the individual development.  Whereas Japan is much more people centric and looked towards the development of the people more as a group entity.  This they believe provides a sense of order and equality society.

“The country deliberately set out to both modernize and westernize.  That it has successfully modernized, whilst having been unsuccessful in its attempts to westernize, demonstrates where these issues have diverged” (Buntrock, 1996).  The advancement in technology, manufacturing and production are examples of which have a modernized.  The inability or desire not to embrace Western cultural values are examples where it has not westernized.  There are some formal adoption of Western traits in the young, with the acquisition of Western fashion trends, music and certain lifestyle habits.

An unforeseen event might be a conflict between the United States and Japan that would create a cold war and this would seriously disrupt economic ties between the two countries.  Perhaps a more realistic situation might be an attack by North Korea on the Japanese homeland or one on South Korea that widens the scale of conflict in this part of the world.  The response of China in this regard would be pivotal in finding an early resolution.  At this point in time China is an emerging super power and needs to sustain effective trading relationships with the west in order to fuel its’ expansion and growth towards technological improvement and modernity.  Japanese Engineers are exporting their knowledge to China, particularly in the development of automobiles and motorcycles.  In this sense there has been a strengthening of relationships between the two countries.

A more realistic solution in the concept of globalization is the shifting balance of power from the Atlantic to that of the Pacific Rim nations and the strengthening of trading relationships with those countries i.e.  South America, Australia, China, Vietnam, Korea, Japan, Canada and the United States.  This is where the new economic powerhouse is likely to be forged in the future years ahead.

Works Cited

Buntrock, D. (1996). Japans Challenge: without modernity. Architronic V5N3 : without modernity , 1-4.

Picken, S. B. (2010). Modernization without Westernization. NUBC Journal of Economics Vol 4 #2 , 171-179.