Japan: The Land of the Rising Culture

Japan is a latecomer in Asian history, appearing at around 57 AD. Japan’s location, off the East Coast of China is important in the development of Japan’s culture. The Japanese adopted many things from its surrounding boarders, especially China. The Japanese adopted many forms of the Chinese culture and tried to make each adoption ultimately Japanese. During the Yamato Period (500 AD), Japan’s history and culture was just starting to flourish. The influence of the Chinese culture on that of Japan’s is extensive, yet Japan is a unique civilization. With adopting its infrastructure of government, religion and philosophy, writing, and the fine arts, Japan has become a civilization with its own fine culture.
In between the years of 618-906 AD the Japanese realized the brilliance of the Tang Dynasty. One concept that the Japanese adopted was the imperial concept (where the leader would be addressed as emperor or empress). The Japanese modeled their entire central gov...