Final History

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Final History
Introduction
Japan and china provide us with every detail that we can clearly examine the ancient history of East Asia. The essay seeks to compare and contrast Chinese history with the classical mythology of Japan- Nihongi. Additionally, the paper discusses some specific articles in Shotoku seventeen constitution and their various influences in Japanese ways of life. Chinese Buddhism, Confucianism and Japanese Shintoism did shape the Japan first political document and culture. The document via the seventeen articles did have profound effect on social, political, economic and environmental aspects of Japanese.
Comparison of Chinese writing and Japanese mythology-Nihongi
From the history of the kingdom of Wei, individuals lived in a mountaneious island and were made up of over one hundred communities. This land is warm and mild; vegetables constitute most of their diet and they walked barefoot. The culture demanded that mother and father, elders and those young sleeps in separately. Just like how Chinese smear their bodies with powder, the Wa smeared their bodies with pink and scarlet. Food is served on bamboo and on wooden tray. It is worth noting that when a member of the community dies, a simple coffin is made and the grave is covered with earth resulting to a mould. Mourning takes ten good days and in these days meat is not eaten. Family members of the bereaved morn while friends drink liquor sing and dance. After morning, family members take a cleansing birth. When Wa travel to china, a man who does not comb his hair, does not sleep with women, full of fleas, do not eat meat and very dirty cloths is selected. He is to behave like a mourner and when they meet good fortune, he is hailed. He is killed when the convoy meets bad things such as diseases (DeBary 626). During enterprises or a voyage, occurrence of discussion, bones are baked so that to foresee a fortune. At this moment there is no distinction between father and son, men and women. During worship, those men deemed important just clap and have between four and five wives. Women are not loss in moral. Theft is not experienced. Offenders loss their wives and children and his kinsmen are exterminated. Social stratification exist as there are some men who vassal over others. Tax is collected and trade is in existence. Those individuals deemed to be in lower classes, when they meet with those deemed important in the society, the former stop and withdraw and when they are addressing the later they kneel with their hands on the ground. They respond by saying ah an equivalent of yes. A man was the ruler but later upon agreement, a woman was allowed to rule
Japanese mythology refers to beliefs which embrace Shintoism and Buddhism cultures together with folk religion that has been deemed to mainly focus in agriculture. These myths are based on a record of ancient matters. It explains the origin of Japanese deities from Buddhist point of view. The mythology describes the origin of imperial family as well as their assigned godhood.It is important to note that Nihongi was written in response to have in place an official chronological that is similar to that of Chinese that constituted its history. Japanese did this but with some slight modification. From the Kojiki, an island of Japan was created by a male and female god, this has Chinese influence-Izamani and Izanagi. A disagreement of who should speak first after meeting from going round the island in opposite direction led to creation of more islands. One notable contrast between the writings in china and Japanese mythology is that the former was purely written in Chinese while the later occasionally used Japanese. Both relate to origin myth and provide us with genealogies of imperial line during the mythological period. Additionally, the Chinese writing runs from 660BC to 500AD while Nihongi (Japanese) from 660BC to eighth centaury (DeBary 629). These two accounts clearly suggest that the Japanese culture was not only shaped from internal aspects but more so by external values, beliefs, norms among other aspects that can shape one culture. Most importantly, it is evident that Japanese culture was in large influenced by what transpired in china and other Asian countries such as India.
Shotoku Constitution and influences of Chinese culture and native Japanese Shintoism
Historically, it is evident that Chinese Confucianism, Buddhism and native Japanese Shintoism did play a vital role in shaping of the first Japanese document. Confucianism is a complex sys...