How did Japan, a largely insular, isolated country for most of its history, manage to create and maintain such a vibrant and dynamic culture?
>>2847775
>every little thing needs its own god or spirit
Is it autism?
>>2847775
By stealing almost everything from China, then letting hundreds of years take it's course.
>>2847783
Just your usual paganism that went too far.
>steal everything from china
>make it better in every conceivable way
lots of self glorification
>>2847803
In other countries this often leads to cultural stagnation though.
Is it not more likely that they developed an inferiority complex with regards to the Chinese and that kept them constantly working at their betterment?
>>2847775
With diverse, multicultural society, you have endless amount of influence and new creation in culture, with homogenous society such as Japan, the primary source of influence become the one and the main focus, harnessed and perfected over time, thus multicultural society are defined by reinvention and homogenous society are defined by refinement
A good example is the comparison between Western society and Japanese society itself, or in closer scale the difference between post Qing China (outside influence and reinvention) and Tokugawa era Japan (isolation and refinement)
>>2847819
Terrific answer, thanks.
>>2847813
The true reason is ambiguous morality. Its the first dark culture. They prefer the look of fear than the look of rightfulness.
>>2847836
This is interesting to me, could you please elaborate?
I was reading that in the 1870s they debated a going to war with Korea purely so as to give the Samurai an opportunity to die. The idea of a European country starting a war purely in the name of Death is laughable, but they seem(ed) to genuinely worship it.
>>2847775
I don't know, but the edo book culture and bookshop culture is amazing
>>2847775
Japanese meme isolation was like, just 200 or so years.
Meanwhile Japan might be geopolitically insular, but culturally it wasn't. It was an active member of the East Asian cultural sphere, and its literati, nobles, religious leaders, and the common merchant participated in loads of cultural exchanges with the Asian Mainland.
Likewise, people from the outside participated in the cultural life of Japan. I mean, jesus, between the Yamato and Heian period, you had learned Chinese men immigrating to Japan for various reasons. In order to give them incentives to stay, the Japanese court often enfeoffed them, leading to the so-called "Immigrant Clans," like the Hata or Akizuki clans. Famous incidences alone are Shotoku's education in T'ang China or Kukai studying Buddhism in China as well.
>>2847775
It was just for that reason.
>>2847819
>Tokugawa era Japan (isolation and refinement)
>Rangaku.
>Entrance of the great Chinese novels in Japanese book culture.
>Most importantly: Tokugawa-era Neo-Confucian revival that led to the Sonno Movement, the restoration, and eventually Japanese nationalism.
Hmmm....