East Asian countries such as China, Korea, Vietnam, and Japan formed the “East Asian cultural sphere” (the Chinese-character cultural sphere), sharing common cultural elements. This was a historically formed community of civilizations.
The Four Elements of the East Asian Cultural Sphere
Historian Nishijima Sadao identified the following four elements as components of the East Asian cultural sphere.
- Chinese characters: The Chinese writing system influenced the development of scripts in Japan (Man’yogana → hiragana and katakana), Korea (before the creation of Hangul), and Vietnam (Chu Nom)
- Confucianism: The moral order of relationships such as those between parents and children, rulers and subjects, and husbands and wives. The foundation of national administration, education, and morality
- Buddhism: Although originating in India, it spread throughout East Asia via China. Each country developed its own Buddhist culture
- The legal system: A systematic system of national government adopted from China’s laws and codes. It influenced Japan’s Taiho Code, the legal codes of Korea’s dynasties, and the legal codes of Vietnam’s Ly, Tran, and Le dynasties
The countries of East Asia did not simply accept Chinese culture; they each localized and transformed it.
・Japan: Invented hiragana and katakana; warrior government (the shogunate system) was a unique form not found in China
・Korea: Created Hangul and adopted Neo-Confucianism more thoroughly than China (the idea of Korea as the “small China”)
・Vietnam: Created Chu Nom, maintained ethnic distinctiveness through resistance to Chinese rule, and combined it with Southeast Asian culture (Champa and Indian traditions)
The East Asian cultural sphere continues to influence the modern world, and Chinese characters, Confucian values (familism and emphasis on education), and Buddhist culture are still passed down today.
Summary of the East Asian World
Although Korea and Vietnam each experienced long periods of Chinese rule and influence, they continued to preserve their own writing systems, languages, cultures, and ethnic identities. Their history of pursuing independence and development while skillfully using their relationship with China within the diplomatic order of the investiture system provides an important perspective that also applies to modern East Asian diplomacy and culture.
Practice
- Give the four components of the East Asian cultural sphere.
- Give the original scripts that Korea, Vietnam, and Japan each created based on Chinese characters.
- Give one example of how an East Asian country localized Chinese culture while adopting it.