Several factors influence the formation of the unique cultural space with a certain worldview inherent in a given people, attitude to the world, and national character. At the same time, the experience accumulated over centuries plays a significant role. The national culture is considered to be formed under the influence of specific natural and climatic conditions, in the context of a unique cultural and historical development, and under the influence of various religions and teachings. Japanese and Korean cultures are no exception, and the uniqueness goes back to the peculiarities of their geographical location and method of production. The influence of Confucianism, as well as the specifics of the historical path, has determined the nature of the development of these countries.
Modern Korean and Japanese cultures have significant popularity all over the world. First of all, Japan is famous for its exceptional visual art, which is reflected in manga and anime. Korea also transmits its unique experience of forming the pop music scene and television to the whole world. All these factors certainly have their historical prerequisites. Therefore, to begin with, we can consider the unique path of the formation of modern art in Japan.
Kaiga painting, which in Japanese means a picture or drawing, played a considerable role in forming the culture of medieval Japan. Japanese painting is considered the most ancient type of painting in the country, characterized by various forms and solutions. The history of manga originates from scrolls dating back to the XII century (Rankin-Brown 77). However, whether these scrolls were manga or not is still a matter of debate – experts believe that they first laid the foundations for reading from right to left. Other authors attribute the origins of the manga closer to the XVIII century (Rankin-Brown 78). Historians and writers dealing with art history have described two main processes that have influenced modern manga. Their views differed in time: some scientists paid particular attention to the cultural and historical events following the Second World War, which began in East Asia at a bridge near Beijing in 1937 (Holcombe 2). At the same time, other scientists described the role of the pre-war period – the Meiji period and the pre-revolutionary period-in Japanese culture and art.
Historical facts show that with the rare qualities of borrowing and perceiving the culture and art of China and other peoples, the main thing for Koreans was not blind imitation and copying of other people’s achievements, but the genuine development of this culture and its enrichment with their national spirit. It is necessary to consider the ability of the Korean people to perceive the spiritual and material achievements of neighboring countries from the point of view of their readiness to absorb all the best that has been accumulated by universal culture and to multiply their own experience, enriching the treasury of their national values. The events of the new and recent history stages, when European and American culture comes to replace Chinese influence, also testify to this.
The formation and development of national culture determine the fate of any society. Korean culture developed on the periphery of the Confucian cultural complex. It is based on a cultural tradition borrowed from China. Since the XIX century, the influence of European culture has been felt in the country (Oh and Wonho 24). However, it is a mistake to believe that Koreans blindly copied other people’s achievements. Their culture is undoubtedly self-sufficient and original. Cultural borrowings were conditioned by practical needs and corresponded to national conditions. They were transformed and became an integral part of the Korean culture itself.
The dictatorial regime did not allow the pop industry to develop until the 90s: censorship and the imposition of traditional values affected the growth rate of popularity of South Korean pop culture. The only trajectory of music development was television, where only two channels were broadcast. This led to a monopoly on music. The reason that modern K-pop groups rely on dancing, appearance, fashion, and choreography is partly due to the long-term promotion of the music industry only through television. Thus, it can be concluded that the individual experience of Japan and Korea, consisting in the fact that they tried to adhere to tradition but at the same time absorbed Western values, helped these countries to create unique cultures.
Works Cited
Holcombe, Charles. A History of East Asia: From the Origins of Civilization to the Twenty-First Century. Cambridge University Press, 2016.
Oh, Ingyu, and Wonho Jang. “From Globalization to Glocalization: Configuring Korean Pop Culture to Meet Glocal Demands.” Culture and Empathy: International Journal of Sociology, Psychology, and Cultural Studies, vol. 23, 2020, pp. 23-42. Web.
Rankin-Brown, Maria. “From Samurai to Manga: The Function of Manga to Shape and Reflect Japanese Identity.” Japanese Studies Review, vol. 16, 2017, pp. 75-92. Web.