Cultural Diffusion Of Japan During The 7th Century

Most major countries have been subject to cultural diffusion, and Japan is no exception. During the 7th Century and onward, many countries had an effect on Japan, and the country with the most influence was undoubtedly China. However, Japan gradually developed these influences into their own styles, whether in art, government, language, or architecture. While Japanese art was heavily influenced by China, it became more unique as time went on, and this can be shown through painting, writing and literature, and sculpture. One art that Japan adapted into its own style was painting. During the Heian Period, Japanese artists intentionally moved away from the styles of China, Korea, and India. This is most evident when it comes to painting. Chinese
In the very beginning, Japan was only a spoken language, so scholars used kanji, China’s alphabet, to write. However, this worked poorly, so they adapted kanji into kana, or “Borrowed Letters”. However, what began as simplified Chinese turned into a complex language of its own. During the Heian Period, the Japanese developed two separate ways of writing: Hiragana and Katakana. Katakana, the more formal method of writing was utilized most often by men to write anything important. Hiragana, known as “Women’s Writing,” was used in less formal writing. It was faster to write and read, and was employed to write novels, which were originally created by the Japanese. One of the most famous of these was The Tale of Genji, known as the world’s first novel. The Japanese went from using Chinese letters, to using their own complex systems of writing to make original works of literature. Though the Chinese initiated Japan’s writing, what was once a simple alphabet and form of writing matured into two separate methods of writing, which were used to create new forms of art previously unheard of. This clearly demonstrates the evolution of Japan’s writing from China’s heavy influence to a more unique, more Japanese form of writing and