Spotlight: Sino-Japanese cultural exchange
As Wen Jiabao continues his visit to Japan, friendship between the Asian neighbors has again emerged as a hot topic. The earliest diplomatic contacts between China and Japan can be traced back to the Han Dynasty almost 2000 years ago. Meanwhile, it‘s in the field of the arts that we find some of their most important bonds.
It is the annual "First Calligraphy" contest of 2007, held on the first day of the year. Thousands of Japanese of all ages brush up both their calligraphy and resolutions at Tokyo‘s Budokan. The first act of the New Year in any field is considered especially auspicious by the Japanese. Thus the first calligraphy of the year, called Kakizome, is considered the most appropriate for New Year‘s resolutions.
Calligraphy is a widely practiced and revered as an art in Japan, China and Korea. About 5000 Chinese characters are commonly used in Japanese. An exhibition of calligraphic masterpieces in Shanghai tells the tale of the two countries‘ shared love of the art. This 62-character work by Eastern Jin Dynasty maestro Wang Xizhi, titled the "Letter of Sorrow" was taken to Japan in the 8th century. The work of the renowned 12th century Japanese monk Ikkyu Sojun is also on display.
But the written word is not the only common interest. Last July, the first ever Chinese speaking competition was held at Ritsumeikan University‘s Confucius Institute. Japan now has four Confucius Institutes, which teach Chinese language and promote Chinese culture. All of them are very active in bilateral exchanges.
But a wider range of arts also play an important part in the centuries of international exchanges. Gardening and the tea ceremony, both developed in ancient times, are regarded as the highest of artistic accomplishments in each of the two countries and share a common source and spirit. Chinese and Japanese gardens both feature recreation of the landscape in miniature. But in China the focus is on buildings and ornamentation, while in Japan a showcase for the beauty of the nature takes precedence. And Chinese people‘s attitude toward tea is rather different from Japanese. In China, tea is a popular drink and people from all walks of life enjoy it as a social activity. But in Japan, a tea ceremony is a rather formal and ritualized occasion.
Getting away from tradition cartoons and animation are common obsession for many young people on both sides of the East China Sea. The Tokyo International Anime Fair is the undoubtedly world‘s largest animation industry event. But with 270 exhibitors from around the world, Chinese International Cartoon & Animation Expo is not a negligible affair either. With its recently celebrated 80th anniversary, China is spending billions of dollars on the industry.
Just a few days ago in Tokyo, the Sino-Japanese Year of Culture and Sports was announced and Japanese movie star Noriko Sakai was named as its goodwill ambassador. The year long event will help build friendships and promote mutual understanding among people from both countries. And as people understand each other better through these activities, the bonds between them will become closer.
