What are the differences between Japan and China?

Are you tired of hearing people with no brains think that Japan and China are the same thing? In this article I will explain the glaring differences between Japan and China.

This is a very complex subject to address, both are totally different countries from each other. And yet, in the middle of the 21st century people have the courage to say that Japan and China are the same or the same.

The same thing happens when talking about language, appearance, culture and cuisine. This is totally wrong, it's like comparing a man and a woman, both are human but are totally different.

Japan had a lot of influence from China during its history, many things from Japan had their origin and influences from China, so it's reasonable to note some similarities, but currently the 2 countries are totally different from each other.

In this article, we are going to analyze some important points of each country so that people don't make these confusions and stupid statements anymore. Remembering that my specialty is Japan, so sorry if I don't delve too deep into China.

Differences between life in Japan and China

Both countries are influenced by Buddhism, but in Japan Shintoism also predominates. In China, in addition to Buddhism, Confucianism and Taoism predominate. Unfortunately, religious freedom in China is limited and some are prohibited from exercising their faith in that country.

Currently both countries are world powers, but China still has an extremist policy, almost based on the slavery of its inhabitants and discrimination against women and foreigners. Of course we cannot generalize.

Many Chinese live in a precarious and poor situation receiving a low salary, even though China is the biggest economic power in the world and also has the biggest population in the world.

What are the differences between Japan and China?

China is a dictatorial and totalitarian communist state. In addition, there is a limitation and control of what people do or access on the internet, for example. In Japan you have all the freedom you don't have in China.

The Japan is a developed country, democratic and capitalist, there human rights are respected, you have all religious, economic and social freedom. Japan has a constitutional monarchy where the emperor is above the government but has limited power.

The quality of life in Japan is much higher than in China, which also faces a lot of pollution due to large industry. Of course, both countries have their advantages and disadvantages, you may need to examine what you want with each of them.

Differences between Japanese and Chinese languages

Although Japanese uses ideograms from Traditional Chinese, both are completely different languages from each other. Japanese is a syllabic language made up of just over 100 syllables and a simple 46 kana alphabet to write.

Chinese, on the other hand, is composed only of ideograms and is a tonal language, a word can change with a simple tone. To learn more read our other article about the differences between Chinese and Japanese language by clicking here.

What are the differences between Japan and China?

China is not the only country that speaks Chinese, several other Asian countries speak this language such as Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macau and Singapore. In China, he speaks several languages and dialects, such as Mandarin, Wu, Cantonese, etc.

Have you ever heard about the boring joke that Brazilians make with Asians about chicken pie? This joke only works with Chinese, because in the Japanese language there is no "L" phoneme, just as in Chinese there is no "R".

Differences between Japanese and Chinese cuisine

Much of the japanese cuisine came from China. Things like sushi, ramen, gyoza, nikuman and several other dishes and snacks that we know by the Japanese name in Brazil, are actually of Chinese origin.

In Japan you don't eat insects or dogs. This is part of the culture of China and other Asian countries. It is worth remembering that this is part of the traditions, culture and living conditions of the Chinese.

The fact that some city in China consumes dogs does not mean that this is a main dish of the cuisine. In Brazil we eat rabbits and other questionable animals, but that doesn't mean that these animals represent the cuisine of Brazil.

What are the differences between Japan and China?

Japan does not escape these delicacies either, there is even horse meat sushi and some dishes of slightly creepy sea creatures. Still, they are rare delicacies that are not part of standard cuisine.

Both countries normally eat rice, pasta, meat, pizza, sandwiches and several other common dishes as in Brazil. Even though sushi and many other dishes are of Chinese origin, they end up being more popular in Japan.

Those who have the erroneous idea that in Asia they only eat raw fish will be disappointed. Eating sushi in Japan is like eating pizza in Brazil. Ask yourself, do you eat pizza every day?

The article is still halfway through, but we recommend also reading:

Other differences between China and Japan

Finally, I will mention some obvious differences that need to be mentioned:

  • China is located on the Asian continent, while Japan is a group of islands;
  • Contrary to what some people think, Japan celebrates the Western New Year and not the Chinese New Year. But no fireworks;
  • You chinese names usually have only one syllable. The Japanese usually have about three syllables and end in a vowel;
  • Many other Asian countries have been influenced by China in their culture and development like Korea;
  • The Japanese have a longer face, rounder and larger eyes than the Chinese;
  • Japanese are more shy and have a strict code of ethics, mainly professional, respect social etiquette;

If you want to know more about Japanese culture, here you will find everything you need about Japan. xD

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