Research Paper

The sudden rise in the Japanese culture during the 16th century was mainly due to the Japanese invasion of Korea. The invasion resulted in import of Korean things in to the Japanese culture. Due to it there was a rise in Korean influence on Japanese culture and Japan also benefited in multiple other fields like art and craft, technology and Neo-Confucianism. Japan has borrowed culturally from China and Korea and then remade such cultural imports to suit the local needs whether it was in art, technology or even religion. Moreover, Korea also acted as a cultural bridge connecting the cultures of Japan and the Asian continent. As a result it is inevitable to find profound cultural influences of Korea on Japan. The cultural import had risen sharply with Toyotomi Hideyoshi’s invasion of Korea which met initial success but failed finally. Such invasions generally resulted into Japanese being pushed into Korea and Koreans being pulled into Japan. With Hideyoshi’s invasion many Korean artists were brought to Japan and in the process the Japanese pottery and ceramics industry benefitted greatly. But even prior to the invasion, the Japanese and Koreans had remained in contact in areas like trade and diplomacy as well as piracy. Both Kingdoms made peaceful attempts at exchange of culture and technology.

During the period, China had been the center of civilization in East Asia, however, Japan did not receive the cultural influences directly from China. Instead these things flowed into Japan through Korea. The two countries Japan and Korea generally have had hostile relations in history, but yet the Chinese influences like Buddhism, Confucianism and technology arrived at Japan through Korea. Toyotomi Hideyoshi’s intentions behind the invasion were to Joseon Korea and Ming China. The war is also known as Imjin war, the first international war of its kind. However, the Japanese could see only some initial success during the war, and had to withdraw after being faced with the combined Joseon and Ming armies. Still, the war resulted in great human, cultural, economic and financial losses for Korea. Japan not only destroyed a large number of documents and artifacts but also confiscated several artifacts and documents. The war also meant a large loss in terms of artists and technicians of Korea to Japan whom Japan abducted and brought back from Korea.

The war left a remarkable political, economic as well as cultural impact. Japan particularly benefited from the war or rather remained the most significant beneficiary. The war while resulted in severe losses for Korea it largely benefitted Japan culturally. It abducted skilled Korean potters and brought them to Japan. These potters greatly helped at the advancement of ceramics industry in Japan. The ceramic art in the country advanced greatly with the coming of these artists. Korean pottery was highly admired in Japan. After the invasion the Japanese lords established potteries with the help of the abducted Korean potters. Even in the later years in 1616, the Japanese had started the production of porcelain with the help of the potters who had been relocated to Japan after the war. Japanese pottery thus grew to a significant extent and became similar significantly to the Korean pottery.

Japanese abduction of the Koreans had not ended with the potters. They also captured and brought to Japan, scholars, craftsmen and other technicians. The Japanese also seized numerous books during the war. This contributed in away to the development of learning in Japan. Especially, the war had resulted in the development of study of Neo-Confucianism in Japan. It is evident thus that the sudden rise in the Japanese culture was mainly a result of the cultural and economic imports from Korea. Japan is known for importing cultural factors from other countries including knowledge and religion, especially from Korea and China. These things were then given a local form and Japanized so as to suit the needs of the Japanese. Especially, Korea played the role of gateway to East Asia to Japan and Japan considered it crucial for diplomatic as well as economic and cultural factors. In a way the Japanese attempt of colonization of Korea was its first step towards conquering China and even if it failed it left a significant impact. The war played a very important role in the cultural development of Japan.

Apart from abducting technicians, artists and potters Japan also abducted scholars including religious scholars from Korea. Most importantly it confiscated Korean neo-Confucian books as well as abducted the scholars. It led to the development of neo-Confucianism in Japan. The Japanese scholars were to a certain degree influenced by neo-Confucianism and it started developing in Japan. Neo-Confucianism had come to Korea originally from China brought by An Hyang. During the period Buddhism had been the dominant religion. The intellectuals of Korea were greatly influenced by Neo-Confucianism and embraced it. Later Korea adopted it as the state ideology during the fourteenth century. With the Japanese invasion it was also transmitted to Japan where it influenced the intellectuals and developed. Thus the Chinese Neo-Confucianism was introduced to Japan through Korea.

Korea was culturally richer than Japan during the sixteenth century due to its proximity to China. Therefore, the Korean culture was regarded highly in Japan. Not only in culture but in the fields of education and economy as well as Korea was ahead of Japan. The invasion thus became a source of cultural and economic import for Japan and brought new art, knowledge as well as technology to Japan. Japanese culture took a bold stride inspired by the Korean education which had come to Japan after the invasion. The confiscated books as well as the captive scholars to a great deal helped in the proliferation of religion and education in Japan afterwards.

A major part of the knowledge that Koreans had passed to Japan during the war had com there originally from China. However, Korea had to bear a major loss financially, economically as well as in terms of the human lives lost during the seven years long conflict. Yet, the Japanese plunder of Korean infrastructure resulted in immense benefits for Japan leading to the sharp rise in Japanese culture that followed. In a way it formed the background for the golden age that followed the invasion.

Hideyoshi’s invasion brought a very important technological gift to Japan from Korea. The Japanese also brought back a large number of technicians and printing equipment from Korea. A movable type printing press and its fonts were brought to Japan from Korea. It was used to print the Confucian Kobun Kokyo. Just a few years later a Japanese version was built which used wood instead of metal. The Japanese version of printing press was then used to print the Nihon Shoki or the Chronicles of Japan. Thus Japan also took a big jump in the field of typography in the 16th century after Hideyoshi’s invasion of Korea.

From all these things it is clearly evident that Japan developed greatly in terms of education, religion, technology and art or overall culture after the invasion of Korea. The invasion mainly brought back intellectual and technological gifts. But at that critical turn when Japan was lagging behind Korea, these things were highly valuable for it. Especially, education that flowed in from Korea after the invasion along with technology was going to bring profound cultural changes in eth Japanese society and in this way lay the basis for the soon to follow golden era. The pottery and potters that had come from Korea took it in to great heights in Japan where it was ahead of Korea at a point of time.

Thus, we can see Japan taking a big cultural and economic jump after the invasion. At the end of the 16th century the invasion proved highly important for Japan in terms of culture and economy providing it with immense benefits in terms of art and technology. In a way Japanese culture’s advent to its heights had begun with the cultural imports. Korea being its gateway to East Asia provided it with important cultural and strategic benefits whose importance is undeniably very high.

References:

Ford, S. (1997). The Failure of the 16th Century Japanese Invasions of Korea. In hawaii.edu. Retrieved November 5, 2013, from http://www2.hawaii.edu/~sford/research/turtle/

Korean Influence (n.d.). In Nakasendoway. Retrieved November 5, 2013, from http://www.nakasendoway.com/?page_id=1064

Japanese invasions of Korea (1592-1598) Imjin War (n.d.). In Korean History. Retrieved November 5, 2013, from http://koreanhistory.info/ImjinWar.htm

Timeline of East Asian History (n.d.). In The Ohio State University. Retrieved November 5, 2013, from http://people.cohums.ohio-state.edu/bender4/eall131/EAHReadings/module02/m02japanese.html