Japan & successful countries Essay Example for Free

Japan successful countries Essay Japan being one of the most successful countries in the world suffered from several problems too. In order for them to achieve greatness and near perfection, they had to be broken also which made it more possible for them to stand up again and adapt to changes. For a very long time, they closed their doors to foreign countries and made life on their own without the help of anything or anyone except them alone. However, despite of this decision, Japan was able to improve their living and manage to become one of the most successful countries in the world. In present, Japan continues to adapt to the changes that the world offers them without sacrificing their own national native philosophy. Considering the success that Japan had, it is indeed amazing to know that they have imprints of foreign culture and philosophy in them. How they were able to maintain their native and national philosophy while adapting to change is something that makes them really an interesting subject to discuss. After their resistance to colonizers and isolation, they were able to foster a nation which mixes stories and culture of the west and the east. Japan and the early years after Isolation There are several amazing things that people must know and understand about Japan. When they successfully defended their country from foreign invasion in 1945, Japan freely borrowed ideas from different countries with the absence of military impositions and the presence of colonial life. They were able to adapt to changes without people telling them what to do. Instead, the country and its people freely and willingly adapted to change while isolating themselves and soon opening to the world (Kasulis). Japan philosophy Japanese philosophy is not based on their native beliefs and studies. It is rooted into several foreign philosophies which they improvised and used to give a touch of Japan in them. However despite of the fact that theirs was a mixture of several foreign ideas, there is always something that makes their philosophies their own (Kasulis). The most distinctive characteristic of Japanese philosophy is how it has assimilated and adapted foreign philosophies to its native worldview. As an isolated island nation, Japan successfully resisted foreign invasion until 1945 and, although it borrowed ideas freely throughout its history, was able to do so without the imposition of a foreign military or colonial presence. Japanese philosophy thus bears the imprint of a variety of foreign traditions, but there is always a distinctively Japanese cultural context. In order to understand the dynamics of Japanese thought, therefore, it is necessary to examine both the influence of various foreign philosophies through Japanese history and the underlying or continuing cultural orientation that set the stage for which ideas would be assimilated and in what way. Works Cited Kasulis, Thomas P. (1998). Japanese philosophy. In E. Craig (Ed. ), Routledge Encyclopedia of Philosophy. London: Routledge. Retrieved March 15, 2009, from http://www. rep. routledge. com/article/G100