Which is better, China, Japan or Korea? Korea VS Japan

Which country do you prefer: China, South Korea or Japan?

Public opinion poll yields unexpected results

China and South Korea constantly accuse Japan of "right-wing deviation." What image do people in other countries of the world actually have about these countries? The results of a survey of more than a hundred people from 25 countries are truly surprising...

The image of the country is very important

Recently, the governments of China and South Korea have taken an overtly “anti-Japanese” stance.

These countries' tough diplomatic strategy against Japan is gaining momentum. They are trying to impose on the world the image of a militaristic Japan by bringing up the issue of changing the name of the Sea of Japan and erecting monuments to the women of comfort stations ( Japanese euphemism for military brothels created for Japanese soldiers during World War II - approx. ed.).

On the other hand, China's accusations against Japan are quite well thought out. At the end of March, Chinese President Xi Jinping, during his visit to Germany, said: “During World War II, the Japanese army committed a massacre of more than 300 thousand Chinese in Nanjing.” Thus, he managed to achieve a convergence of the images of Japanese militarists and Nazis during his criticism of Japan.

In response to the anti-Japanese campaign of China and South Korea, Japan also blames these countries. How do residents of other countries of the world see this from the outside, which country do they support?

Our magazine conducted a survey of the opinions of people from 25 countries, which did not include the three countries mentioned, by asking 103 respondents questions about the image of these countries. In order to ensure the objectivity of the survey, ethnic Chinese, Japanese and Koreans, people with ties to these three countries (for example, through Japanese spouses) were excluded from the number of respondents. Ordinary people representing different countries of the world shared their ideas about Japan, China and South Korea.

The survey results are surprising.

Respondents had to answer the question “Which of the three countries: Japan, China, South Korea – do you have the best idea about?” More than 90% of people chose Japan. When asked about the worst image, the vast majority pointed to China.

Such results directly indicate that most people of the world, with the exception of the Chinese and Koreans, have a good understanding of the country called Japan and the Japanese people.

“The Japanese are very hardworking, they are extremely polite. Japan combines amazing traditional techniques for making rice paper, ceramics and the latest computer technology. This is probably hard to find anywhere else in the world” (Toby, 35 years old, designer, USA).

Quite a lot of people imagine Japan in this way, that is, as a country that “combines traditional culture and modern technology.”

“I have never personally interacted with Japanese people, but I have confidence in Japanese brands. Toyota, Honda, Yamaha, Komatsu... I would like Japanese companies to invest more in Africa” (Julias, 37, engineer, Kenya).

The image of Japan is inextricably linked with Japanese brands such as Toyota. On the other hand, the idea of Japan can also be influenced by Japanese culture: anime, manga, films.

“I really love the films of Takeshi Kitano and Nagisa Oshima. Manga by Takehiko Inoe and Rumiko Takahashi and anime by Hayao Miyazaki are also popular in France. The French impressionists were influenced by Japanese “ukiyo-e” prints, Japan and France have many similar cultural moments” (Jacques, 53 years old, teacher, France).

“In this country, the painstaking nature of origami and the brutality of martial arts such as karate coexist. I like visual kei groups X Japan and L’Arc-en-Ciel” (Stephanie, 27 years old, information technology, Italy).

“My favorite actor is Takuya Kimura. I’m also a fan of Hello Kitty products” (Chanti, 23 years old, student, Indonesia).

Hate has reasons

Associate Professor at Kanazawa Gakuin University Tooru Sakai in his book “Everyone except China and South Korea are friends with Japan” writes in more detail and reveals the topic of the spread of Japanese culture in the world.

“In a study conducted annually by the British broadcaster BBC, entitled “Countries that have a positive and negative impact on the world,” Japan competes for the highest positions in the ranking of ratings year after year (first place in 2012, fourth place in 2013). According to other indicators, such as the “global peace index”, “democracy index”, “nation branding index”, Japan is also always in the first echelon. Even when it comes to general travel, the level of trust in a Japanese passport is very high. Many Japanese first learn about how wonderful their homeland is by traveling abroad.”

In the questionnaires one could also find praise for Japan.

“Japan is a country that has successfully modernized while maintaining its original culture, and all Iranians respect this country as an excellent example to follow. Japanese culture has a place for both tradition and rigidity, so even in professions such as yakuza and geisha, which are not revered in other countries, you can find aesthetics” (Abbas, 48 years old, restaurant manager, Iran).

“The Japanese are a very cultured people, I was extremely surprised that even during the strongest earthquake there was no violence on the streets. It seems to me that the Japanese are much more ethical than the Europeans” (Rashid, 58 years old, civil servant, Lebanon).

“Japanese non-governmental organizations provide humanitarian aid selflessly, which is very different from the Chinese, who immediately ask for something in return” (Umar, 44 years old, doctor, Nigeria).

Why do almost 90% of respondents around the world dislike the Chinese so much, whose image is rather negative?

“There is no way I will go to a country that causes such harm to the environment. They have little understanding of human rights; China cannot be called a democratic country. They may have gained self-confidence after becoming economic leaders, but the foreign policy of this country is too suppressive” (Thomas, 54 years old, engineer, USA).

Residents of all Western countries agreed that China is an "undemocratic, uncivilized country" due to its one-party political system, environmental pollution, persecution of minorities and media censorship.

Weak image, no interest

On the other hand, countries neighboring China, which are experiencing various difficulties in relations with the Chinese, have a negative attitude towards this country.

“The Chinese are investing in Vladivostok farms. None of the Russians like them, but since they pay, you have to work for them” (Sergei, 50 years old, journalist, Russia).

In Africa, which is also familiar with Chinese investments, one can find harsh criticism of China.

“China has its eye on Senegalese forests and is buying everything. They bring their labor from China, so they deprive Senegalese of work, we do not receive any economic benefits. Despite the rich history and culture of this country, the economic policies there are very primitive and business ethics are low” (Abdoulay, 48 years old, construction worker, Senegal).

“The quality of Chinese goods is terrible. I’m embarrassed to use them, so I try to avoid them whenever possible” (Kofi, 36 years old, banker, Ghana).

China is developing its economy at a tremendous pace and increasing its weight in international politics, but this leads to discontent.

As for South Korea, known for its industrial products such as Samsung products and Hyundai cars, the country's presence in the world is surprisingly weak.

“I often come across Samsung and other brands, but I hardly think about what country they came from, and I don’t want to know” (Anna, 29 years old, student, Spain).

“There are also a lot of Hyundai cars in Egypt. But Toyota is better in quality, and I like these cars better” (Muhammad, 41 years old, policeman, Egypt).

“The country with the worst image is South Korea. Because she simply has no image. I don’t know anything about Korea except kimchi” (Maria, 38 years old, housewife, Brazil).

Daisuke Sato, a representative of a consulting company that helps Japanese businesses enter the European market, says: “Products such as televisions and cars are often directly related to the image of the country. Despite the fact that Korean goods are all around us, South Korea is often presented as “number two after Japan”, and Korean goods as a “substitute” for high-quality but expensive Japanese goods that are difficult to obtain. To put it simply, South Korea does not stand out in any way.”

Recently, mainly in Asian countries, South Korean films, TV series, music and other components of the culture of this country have begun to gain weight.

“K-POP singers are very sexy and their faces are emotional. I think there are a lot of beautiful girls in South Korea” (Somchai, 23 years old, student, Thailand).

However, Associate Professor Sakai believes that “Korean culture and K-POP have not been able to conquer the whole world like Japan did.”

“Sometimes people say that the Japanese entertainment industry is being replaced by the Korean one, but this is a wrong opinion. Korean culture is aimed at the mass market with primitive needs. On the other hand, Japanese culture cannot be accepted without understanding the high cultural context. The two cultures have different target audiences. But with the economic development of Asian countries, the layers interested in the refined culture of Japan are expanding.”

As stated above, 90% of people have positive views of Japan, negative views of China, and have no interest in South Korea.

But of course, Japan is also criticized.

“Recently, I have stopped seeing Japanese brands such as Sony and Toshiba on the streets. It seems like they've been supplanted by Samsung and are going through a tough time right now." (Kevin, 50, consultant, Singapore).

“There are several Japanese people working in my office. They always stay after work, but do not perform large volumes, labor efficiency is very low. They are always huddled together, it is unclear what they are really thinking about. But despite all this, as soon as they drink, they open up beyond what is necessary...” (Kent, 39 years old, lawyer, UK).

Even with such minor disadvantages, we practically did not find people whose general idea of Japan would be unequivocally negative.

What do people from around the world think about the relations between Japan, China and South Korea, which are characterized by mutual criticism?

“I don’t know the details, but I don’t think Japan has moved as far to the right as China claims” (Ingmar, 25, teacher, Sweden).

“It may be natural to go to the Yasukuni Shrine to honor all those who died in the war, but it is necessary to respect the feelings of the affected countries” (Atan, 44, shop assistant, Vietnam).

“The war happened seventy years ago. It seems to me that China and South Korea should behave more constructively for the sake of the younger generation. And the approach of China, which by hook or by crook is trying to expand its territorial waters, will someday meet with resistance” (David, 39 years old, engineer, Australia).

Forget about quarrels...

How do residents of Germany, a country that, like Japan, lost the war, but maintain friendly relations with neighboring countries and is a member of the European Union, feel about the situation with Japan?

“Unlike Japan, which maintained the imperial system, Germany was able to shift all the blame onto Hitler and the Nazis. In recent years, all hostility with neighboring countries has disappeared; France and Germany even publish joint history textbooks. But despite all this, Germans are still looked at as Nazis, and this image is repulsive. Even in European Union countries, many parents advise their children not to marry Germans.

Japan's neighbors are not as democratic as the European Union, so it is harder for it than for Germany. China, with its weak understanding of human rights and sometimes aggressive foreign policy, seems like a scary country, but Japan must be patient and bring peace” (Joachim, 39, doctor, Germany).

It turns out that reasonable people around the world understand that the Japanese respect peace. Instead of following the lead of China and South Korea, who are fueling hostilities with their words, we must avoid the right-wing image of Japan that they promote.

In an interview with the French newspaper Libération, the head of the Asian department, Claude Leblanc, says the following:

“Last November, China unilaterally changed its air identification zone, once again reminding us of the danger posed by this country. But late that year, Japanese Prime Minister Abe made a pilgrimage to Yasukuni Shrine, creating an image of a Japan leaning to the right.

This is what happened with a Korean manga on the theme of comfort women, presented at the international comics festival in the city of Angoulême in the south of France.

Initially, no one was interested in the issue of comfort stations, but the Japanese themselves made a fuss, and people from the circle of NHK Director Katsuto Momiya and Japanese Prime Minister Abe made ambiguous statements on this matter, after which the media of all countries began to be interested in this topic.

If we compare the relationship between Japan and China, Japan and South Korea with football, then after the first half Japan was leading 3:0, but in the second half it made many mistakes, and seconds before the end of the match the score was level. “First of all, China and South Korea, who could not even imagine that they would play a draw with Japan, are pleased with the results.”

China and South Korea have united in anti-Japanese criticism and are trying their best to ruin Japan's image.

However, Japan doesn't need to sweat the small stuff. Even if “unloved by the whole world” and “weak” countries are up to something, it is better to react calmly and with restraint. Because Japan has popularity all over the world.

Warning: yes, everything is correct - there is no diary and there will not be, the registration was made for the sake of one single question in this community. Therefore, I ask you to answer only to the point and only to those who actually live or have lived for a long time in the above-mentioned countries.

Problem: a year ago I became interested in Japan and South Korea and started learning languages. And now there is an opportunity to go on a grant to study the language in the country. You need to choose one of them now. The grant assumes a one-year stay in the country and return home in order to introduce the learned language and culture of compatriots, but with a little effort you can stay to study a profession or work in these countries.
There is no doubt that it is better there than here. The question is where is the best option. In every sense - the relationship with Europeans, and a career, and a small business, and obtaining citizenship, and the opportunity to bring grandparents to live with you for permanent residence, and the opportunity to watch Russian TV (for grandparents, I don’t watch it here either), and find relatively familiar products (I know and love Korean and Japanese cuisine, but for variety I want borscht, cottage cheese, raspberries, strawberries, apples, pears). In addition, the issues of feminism are important - protection from harassment, harassment on the streets, career opportunities for women, freedom to make decisions about divorce and abortion, attitude towards extramarital affairs and cohabitation, illegitimate children, protection from domestic violence, etc. Household issues - renting a home, its convenience in terms of heating, washing machine, clothes dryer, balcony, sound insulation, prospects for negotiating with the owner on long-term rent and the possibility of hanging curtains/changing plumbing/planting flowers on the balcony/getting a cat or dog, etc. etc., Internet unlimited, cellular communications, etc. How quickly do the police actually respond to a call about noisy neighbors and is there a need for this or is there no habit of entertaining neighbors with screams and music at any time of the day.
As for the Japanese and Korean mentality, I live in a region where the main population is Asian, whose customs are not only similar, but quite close to both Korean and Japanese, so I won’t encounter anything radically new.

I don’t know anything about everyday life in these countries, because I was only interested in art and didn’t plan to go there for permanent residence, I just submitted essays to various competitions out of nothing to do and won studies in both countries. But it would be stupid to miss this opportunity to change the current country to a better one, so any information is needed. And once again about the foreign mentality - I live in a region where the main population (in descending order of numbers) is Central Asians, Russians, Caucasians, Koreans, Chinese, Turks. And everyone gets along with everyone else, understands the problems in each other’s customs and culture - it’s commonplace that no one has any other choice but to interact and understand. So I can easily get used to any mentality.

Often there are controversial situations and accidents on the roads, when it is very difficult for traffic inspectors to figure out who is to blame, or they simply don’t care who is right, and they take the side of the driver who will be more generous, i.e. more understanding. In this case, it is very difficult to prove that you are right, because most of our intersections and roads do not record the traffic situation on video and reports of violations are drawn up according to the subjective opinion of inspectors. In order to avoid finding yourself in such a situation, today there are special devices - car video recorders. They are installed on the car, and if unusual situations arise with the car, everything is recorded on a memory card, recording the speed of the car and its exact location at a specific point in time using a GPS navigation system.

Today, car video recorders of Korean and Chinese assembly of standard definition are available on the market for private use. Many say that there is no significant difference between such DVRs and therefore, it doesn’t matter which one you give preference to. However, if you delve deeper into the technical characteristics, you can immediately understand that this is not true.

Korean car DVRs include not only a recorder with cameras integrated into it (for example, PVDR-0263 auto is equipped with two), but also a built-in GPS receiver that links the recordings received from the car to the area. Additionally equipped with a special sensor that records acceleration and vibration. It is adjusted to a certain sensitivity. The package already includes an SD memory card with a capacity of up to 8 GB, with an installed program that allows you to view captured videos in parallel with the movement of the car.

In Chinese models of DVRs, there is a recorder itself with a built-in video camera, usually with a small viewing angle, and recording is carried out only in AVI format. They do not have a GPS receiver that determines the location of the car and software for viewing videos in real time. All this has to be either purchased and installed, or simply changed the recorder in the future.

Another unpleasant thing about Chinese models is their fastening. Chinese DVRs are fastened with a “suction cup” type, which is why they can fall off the car. Their rigidity is insufficient and when driving on our roads they rattle, which negatively affects the image quality. But the Koreans make “sticker” type mounts on recorders (3M adhesive tape), their mounts are not very long and therefore they are very rigid and stable.

Also, the resolution of Korean DVRs is 640x480 (up to 25 k/sec) and 1.3 Mpix optics, while Chinese ones are 320x240 or 640x480 (up to 20 k/sec) with 0.3 Mpix optics. This affects the quality of video recording, especially at night or in the evening. The received video material from Chinese recorders may not be accepted as evidence in the event of an accident, not simply because of poor quality, but because of insufficient detail (a sign is not visible in the frame, for example). Therefore, when deciding to buy a DVR, think carefully before purchasing a “high-quality” Chinese DVR.

Remember that this small device can save you a lot of money and nerves in the future.

I recently flew from Korea to Japan, spent the best 11 days of my life, and now I’m in Russia for the whole summer. Therefore, there are no publications yet. As soon as something interesting appears, I’ll post it right away))
In general, in Korea, the conditions of the immigration service for entering the country, working and issuing visas to foreigners have been tightened. It's still worth trying to get there. For those who do not have a work visa and are planning to enter visa-free, you need to be on the safe side and have a return ticket and hotel reservations or the address where you will live, if it is a friend, for example, and his phone number, which they can easily call and ask , but does he even know citizen “Petrov, Ivanov”, or anyone whose name is in your passport? So get ready!

And Japan turned out to be just a fairy tale. Many people asked me what I forgot there if I lived in Korea for 2 years, what I didn’t see in Korea, what I intend to see in Japan. “After all, they are the same, these two countries,” they told me. But no, I want to tell you!

Of course, they are similar, just like the countries of Asia. Lively, never sleeping streets. But not all…. There are no drunken streets there, as in Korea, and if you move away from the main recreation center for all young people, where all the bars, clubs and karaoke are concentrated - Shibuya, then otherwise there is peace on the streets of Tokyo, and especially Kyoto.
The intersections there are much wider and almost everywhere…. There are skyscrapers everywhere.
In the subway, people behave more politely; you can calmly get out and not rush through, as in Korea, a crowd of passengers rushing into the carriage, who, like bulls at a red rag, look for a place to land. In Tokyo, there are a lot of empty seats in the carriages, and people don’t sit down..... women will stand with huge bags in their hands, and right in front of them there is an empty seat, either on the bus or in the subway. the palaces and temple buildings are different - they breathe the spirit of Shintoism, not Buddhism. In Tokyo, in addition to the subway and buses, there is also a surface metro, the so-called JR (Japan Railway). Transport there is 1.5 - 2 times more expensive than in Korea. In Kyoto, in general, you can take a bus ride. doesn't matter. how many stops to go, payment 230 yen, which is approximately 142 rubles, 2.2 $, 2500 won. Let's say, in Seoul from Incheon airport by bus, travel to the city costs 9 thousand won (about 8 $), in the same place - 1500 yen (16500 won - 14.3 $. Housing is also 1.5 times more expensive, especially in Kyoto, so as it is a tourist city. And renting housing follows a slightly different pattern, unlike Korea. As for the style, it’s completely different, especially for girls. There are no these eternal sneakers for dresses, there’s really a cult of sneakers. for example, socks with frills to go with high-heeled shoes.

Like that

This is how they walk - not all of them, of course, but most of the young people are girls. (photo from the Internet)

But at least it looks prettier than sneakers under a dress. The makeup is also different—a girl’s face can’t see her reflection, like in Korea. Koreans have this trend - the face should shine and the lips should be half made up.
Here, for example, on the contrary, they get rid of this greasy-fat effect on the face... But the gait of Japanese women is peculiar. Maybe someone has seen photos of girls, models or just somewhere on the Internet, with crooked legs. So, it’s not just like that, nor actually they walk like that, trying to bring the tips of their toes together. Regarding the guys, in my opinion, every third one is either a musician (guitarists, mostly) or a photographer. Their hairstyle is completely different, the hair is usually a little longer (but personally, I’m all for it, I don’t like short haircuts, I just like bangs and long hair in the back)))))).

And, as I have heard more than once from people who live in Japan or have lived for a long time, from Russians and Koreans, Japanese men do not know how to care for women at all, and I have encountered this too... Well, this is the mentality, apparently... Well, in general, something like this in brief. One thing I can say for sure is that Japan is definitely worth visiting at least once in your life!!!

Here are a few more photos)))

Nijo Palace

Sagano Bamboo Forest near Kyoto

Monument to the world famous dog Hachiko

One of the Temple buildings in Tokyo

The so-called torii - gates

In the Kiyomizu-dera temple complex, you can rent a kimono for a day or even 2. It all costs from $30 to $60, depending on the set. A lot of girls, both Japanese and foreign, walk around like this and take a lot of photographs. Everyone is so bright. It looks, of course, gorgeous, and even against the backdrop of ancient streets and traditional temples.

Kinkakuji Golden Pavilion in Kyoto

tame deer in the city of Nara

thousands of torii (gates) on the grounds of the Fushimi-inari shrine

Artificial Odaiba Island with a scaled-down replica of the Statue of Liberty

Tokyo Tower

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