3. What is the Chinese, Korean, and Japanese Style?
In order to understand the physical world of design, we must depart from understanding metaphysics. For concrete examples, the term ¡®design beyond East and West' is rather like a declaration, abstraction and stylistic differences between China, Korea and Japan are also somewhat ambiguous and vague.
China is rather like a huge world than a single country. To tie the differences within China into one is meaningless and impossible. The term ¡®Chinese style' includes the meaning of geographical style. Within the history and geographical background of China, we can largely understand it as the aesthetic quality of Chinese civilization, and perhaps this will enable us to induce the typical Chinese style of design. The same applies to Japan and Korea.
It is important to first understand the spiritual world of East Asia, that is , China, Korea and Japan. The root of Korean civilization was China, since it was conquered by China from time to time, but even so, Korea never lost its high sense of independence. Japan, situated to the east of Korea, has more unique edges. Japan's culture also has its roots in China, but its sense of independence is even higher than that of Korea. The eastern civilizations of China, Korea, and Japan have many common factors in their spiritual worlds.
The spiritual foundation that unites the three countries as one historical community is Confucianism, Taoism and Buddhism. To understand the design of the East, it is necessary to understand its Confucianism, Taoism and Buddhism that have ruled the spirit of East Asia.
The three countries of China, Korea and Japan are in terms of historic, geographical, and spiritual similarity but also have common factors in writing. Together with the philosophers of ancient Greece and the prophets of the Middle East, ancient Chinese philosophers have maintained the value of Chinese civilization through the ancient books.
The second important religion that follows Confucianism in the wave of Eastern spirit is Taoism. Taoists believed that the great power of the universe divides into individuals and that each individual is man. Tao originally has the meaning of ¡°road¡±, but Confucius used the term to represent ideal social status. In Taoism, metaphysical meaning is given to the Tao. The basic spirit of Taoism remains deep throughout East Asia.
The period encompassing the 4th to 9th centuries was the Buddhist age in all three countries of China, Korea and Japan. The accommodation of Buddhism in East Asia is as important and meaningful as the accommodation of Western civilization. The reason Buddhism successfully settled in East Asia was because Buddhism could swiftly harmonize with Confucianism and Taoism.
Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism have developed in China, Korea, and Japan with little difference in each country. Taoist notions and the principles of Buddhism, which are understanding the basic principles of the universe, naturally made harmony with the typical sensibility of the Chinese in regards to the beauty and wonders of nature and also merged with the moral principles of Confucianism to become the core of Chinese civilization. Buddhism had its heyday in Korea, which was a Buddhist country for 1,500 years. However, the Buddhism of Korea combined with many facets of Taoism; it was mixed with Taoist notions such as Shamanism and geomancy. As for Japan, its geographical separation made it easy for foreign influence to combine with their typical aboriginal factors. The meditative form of Taoism and Buddhism, the factors of ZEN, became the base of Japan's philosophy and aesthetics.
Such reflection of the three countries' indivisual spiritual world based on the similiarity of the civilization of the East, onto the material world would be the design of these three countries
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