To what extent did the ethnicities, languages and religions of the region around Japan change because of its exposure to other cultures?
By marika777
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During antiquity in Japan, there were many minority ethnicities who spoke the *JAPONIC(language family with Japanese and the indigenous languages of the Ryukyu Islands). Ethnicities consisted of the Japanese mainly. -
During many centuries before the 800s, the Japanese borrowed an abundance from Chinese culture, this heavily influenced language and religion in Japan. Around the 4th or 5th century, Chinese writing was presented upon Japan by *BUDDHIST *MISSIONARIES(followers trying to spread their religion) from Korea. The use of *CHINESE CHARACTERS(written symbols that represent words) affected modes of expression and led to an association between literary composition and calligraphy lasting many centuries. -
Three *PORTUGUESE(expert European explorers) traders arrived in Japan in 1543 aboard a Chinese ship drifted ashore on *TANEGASHIMA(island in Japan); and impacted religion. However, in 1548, *FRANCIS XAVIER(a *JESUIT(member of Society of Jesus)), appeared to introduce *CHRISTIANITY(religion derived from Jesus)to the Japanese. *PORTUGUESE traders and *JESUIT *MISSIONARIES reached Japan. Founded by *XAVIER, the Christian mission was one of the most *PROSPEROUS(successful) in Asia. -
During the 1970s and 1980s, Japan scored so much economic success that foreigners rushed to search for jobs in Japan since then and ended up impacting ethnicities. With the Japanese economy becoming extremely *POTENT(having power or influence), most Japanese occupied white collar jobs. This fabricated high demand for blue collar labor. So, many foreigners have been acquiring employment in a great *INFLUX(in a large number) throughout the construction, manufacturing, and even service industries. -
Today, there are mostly Japanese people who speak Japanese and practice *BUDDHISM and *SHINTO(an *ANIMISTIC RELIGION). The ethnicities now mainly consist of Japanese, Brazilian, Korean, Chinese, Thai, and other international languages. The majority of Japan speaks Japanese, but other small amounts of languages are spoken. There are two principal religions practiced in Japan today; *BUDDHISM and *SHINTO, although, *CHRISTIANITY is only practiced by 1% of the population of Japan.