Japan - Spans Archipelago; one of most densely populated countries in world;

most of pop confined to narrow stretches of coastal territory; ¾ landscape

mountainous; one of most urbanized
- Maintains unitary parliamentary constitutional gov. Since 2nd wrld war
- Strong emphasis on traditional culture while striving for on par
advancement from the west (historically)
- Contemp Culture; combines asian/euro/north amer influence
- Great international power; member of numerous international organizations
- Has one of largest economies in the world
- Leader in automotive/electronics
- Philosophy; fusion of western/chinese/unique Japanese elements;
confucian ideals remain in Japanese society/sense of self/organization of
gov/society structure
- Greatly impacted by buddhism
- Unique isolated people; behavior is extension of nature itself; psychology
impacted by language

N. Korea - Northern part of Korean peninsula; bordered by China/Russia/S. Korea;

claims to be legitimate gov of entire peninsula
- Totalitarian stalinistic dictatorship; elaborate cult personality surrounding
Kim dynasty
- Juche is official DPRK ideology; “man is the master of his destiny”; self
reliant in strong to achieve true socialism
- Jarip
- Jawi
- Follows “military-first” ideology (songun); country with highest number of
military/paramilitary personnel
- Member of United Nations/Non-Aligned movement/G77/ASEAN Regional
reform
- Private country

S. Korea - Southern part of Korean peninsula; bordered by N. Korea; claims to be gov

of entire peninsula
- Seoul has nearly half of entire Korean population
- Ceased being authoritarian long time ago; has lots of scandal surrounding
the presidency; considered very developed country
- Same traditional culture as N. Korea; vastly different ideologies have
emerged since separation; ROC impacted largely by growing
ecnomy/changing lifestyle
- Multi-generational households; on average drink 13.7 shots of liquor per
week; drink most alcohol on weekly basis than any other country
- Distinct vibrant culture; also largely influence by confucianism

China - 33 administrative units directly under central gov

- 22 provinces, 5 autonomous regions, 4 municipalities, 2 special
administrative regions
- Largest of all Asian countries; has largest population in world
- Greatest contrast of geography from southern to northern border in world
- Mostly Han Chinese (91.6%), second most; Zhuang (1.3%); rest is other
 - 56 ethnic minority groups
- Similar to Japan; mistaken homogeneity
- Communist party-led state; capital is Beijing
- Civil law influenced by soviet/continental European civil law systems
- World leader in gross value of industrial output
- History shows longevity and resilience
- Modesty, Filial piety, guenci interdependence, Stoicism, “face”, unity
- Strong sense of culture/self-preservation led to self isolation from other
countries
- Really only opened up for the last 40 years; embrace prosperity, science
and culture
- Balance between cultural preservation and modernization
- Difference in mindset between younger/urban dwellers v. older/rural
dwellers
- Emerging Chinese culture is being defined by innovation, preservation, and
cultural/economic evolutions
- Confucianism
- Heavy emphasis on collectivism; economic growth/increased financial
independence creating more individualistic attitudes
- Societal harmony; close family ties