ABSTRACT
When talking about Japanese furniture, Japanese culture comes first. Dierent from South Korea, its close geographical location with China determines the fact that Japan has an ambiguous relationship with Chinese culture since ancient times. When Chinese culture is strong, Japanese learn from it and admire it heartily. However, when Chinese culture is weak, Japanese take every opportunity to invade. Because Japanese culture has always absorbed from Chinese culture independently and automatically, Chinese culture is even more preserved in Japan. For instance, the Japanese kimono takes example from Han Chinese clothing and its architecture preserves a lot of the best essence of Chinese culture, especially that of Tang Dynasty. However, all these are very rare in China. In the Eastern Han Dynasty, the ironware and clothing of Central Plain were introduced to Japan and thus greatly increased the productivity in Japan. After the Chinese convention of sitting on the ground was brought to Japan, some coarse, shabby and low
furniture appeared in Japan. In Tang Dynasty, Japan reached an all-round sinicization through the Great Reform, integrating the Chinese architecture, art and system with its own. Because Japan did not go through the time of “Wu Hu Uprising”, high-type furniture failed to spread to Japan, which was also due to the great influence of Buddhism. At the beginning of the Edo period, Japanese furniture formally formed. However the real turning point of Japanese furniture is Meiji Restoration, after whose appeal of “Civilization and Enlightenment” the machine produced-furniture appeared. After the World War II, the company philosophy in Japan changed from plutocracy to the modern joint-stock system. Japan started to pay more attention to quality and environmental protection. Till today, an environmentally friendly and creditworthy sustainable model with many types and small batches has been formed. A comparison between the furniture of China, Japan and South Korea: Chinese furniture values the material and has a very complex structure, sophisticated embellishment, and is majestic and decent and is also jubilant and harmonious.
