ABSTRACT
With its rapid economic growth and expanding involvement in international affairs, China's influence in the world is far greater than in past decades. The analysis of the survey and interview data reveals that Japanese people do identify with some Chinese values, history, and life habits. For example, Japanese identify with Chinese values of benevolence, righteousness, propriety, and filial piety, appreciate ancient Chinese culture and history, and enjoy Chinese cuisine. It is clear that ordinary Japanese people accept and like traditional Chinese culture, ancient Chinese history, and some traditional Chinese values. Japanese people partially identify with modern Chinese mass culture, such as modern Chinese films, movie stars, pop songs, and musicians, but the influence of these symbols of Chinese culture remains inferior to those of Western or Japanese cultures. Though many Japanese people identify with aspects of traditional Chinese culture, they mainly focus on appreciation and entertainment, which provide only weak soft power.
