A Comparative Study Of Japanese Monkey Cultural Image

It is well known that the history of friendly exchanges between China and Japan can be traced back to two thousand years ago. The close cultural exchanges and cooperation between the two countries has a profound historical origin.Japanese culture is deeply influenced by Chinese traditional culture. To a certain extent, Japanese culture is labeled with the brand of Chinese culture.Only through the comparative analysis between the two countries culture, can we understand the similarities and differences between them two; thus to better the communication and exchanges on language and culture between the two countries.First of all, this paper briefly introduces the current status, motive, content, methods and significance of the research, as well as some related concepts for readers to have a preliminary understanding.Secondly, this paper compares the expression and meaning of the idioms and proverbs about monkey in both China and Japan. These idioms and proverbs are divided into4groups which are "different expression, same meaning","same expression and same meaning""existed in Chinese but absent in the imagery of Japanese" and "existed in Japanese but absent in the imagery of Chinese". These groups of idioms are being analyzed with concrete examples, which shows the difference in the expression and meaning of the idioms and proverbs about monkey in both countries.Thirdly, combining with the monkey cultural origins of the two countries, this paper discusses the connection between the two monkey culture, and expounds the impact that Chinese traditional culture has given to the formation and development of the monkey culture in Japan. This paper exerts concrete examples to analyze the similarities and differences between Chinese monkey culture and Japanese monkey culture. It analyzes the specific reasons that causes the differences on the monkey cultural images in both countries from value, way of thinking and aesthetic interest.Through the comparison between the idioms and proverbs about monkey in both China and Japan, this paper tends to help the Chinese teachers and international students who learn Chinese as a foreign language understand the difference in the monkey’s cultural connotation between the two countries. This paper is designed to provide a reference for Chinese teaching, thus reducing the cultural misunderstandings in the process of teaching, and offering reference for the future Chinese teachers and learners.