Hard Not to Love: Japanese Inventions Used in Chinese Everyday Life

Hard Not to Love: Japanese Inventions Used in Chinese Everyday Life
Feb 03, 2014 By Elaine Pang , eChinacities.com

Now we all know there is just a little bit of tension between China and Japan. And while overzealous nationalists sometimes like to make a show by smashing up Japanese made vehicles, if they were really going to rid themselves of all things Japanese they might have to give up a few more of their favorite things. Here are just some examples of Japanese inventions used in Chinese everyday life.  


China’s national pastime, KTV
Source: Evaneos.com

1) Rice Cookers
What is a Chinese meal without rice and who cooks rice without a rice cooker these days? Except under abject poverty, a rice cooker is essential to every household treasuring the fluffy white grain as a staple. Chinese rice cookers range from the no-frills on-off kind to the bells-and-whistles versions with porridge and cake-baking functions. In fact Chinese travelers to Japan will often returned weighed down by Japan’s latest high-end rice cooker.

2) Monosodium Glutamate (MSG)
Evidently, one does not live on rice alone and there is nothing that brings life to a stir-fry like MSG – a shortcut that commercial food businesses and home cooks resort to. Spending hours brewing up a good chicken stock is a forgotten art in this pressure-cooker era of rising ingredient costs. Most locals are reluctant to forgo these Japanese invented bright white crystals in noodle bowls or barbeque dishes and those that claim to eschew MSG in cooking actually use chicken granules, a cleverly disguised MSG-variant.

3) Instant Noodles and Cup Noodles
One area to which MSG lends its oomph is instant noodles, a long-distance travel staple. And thanks to Nissin, this dish can now be enjoyed anywhere, in cup form. On every train across China you can see hungry queues balancing brightly colored cups snaking their way through carriages to fetch hot water. Instant noodles have also become a ration item and the ultimate comfort food in dormitories and homes, It seems people are unaffected by circulating urban rumors that the human body takes a week to detox after consuming this Japanese invention.

4) Flat-screen Televisions
What better way to enjoy instant noodles at home than in front of a new state-of-the-art flat-screen. But wait, flat-screen TV technology, both plasma and LCD, also hail from Japan. This also presents a problem for those using flat-screen desktops and laptops. Guess the only alternative would be to switch to bulky CRT machines then. Now those would be challenging to wall-mount.

Evidently it is impossible to avoid any form of Japanese influence in the home as even top-loading washing machines are invented in Japan. Perhaps it is time to escape outside. Seems easy enough if one does not drive a Japanese car… or is it really?

5) Karaoke or KTV
The karaoke lounge or KTV (in local lingo) is a popular stop for belting out pop songs or red songs in a show of patriotism. But the idea of singing to a screen is still a Japanese concept. And it is likely that the screen you are singing to is a flat-screen (see point above). KTV in China has become a favorite among all age groups from prepubescents to post-war boomers for every occasion from birthdays to business entertainment.

6) High-speed Rail
Perhaps the only way to get away from all that Japanese influence would be to renounce modern conveniences and head for the countryside. Good idea – just choose the mode of transportation carefully because bullets trains are obviously the invention of a country that loves efficiency and speed.

7) Digital SLR Camers (DSLRs)
The countryside is a good place to hone your landscape photography prowess. That is, until one takes a look at the camera in hand. If it is a DSLR, dump it, because not only is it a Japanese invention, it carries a Japanese brand. The tiny point-and-shoot is unlikely to be expensive enough to appeal to well-heeled patriots.

So there you have it, while tensions rise and nationalism rages, there is nothing as harmonious as the relationship commercialism creates. Perhaps the leaders of both countries just need to jam out to some Backstreet boys or Westlife and all will be forgiven and forgotten.

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Keywords: Japanese Inventions in Chinese Everyday Life Japanese inventions; Chinese everyday life

8 Comments

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Guest2239322

Japan is not part of China. Wake up people. They are totally different culture. There is no similarity at all in their culture. Chinese culture is like spitting,peeing outside, making strange noises. In japan you can not see that.

Feb 08, 2014 21:16 Report Abuse

Guest345928

Chinese haven't invented shit and never will. Monkeys have more brains than the Chinese (sorry to insult monkeys)

Feb 08, 2014 21:05 Report Abuse

Laowei

Japanese invention in use in American life: Fortune Cookie.

Feb 03, 2014 04:25 Report Abuse

Samsara

In ancient history, Japan was a province of China. By "ancient history" I mean a map that I drew with crayons last week, which was later verified by eminent Chinese scholars. So yeah - They're all Chinese inventions, sorry. And while we're on the topic, I am outraged that people are referring to Japan like it is a different country. Next you'll be saying that China has no claim to Australia. Learn about ancient history you foreign pigs.

Feb 03, 2014 03:21 Report Abuse

Laowei

5 million years of Chinese culture says you are correct, sir.

Feb 03, 2014 04:27 Report Abuse

Guest708540

The world has changed so much since it beginning , many people have moved from their original positions , tribes were divided, countries separated and gained independence , and that isn't an exemption with china, you can also google the original inhabitants of china to see what they looked like. For now Japan isn't china and they're more technologically advanced than china copycat .

Feb 04, 2014 12:18 Report Abuse

NightOwl90

I heard it was 25 million

Feb 07, 2014 02:16 Report Abuse

coineineagh

Turkish and Indian nationalists I met go out of their way to claim the world's inventions as their own, too. China is not alone in painting rosy pictures of their past achievements. My favourite encounter was with an Indian guy: "Pakistan stole nuclar tech from America [I actually heard it was a Pakistani physics student in the Netherlands], but we developed our nukes all on our own." "You mean there was an Indian Albert Einstein, and rocket engineers to create a unique missile?" The most satisfying for me is when someone admits error, like that Indian guy. Acknowledging an error is the hallmark of intelligence. I just wish Chinese thinking allowed for this.

Feb 08, 2014 15:33 Report Abuse