Symposia & Conferences
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Item On Shintoism - the Japanese way of venerating the gods of nature(Faculty of Humanities, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2016) Pagngnaloka Thero, DeniyayeThis is an analytical observation of some basic characteristics of Shintoism – the native religion of Japan. Described as ‘the Way of Gods (神道 - shin tō)’ it exists in Japanese culture being a living force of spiritual inspiration for all from the emperor to the peasant. While native or primitive religions cease to exist in the face of more influential religions or cultures, it is inspiring to observe how Shintoism in Japan was never challenged so. For this study, primary sources on the history of Japan and Shintoism were read in Japanese originals and English translations with special attention to origin, evolution and basic characteristics of Shintoism. Secondary literature both in Japanese and English was referred as necessary. Japanese experts were consulted to gather rare data and the places of worship were evidenced for information on present practices of Shintoism. Hitherto unearthed results are presented now for careful perusal and constructive comments. ‘Japanology’ is the scientific study of unique features and way of thinking of the Japanese culture. Present study sheds light on understanding the cultural atmosphere of one of the most powerful civilizations of Asia. From the anthropological point of view, it observes how, in a given society, a system of beliefs (or faith) continues to exist unchallenged, as long as it influences happiness and well-being of all living beings.Item A comparative study of positions of collectivism in Japanese and Sri Lankan societies(Faculty of Humanities, University of Kelaniya, 2015) Dissanayake, D.M.S.Collectivism refers to one of the four dimensions of culture; the concept of self which elaborates on individualism and collectivism. The thinking patterns, behavioral patterns and believes of Japanese and Sri Lankans are different. This occurs due to their contradictory cultural practices. Hence, as Japanese learners, it is important to know the positions of collectivism in order to minimize the misunderstanding that may cause due to the ignorance of different cultural dimensions of Japan and Sri Lanka. Triandis, in 1995 stated that researches have been undertaken approaching the value systems and social systems between Japan and Sri Lanka. This includes the cross-cultural and psychological researches in which the main course is value systems. This research is carried out to find the positions and level of collectivism of Japanese and Sri Lankan Sinhala communities. Further, this shows the gap of the collectivism between Japanese and Sinhala communities. And this will show the characteristics of collectivism of each society. The societal- phycology and culture too differ along with the disparity in collectivism. People of Sri Lanka and Japan think differently when they deal with the others of the society. These differences, behaviors, thinking patterns and ideologies affect the intercultural communication to a large extend. So far, there have been no researches conducted regarding the value systems of Sri Lankan collectivism. As Japanese value systems and social systems differ from those of Sri Lanka, position of collectivism also varies apparently. Thus, there is a clear gap between Japan and Sri Lanka. To prove the above hypothesis, a questionnaire is produced to the members of Sri Lankan and Japanese communities. The main objective of this research is to make an impact on the reduction of misunderstanding caused due to the differences between the thinking patterns and behaviors practiced by the two communities. The research also attempts to strengthen the mutual understanding between the two communities by analyzing the data gathered by the questionnaires.