Why are there such significant differences in national character among China, Japan, and India? It is actually closely related to their respective geographical factors.

First, let's talk about Japan, which has the most distinct characteristics. The characteristics of ancient rural Japan are as follows:

1/ Mountainous terrain, with land far apart, little cooperation or conflict of interest between villages, and self-sufficiency.

2/ Frequent natural disasters, requiring villagers to collaborate closely in disaster response.

3/ Japan has a temperate climate with limited rainfall, primarily relying on irrigation and meticulous farming, which further raises the requirement for village cooperation.

Thus, the characteristic of Japan is: high degree of cooperation.

In such a context, the developed culture is highly homogeneous, even leading to the emergence of cultural norms like "tsubo-hachibun," which socially ostracizes dissenters and excludes them from the collective.

As a result, Japan thrives in highly cooperative manufacturing environments, developing production models like JIT (Just-In-Time).

Now let's discuss the other extreme, India. The geographical and climatic characteristics of ancient India are as follows:

1/ Villages are naturally isolated from one another, which is similar to Japan.

2/ However, India experiences distinct rainy and dry seasons; rice relies on rain during the rainy season, while during the dry season, it is often abandoned due to high evaporation rates, with little water available in rivers. Therefore, Indian crops do not require meticulous irrigation (cooperation); each tends to their own.

In this highly decentralized/low-cooperation model, land gradually concentrates, leading to the invention of the caste system to solidify class structures and reduce friction.

Thus, the cooperation among Indians is quite poor.

One can observe this through the punctuality of trains.

Finally, let's talk about China, which is different. It is primarily flat land with major rivers flowing across the nation, resulting in high mobility—this makes kinship an important bond.

Internal village cooperation is necessary, but there is a higher requirement for cross-village cooperation during irrigation, thus necessitating the power of the government to develop water conservancy and mediate disputes (especially regarding water rights).

This small collective cooperation/mobility has led to the development of a culture of face. 'Face' refers to social status, but it is dynamic and fluid. You might have face today, but if you do something 'wrong' tomorrow, you may lose it.

Why do rural weddings and funerals require grand celebrations? It is all about face; it is all about status.

In summary, the cooperation of Chinese individuals in small groups lies between that of Japan and India, but they have an advantage in cooperation within larger groups.

Broadly speaking, one can understand why Japanese home appliances maintain high prices while Indian fighter jets boldly charge ahead as targets with their radar on.