There was a special system in China before its modernization.

It was the examination for selection of elite bureaucrats who honorably served an emperor.

The system is called the "Imperial Examination" (Kakyo in Japanese), since an emperor himself set an examination paper at the last stage of a series of difficult tests.


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The Imperial examination was an examination system in Imperial China designed to select the best administrative officials for the state's bureaucracy. This system had a huge influence on both society and culture in Imperial China and was directly responsible for the creation of a class of scholar-bureaucrats irrespective of their family pedigree. Neighboring Asian countries such as Japan, Vietnam and Korea also implemented similar systems to draw in their top national talent.[1][2]

Established in AD 605 during the Sui Dynasty, the imperial examinations developed and matured during the Tang Dynasty, continuing until their 1905 abolition under the Qing Dynasty, a history (with brief interruptions, e.g. at the beginning of the Yuan dynasty) of 1,300 years. The modern examination system for selecting civil service staff also indirectly evolved from the imperial one.[3]
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The Chinese Imperial examination system had important influences on the Northcote-Trevelyan Report and hence on the reform of the Civil Service in British India and later in the United Kingdom.[12]


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Imperial_examination
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The Chinese classic Imperial Examination was truly a narrow gate; one in 3,000 examinees could pass the final test. An average age of successful candidates was 26.

But, what was tested? It was ability to compose high quality of poetry based on knowledge in notable Confucius books.

After passing the final examination, most of new elites were sent to local cities and farming areas, though those imperial bureaucrats had no knowledge on economy, engineering, and public administration. Their official salary was also low.

Accordingly, elites sent from the imperial capital to local districts tried to accumulate their assets through bribery, illegal collection of tax, and other ways of exploitation of local people, which was virtually condoned by the Imperial Court. The imperial governors also cooperated with local principals who also served the Imperial Government as local officials, in amassing personal fortunes and enriching themselves.

The bottom line is that Chinese elites, so elected through super difficult examinations till the 20 th century since the 7th century, had studied and mastered the teachings of Confucius as knowledge so perfectly, but they gave no heed to the holy teachings once they were appointed to any office in the imperial government of any Chinese dynasty.

Chinese emperors wanted their subjects to be a master of reading, writing, and knowledge of classic literature, but also expected them to exploit people and make riches, while paying law salary to them.

In this way, Chinese farmers and common people had to take on multiple burdens imposed by an emperor, the imperial court, imperial bureaucrats and governors, and local officials and bosses.

Koreans also followed suit by adopting this system.

But, in Japan, the imperial court was replaced by the samurai government around the 10th century. Since then, samurai clans ruled their own territories half independently from the central samurai government, mostly called shogunate. Samurais served shogun or their lord as bureaucrats. Conversely, to be a bureaucrat, one had to be first a samurai. And, the status of a samurai was succeeded by his son, generation after generation.

Accordingly, in Japan, Confucius and other Chinese classic philosophy and teachings were studied by samurais, monks, and even merchants and farmers as an academic subject, codes of conduct, and ethical norms, but not as a means of exploiting framers and those in vulnerable positions as observed in China.

That is why Japanese study of Confucius and other ancient Chinese philosophers is more genuine, insightful, and trustworthy than that by Chinese.

This is one facet of truth between Japan and China, significance of which no American elites seem to understand.

Among elites, telling a lie is the norm in China, but not in Japan due to teachings by Confucius.

American elites, including The New York Times staff, must first increase their knowledge in history of East Asia through correct information and data Japanese would provide.

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And, I came back from the Haneda International Airport this evening to find that Chinese youths are so much studying Japanese animations and manga comics, since a TV program featured it tonight.

But, the Chinese Communist Government is now trying to boost the manga comic culture in China. They want to share reputation of Japan in this field. They are boasting that China has always a big manga/animation industry to be the strongest nation in this field in the near future.

Nonetheless, no Japanese manga artists started their career to make Japan the manga power or animation super-power in the world. Their success did not start with their wrong ambitions as seen in China today. So, it would take half a century for China to realize the difference between Japan and China even in the field of manga comic culture.

It is what I want to say to the world tonight, before going to sleep.

Finally, not many miracles in Tokyo Haneda today as you see above in my pictures or manga frames drawn and painted with electronic circuits embedded in a camera...

Be an adventurous developer for riches of the harvest!