A sociology student reflects on stereotypes and cultural perceptions of East Asian countries, prompted by a classroom exercise comparing Western attitudes toward China, Japan, and South Korea.

South China Morning Post

What comes to mind when you think of China, Japan and South Korea?
This was a question posed in a second-year sociology seminar during my time at Bristol, and it has stayed with me ever since. We were split into three groups and given 10 minutes to create posters capturing our immediate associations.
Japan came first. Sketches of anime, sushi platters and temples appeared. My classmates spoke with enthusiasm, drawing on travel memories or aspirations to visit. A country that, less than a century