Why do they call China/Japan/Korea the far east when in reality it is to the west of the western hemisphere?

Question

It is to the west of North America and the western hemisphere. Why don't they call it the "far west"?

Answer 1

Before Ameirca was established, Europe was always in the centre of the world map. And London is the centre of time.

Answer 2

The other answers are the possible bases. The international Date line which is located at the middle of the Pacific Ocean. It is distorted by Kiribati. It divides the East Hemisphere (Australasia and Oceania) and the West Hemisphere (Americas) into 2. I don't know if you can do the same with the GMT (Greenwich Mean Time). If so, Central Europe, Central Africa and Asia are located in the Western Hemisphere AND Western Europe and Western Africa and the Americas are in the Eastern Hemisphere. In my opinionated perspective, The use of the IDT as the hemispherical divider of the world in terms of time and of territory is appropriate rather with the use of the GMT.

Answer 3

The far east is called that because of Eurocentrism- the practice, conscious or otherwise, of placing emphasis on European (and, generally, Western) concerns, culture and values at the expense of those of other cultures. So, with that taken into account the term refers more to the culture than the geographic location.

Answer 4

You and I are part of what's called 'Western Civilization' which started in Europe.

Europeans named that area the 'Far East' because that's the direction that they went to get there in the 1200-1300's.

Answer 5

It was the far east from Europe - that's when it got the name - before civilization really started in america.

(I agree with dbucciar)

Answer 6

if you're a citizen in 1560 ad england, you would call china far east right? after all, planes weren't really around yet or those big luxury boats

Answer 7

its because its in eastern asia.... and people are used to that.... any changes will be very difficult to accept