https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kanbun

The analogy between Kanbun in Japan and Roman adoption of Greek gods and
epics is partially accurate. Here's a breakdown of the similarities and
differences:

Similarities:

-- Cultural Borrowing: Both represent the adoption of cultural
elements from a more developed civilization. Just as Rome borrowed
heavily from Greek mythology and literature, Japan incorporated elements
of Chinese writing and literature into their own culture through Kanbun.

Differences:

-- Extent of Borrowing: Roman adoption of Greek gods was a
more direct translation and incorporation into their own pantheon.
In contrast, Kanbun wasn't a translation of
Chinese literature, but a specific writing system used to read and write
classical Chinese.

-- Purpose: The Romans adopted Greek elements to
enrich their own culture and legitimize their growing power.

Kanbun, on the other hand, served a more practical purpose. It provided
access to a vast body of Chinese literature, philosophy, and political
thought, essential for education and governance in Japan.

A more fitting comparison for Kanbun might be the use of Latin in
medieval Europe. Just like Kanbun, Latin was a writing system used by
scholars and the elite to access a vast body of knowledge written in a
different language (Classical Latin in this case).

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Decline of Kanbun: Kanbun's usage declined significantly in the
19th century with the rise of vernacular Japanese writing (Wabun).

Modern Japanese writing relies solely on the Japanese writing system and
doesn't require knowledge of classical Chinese.

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Finding an exact parallel to Kanbun outside of Japan is difficult
because the specific context of Chinese cultural dominance in East Asia
doesn't have a complete mirror image.

However, there are a few historical practices that share some similarities:

-- Latin in Medieval Europe:

As mentioned earlier, Latin served a similar role as Kanbun
in providing access to a vast body of knowledge (religious texts,
philosophy, scientific works) written in a different language (Classical
Latin) for scholars and the elite.

While Latin wasn't entirely replaced by vernacular languages, its
dominance waned significantly with the rise of national identities and
printing presses in the Renaissance.