The main purpose of the article is to confirm an alternative hypothesis about the existence of significant differences between Chinese and Japanese folk dances, as well as to study the perception of East Asian folk dances by people of different nationalities. The main comparable variables were the number and nature of arm and leg movements, head and hip tilts, and smoothness of movement. The materials obtained in the course of this study are eight samples with characteristics of folk solo and group dances of China and Japan performed by female and male dance groups. The obtained results indicate significant differences in the aesthetic principles of Chinese and Japanese folk dances for eight out of ten selected characteristics. All obtained data were checked for compliance with the normal distribution law using the Shapiro-Wilk test. The main analysis of the obtained samples was carried out using the two-sample Shapiro-Wilk test for independent values. The results obtained indicate a low level of potential viewers’ awareness of the culture and traditions of China and Japan, despite the existence of significant differences between the choreography of these nationalities. The basic data and methodology of the present research can serve as a basis for further research in the field of dance performances. In addition, the results of the work can be relevant for conducting education al activities in order to familiarize people with the traditions of China and Japan (in particular, dance). Ovo istraživanje sadrži komparativnu analizu izvedbi raznih kineskih i japanskih narodnih plesova, odnosno solističkih i grupnih izvedbi žena i muškaraca. Statistička analiza temeljena na dva studentska t-testa za neovisne varijable pokazala je da postoji znatna razlika između izvedba kineskih i japanskih narodnih plesova. Uz to, u okvirima ove studije izvršeno je i istraživanje raznih nacionalnosti koje je pokazalo da 75,8 % (110 od 145 ispitanika) ne mogu odrediti nacionalnost plesača. Valja naglasiti da je izbor ispitanika izvršen uzimajući u obzir faktore koji mogu značajno utjecati na objektivnost studije. Rezultati koji su dobiveni i u ovom članku upotrijebljena metodologija mogu se primijeniti u daljnjem istraživanju. U budućnosti se planira povećanje količine analiziranog materijala, kao i dodavanje novih svojstava. K tome, u okvirima ovoga rada istraživane su samo izvedbe polaganih plesova sa umirujućom glazbom, što je uvelo brojna ograničenja u zaključcima. Kao dio daljnjeg rada moguće je odabrati izvedbe ritmičnijih i bržih plesova, a usto se narodni plesovi mogu također klasificirati prema dobu nastanka, etnicitetu i vjerskim konotacijama.