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I’d like to introduce two essays on Japanese aesthetics to the forums. Both are about the invasion of Western ideals on Japan. As it seems that these days the word “Western” is comparable to the word “American”, I hope that they will open up some great discussion on this site.

One is The Book of Tea, by Kakuzo Okakura.
The other is In Praise of Shadows, by Junichiro Tanizaki.

Both works’ purpose is to act as a kind of defense against the pervasive Western sentiment and taste. Both authors seem to share the same sad awareness that the practices and traditions that they speak about are already falling by the way-side. Although they try to call for resurgence of ideas in some places, or to speak towards the merits of the Japanese style of living, such arguments are in themselves fundamentally nostalgia, the very forms of argument conceding a defeat. At times in Praise of Shadows reads as a diary of a man’s discomfort with what has become of his beloved world, but its implications are profound.

The Book of Tea is a stronger work for me, yet the fear of the already imminent loss of the cultures that the author praises still pervades the work. The arguments often seem like defenses, attempts to size up what he presents to compare it with the west.

Kakuzo Okakura writes: "Perhaps I betray my own ignorance of the Tea Cult by being so outspoken.” Breaking with tradition to save it looks to be a final effort to me, one that destroys what it seeks to uphold. The quite, inner-looking tradition may have sealed its own fate by being so.

I do not feel that the efforts of both authors are unwarranted. For me, especially with The Book of Tea, the call they made to me as their reader resounded deeply. As I now live in Japan, the books revealed a greater subtlety to me about the Japanese culture around me. Yet, it also made clear how widespread the influence has been. Kakuzo Okakura writes: “The average Westerner, in his sleek complacency, will see in the tea ceremony but another instance of the thousand and one oddities which constitute the quaintness and childishness of the East to him.”

I fear my own sleek complacency.

I think the thread entitled It’s all about Disneyland (not the oil) in the general discussion forum has some great explanations on what “sleek complacency” is and what its origins are.

I think one problem is that our traditions never had a chance to evolve and adapt, at a more natural historical pace. And American culture is so fluid and insistent, that any gap will be filled, any weakness will be exploited. A question then is, can Japan preserve the space to grow into as a modern nation, and strengthen its weaknesses enough to resist becoming a stranger to itself.

I am a fine arts student, specializing in sculpture, and it suddenly occurred to me that this 'space' I was mentioning is much like 'negative space' in the yin/yang of sculptural composition. America's 'frontier' was like this, I think. If so, then we have a special problem now in Japan, because the world is so fluid that negative space is disappearing completely, just when Japan needs it most. To find itself it must be left alone; but left alone, in a world so interconnected and interdependent, it is lost.

I just came across this 'brochure' for an ooo-look-at-the-authentic-Japanese "theme park", a.k.a. cultural zoo, a.k.a. the Japanese exhibit in the "It's a small world" exhibit in Disneyland, where you "embark on a delightful boat ride past a congregation of singing children from around the globe".
One feels we might as well send the culture to the American taxidermists immediately, and get it over with.

The Japanese Cultural Center

Traditional Japanese Culture and Modern Kabuki
Flower Arrangement, Tea Ceremony, Japanese Musical Instruments and Modern Kabuki—the Japanese Cultural Center is a cultural theme park where you can touch and feel the essence of traditional Japanese culture.
Located close to Narita International Airport, the center offers a wide-ranging but untaxing cultural experience, with Japanese-English interpretation and explanatory brochures in various other languages, so that people not only from Japan but from all over the world can enjoy our activities.
It is our pleasure to enable as many people as possible to touch and feel the heart of traditional Japanese culture and become familiar with it.

Flower Arrangement (‘Ikebana’)
A traditional form of Japanese culture, flower arrangement is based on the understanding that plants and flowers are as alive as we people are, and seeks to express and appreciate, through skilful arrangement in vases, both the beauty of their appearance and the importance of their place in our life.
Presenters explain the basics of the art of flower arrangement in vases, so that visitors can learn and enjoy arranging flowers, twigs and branches varying with the seasons.

Tea Ceremony
The tea ceremony is a traditional Japanese way of entertaining guests by offering them a cup of powdered green tea according to traditional rules of behavior. Far more than mere tea drinking, the ceremony is deeply rooted in Japan’s spiritual culture, especially Zen Buddhism.
Visitors can see presenters serve tea in an authentic tea room with tea utensils.

Japanese Musical Instruments
Japanese traditional musical instruments include the so, commonly known as the koto, a stringed instrument with 13 strings, which produces a delicate and beautiful sound; the shamisen, a long-necked Japanese lute with three strings, played with a plectrum or fingers; and the shakuhachi, a Japanese bamboo end-blown flute with five holes. Instrumental performances are conducted in the center.

Modern Kabuki
Visitors can enjoy a performance of ‘neo-Japanesque’ Modern Kabuki in an atmosphere so realistic it is as if you can hear the performers breathe.

[Program]
One-hour program (60 to 75 min.)
1) Flower arrangement
2) Tea ceremony
3) Japanese musical instruments or modern kabuki
* Japanese-English interpretation available
* Activities may be subject to change without prior notice

[Event Schedule]
Friday, Saturday and Sunday of every week
1st Performance: 17:00 -
2nd Performance: 19:00 -
* Maximum capacity for each performance is 50 visitors
* Visitors may not be admitted to their desired performance if capacity has been reached
* The performance schedule may be changed to meet requests
Please feel free to contact us regarding the schedule.

[Entrance] * Cash only (tax included)
\3,000 per adult
\2,000 per person in a group of three or more
\1,000 per child aged 4 to 12
* Children aged 3 or under are free

[Reservations]
Reservations should be made by telephone, fax, e-mail, or on the website, up to a day prior to your desired visit.
Seats may not be available if reservation is made on the day of performance.