My observation is that after one hundred and twenty years since opening of the country, present day Japan is split between two opposite poles of ambiguity.
~Kenzaboru Oe (Nobel Prize author)
Japan is a land of contrasts. Japan also values ambiguity. Japan takes neither one side nor the other while simultaneously being both. There’s a part of Japan that searches for individuality and independence often seen in the younger generation; while, another older part of them continues to teach group harmony and conformity. Each individual person falls on different sides of the spectrum of two extremes, most often standing closer to the middle. From what I’ve observed during my stay, they want to keep both. A rapidly industrializing, modernizing country wants to respect nature and preserve traditions. Rather than tear down what they have, they continue to restore and maintain. Polar opposites that want to harmonize and complement rather than contradict one another.
They will seek individuality in Takeshita Dori, but also look for their group of common interest. Traditional Taiko drums have been reinvented for a wide audience through arcade games. Calligraphy will stay the same, but their words will change. There will be lily ponds and shrines next to skyscrapers and highways. Somehow, it all works.
However, ambiguity is double-edged. There might be harmony among the group but torture for the individual. Silence can lead to misunderstandings. How will they advocate for themselves through the implied or words in between? Will they continue to live side by side, or will it tear itself apart with inaction and silence? This is something I’ve observed: they will continue to seek balance.
