Over the course of the semester I have learned a lot about Japan. From the geographical explanation and how that affected the country, to the myths of Shinto, to the influence of China and Buddhism, and the goal that every identity aims to be: to be their own individual. My favorite part of this course has been looking at the art and also looking at the philosophy of Wabi and Sabi along with Mono No Aware and learning about Buddhism. I believe that there are some things that other countries can learn from each other, and in this case I believe that Americans should look more deeply into Mono No Aware and Buddha ideas. Yet, as comes with many histories we also learned about the conflicts that led to Japan to become the Japan we know in the present. For many times it was cut up into a puzzle by tribes and then reunited. Japan, being split up into four islands along with the mountainside almost encourages innovation as what they did with Rice and the Rice Paddies seemed to become a prophetic. The geographic country of Japan also encouraged Mono No Aware due to the fact that they were near water and tectonic plates. I believe that Mono No Aware should be taught in Western schools as in a place with Capitalism, (which is a decent system) instead of focusing on consumption the idea of focusing on what their is when we had it, and valuing it can be a useful approach. Capitalism doesn’t completely work as it focuses on the constant need to stimulate the market, even if that means consumption for each new release even if it unnecessary. With the capitalist system we cannot value an item the same way that Mono No Aware teaches as the need for more for each new release leads to inconsideration. By buying new things it puts an emphasis on the need for the new, but holding onto one thing you get to gain a certain respect and emotional attachment to that item. I also liked the ideas of tea that Japan had, even as someone who isn’t a fan of the more adult beverages such as Coffee or Tea, the myths about Tea definitely gave it an edge as if I were living at the time I would have enjoyed the myth and would have probably tried it. Something else which stood out to me was the juxtaposition between the samurai and the court along with them wanting to enjoy their lives beyond the court. This was reality at the time yet it reminds me of Oscar Wilde’s “The Importance Of Being Earnest” which had a similar exposition. Yet, the thing which I found very compelling about Japan’s history was the idea of how they were shaping their own identity after being influenced by the Chinese. Today, these two differences in identity seem clear though back then Japan and China remind me of how a younger sibling wants to get beyond the shadow that the older sibling has left them (China being older sibiling as they influenced language and philosophy while Japan would be the younger sibling). Yet, as history goes the West comes and they are accepted for Guns which is odd as usually Guns have a negative connotation such as in Guns, Germs, and Steel but here it was used for trading. After Christianity fell in Japan the Dutch had the Japanese trade monopoly which helped influence both countries. One thing which really stood out to me was the idea that the “Emperor” was just a figurehead who played a charade as leader but wasn’t leader. With this idea, it makes me wonder whether the Emperor had a decision in World War II’s Japanese involvement or if the rouge military themselves got involved similar to how in the past, the Shogunate Rule was the real rule and the Emperor was a figurehead and costume (kind of like modern day British Monarchy, they don’t have power, the prime minister and parliament does).
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