Richard Halloran Japan Images and Realities

Trouvé le 29 mars 2009 (Sakura) à Book Off. Charles E. Tuttle, 1970, 13th edition 1981

The image of [Japan as the first genuinely Westernized nation in Asia] is an illusion that is reflected from the surface of Japan. Beneath, the essence of Japanese life flows from ideas, ethics, customs, and institutions that are anchored deep in Japanese culture and history. The core of Japanese tradition guides the daily lives of the Japanese and directs the internal and external courses of their nation. That core has been little touched by incursions from the West.

Western influence has changed the face of Japan and the accoutrements of Japanese life, but it has not penetrated the minds and hearts of the Japanese people... The Japanese have taken from the West a few things whole (technology), adapted and made Japanese others (political forms, economic organization, and the press), and rejected outright still others (Western religions).

Americans and Europeans mistake the use of Western objects for a revision in the essence of Japanese values. Their interpretation overlooks the continuity in Japanese thought and the residual forces in Japanese life. It fails to take into account the selective nature of Japanese acquisitions from the West. More important, it underestimates the absorptive genius of the Japanese, who have taken forms from the West and molded them around the substance of Japan. The things Japan has borrowed from the West are changed by the Japanese - the borrowed items change the Japanese far less.

"Despite industrial imperialism, despite television, despite the crush of urban life, the Japanese essence will remain. Don't look for the Japanese essence in society but in the individual." Yasunari Kawabata, 1968 Nobel Prize

"There is not evidence enough to show that because she adopted Western machines and commercial practices to her own uses, Japan became Western in the essence of her national character by the close of the 19th century. Whether a similar conclusion as to the first half of the 20th century would emerge from a survey of its cultural history is beyond the scope of the present enquiry. Yet a study of the earlier period raises doubts whether any of the chief civilizations of Asia will, even if they voluntary follow a Western economic pattern, submit to Western precept in political, social or religious life." George B. Sansom, The Western World and Japan

Emphasis should be given to the deep running continuities in the flow of Japanese history. Japan is perhaps the world's most fascinating social laboratory for the study of the effect of one culture on another.

From the Letters of D.H. Lawrence

It is quite nice here - but what a mess the French make of their places - perfect slums of villadom, appallingly without order, or form, or place. A ghastly slummy nowhereness - but France seems all like that. And the people, though nice and tidy in themselves, as a whole make a slummy impression, no bigger life at all - a bit thin and boring, too house-keeperishly individual. I don't think I want to live in France.

Hôtel Beau Rivage, Bandol, 15 December 1928

There is something curiously flat and uninteresting about the French - though they are very nice to us here.

Villa Beau Soleil, Bandol, 21 Jan. 1930

CHANDLER

We live in what is called a democracy, rule by the majority of the people. A fine ideal if it could be made to work. The people elect, but the party machines nominate, and the party machines to be effective must spend a geat deal of money. Somebody has to give it to them, and that somebody, whether it be an individual, a financial group, a trade union or what have you, expects some consideration in return.

...

There's a peculiar thing about money. In large quantities it tends to have a life of its own, even a conscience of its own. The power of money becomes very difficult to control. Man has always been a venal animal. The growth of populations, the huge cost of wars, the incessant pressure of confiscatory taxation - all these things make him more and more venal. The average man is tired and scared, and a tired, scared man can't afford ideals. He has to buy fod for his family. In our time we have seen a shocking decline in both public and private morals. You can't expect quality from people whose lives are a subjection to a lack of quality. You can't have quality with mass production. You don't want it because it lasts too long. So you substitute styling, which is a commercial swindle intended to produce artificial obsolescence. Mass production couldn't sell its goods next year unless it made what it sold this year look unfashionable a year from now. We have the whitest kitchens and the most shining bathrooms in the world. But in the lovely white kitchen the average American housewife can't produce a meal fit to eat, and the lovely shining bathroom is mostly a receptacle for deodorants, laxatives, sleeping pills, and the products of that confidence racket called the cosmetic industry. We make the finest packages in the world. The stuff inside is mostly junk.

...

There ain't no clean way to make a hundred million bucks. Maybe the head man thinks his hands are clean but somewhere along the line guys got pushed to the wall, nice little businesses got the ground cut from under them and had to sell out for nickels, decent people lost their jobs, stocks got rigged on the market, proxies got bought up like a pennyweight of old gold, and the five per centers and the big law firms got paid hundred-grand fees for beating some law the people wanted but the rich guys didn't, on account of it cut into their profits. Big money is big power and big power gets used wrong. It's the system. Maybe it's the best we can get, but it still ain't any Ivory Soap deal.

Raymond Chandler, The Long Goodbye, 1953

NOEL A TOKYO

Notre premier Noël à Tokyo...Une journée apparemment normale pour les Japonais. Un émouvant concert de Noël à la télévision ce matin. Les croissants de Kaiser cherchés dès l'ouverture me rappellent ceux que nous allions chercher chez Laurent rue du Lac le matin de Noël. Quelle différence toutefois entre l'animation de Tokyo et celle d'Annecy ou Genève un jour de Noël! Pédalons jusqu'à Omotesando pour un déjeuner satisfaisant chez Andersen. Avons cherché sans succès une "rue française" que C. avait auparavant repérée. Retour en passant par la librairie discount de Roppongi.

Longue conversation avec M., qui envisage une visite au Japon et peut-être au Vietnam en 2008. Il travaille avec T.M. a un papier sur les tsunamis qu'il pourrait présenter en Corée au printemps.

Canard US et foie gras au menu ce soir, arrosés de Chardonnay chilien.

DEJEUNER DE NOEL

Déjeuné avec Kuniko et Kinju A. chez Angolo. Temps magnifique. C. très élégante avec un béret rouge très Xmassy. Menu de Noël, subtil et satisfaisant sans être lourd. Chardonnay Educato. Une excellente adresse. Atmosphère cordiale, Kinju plus décontracté qu'à son habitude. Parlé du politicien O., que j'ai qualifié dans une dépêche de personnage politique controversé, qualificatif censuré dans la version envoyée à Paris, qui a ainsi perdu son sens. Kinju s'amuse: "controversé est très diplomatique. C'est dirty qu'il fallait dire. Il est impliqué dans de l'argent sale".

Trouvé un message de N.C.Thanh, ce qui me fait grand plaisir. Il a fait preuve envers Chris d'une grande sollicitude en l'ayant poussé à obtenir un diplôme en développement de l'Université de Genève, transformé en master. Il est très inquiet de l'évolution de l'AITCV. J'espère qu'il aura la possibilité de venir à Tokyo. Je serai heureux de le revoir.

LE DEBUT

Blog ouvert le 24 décembre 2007. Je vais tâcher de consigner au jour le jour mes rencontres, qu'elles soient avec des personnes dans un cadre professionnel ou non, des lectures et oeuvres d'art, des paysages, et les impressions et réflexions qu'elles m'inspirent.