Blog #9

Bigaku: Bigaku is described as the Japanese sense of beauty. "The Japanese sense of beauty is based on a concept known as mono no aware a kind of aesthetic value that comes from ones feelings."  
(P 37). This idea of beauty coming from feeling allows the Japanese people to apply the concept of beauty to many things that westerners wouldn't. The book gives the example of flowers in bloom, people understand that flowers in full bloom are beautiful, but the Japanese people are more touched by seeing the blossoms falling or beginning to wilt. This is in stark contrast to our western views of beauty. "while in western art, people try to construct something of beauty with logic of what is beautiful."(P 37). westerners see the flower blossom and know its beautiful because its bright and colorful and full of life, and then we see the blossom wither and die and think that it is not beautiful because it has lost that color and life it once had. The Japaneses idea of beauty can seem very vague in comparison to our western ideas of beauty and this is one of the reasons why the western ideals are taking root in modern Japan.

Kisetsu: The book describes Kisetsu as the sense of the seasons. Japan like many other countries of the world has 4 distinct seasons, Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter. In addition to the traditional 4 seasons Japan also has two other seasons, the rainy season and the typhoon season. These two are added in because of the great impact they have on the country each year. The concept of Kisetsu comes from the ancient farming traditions of Japan where rice was the crop of choice. Each season brought with it a new aspect to the rice harvest, seeds are sewn in spring, the seedlings are planted in summer, and then harvested in the fall. This rigid schedule forced the ancient Japanese to plan their lives around the rice harvest and the seasons. "The modern Japanese have inherited these attitudes from their ancestors, which is why the seasons are still closely connected with contemporary Japanese life". (P 153). This close association to the seasons is celebrated with a wide assortment of annual festivals and holidays in Japan. "There are many annual events in Japan that are also closely connected with the seasons; for example, hanami (flower viewing) in the spring, tanabata in the summer, various autumn festivals, and omisoka  (New Years Eve) in the winter."(P 155).

Wabi Sabi: Wabi sabi can be described as the sense of beauty that is derived from the essential Japaneses aesthetics of simplicity and elegance. "Traditional Japanese architecture, for example, seems simple because of its emphasis on empty space, lack of ornamentation, and quiet subdued colors; never the less, such buildings are said to possess and elegant beauty."(P 223). Wabi Sabi is a compound expression made up of two ideas Wabi and Sabi, both are derived from Buddhist ideals from the medieval period of Japan. Wabi has a lot of stuff going on, it emphasizes a simple, austere type of beauty. It can also denote loneliness or sadness, but when used in literature it suggests calm and quiet. (seems very complicated for one ideal). "Sabi also developed as a medieval aesthetic, reflecting qualities of loneliness, resignation, tranquility, and old age while also connoting that which is subdued, unobtrusive, yet tasteful." (P 224).

Reflection: during our discussion i remember how we talked about what it meant to be a soldier for both the Japanese and the Americans. The Japanese had this idea that they were better trained and disciplined than American troops and that they had a greater sense of honor and duty. however during the movie they read the letter from the dead marine and learned that they were really no different from one another, they were both fighting for their countries and they both had families praying that they would live and return home.

Question: what makes some one American? What makes someone Japanese?

The simple answer to both these questions from a legal standpoint is where you were born and who your parents are. If you were born in Japan to Japanese parents you are Japanese and vise versa for Americans. However its not as cut and dry as that. I'm really not sure what makes someone truly Japanese or American, we all know the stereo typical American and Japanese archetypes but there are many people in both cultures that don't align with those stereo types. All i can say is this for certain. Someone who believes, trusts and is protected by the Constitution of the United States of America and Bill of Rights contained within is an American. Now i'm not saying you have to meet those criteria to be an American but it sure helps.