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(★)(Titulo original : 「縮み」志向の日本人 [´Chijimi´ shikoo no nihonjin])(What makes the Japanese tick? Many people have asked this question, and countless answers have been given. But never has the riddle of the Japanese world view been so neatly and completely unraveled as it is here through the principle of reductionism. This one principle, with its many ramifications and reverberations, enables us for the first time to see as the Japanese see. We are able to perceive how the great confusing world is reduced step by step to something more graspable and intimate --to a bonsai or rock garden, or even a microchip. Reduced as it is, shunning the grandiose and monolithic, the Japanese perspective nevertheless retains the profundity and mystery of the grander outlooks. This is the secret source of energy that propels Japanese culture, the wellspring that must be fathomed if we wish to know what the Japanese are all about. ／The principle of reductionism --reducing things and concepts to their bare essentials-- has roots that reach deep into the Japanese past. It can be seen at work in the early Japanese invention of the folding fan, which is valued not only because it can be conveniently folded, pocketed, and carried, but also because it is a symbol in dance and drama of the ebb and flow of nature and the life of man. This principle can also be seen in many traditional dolls that have been reduced to a spare round head and trunk, with attention focused solely on one outstanding feature. Again, we see reductionism in the Noo mask, which, through its one fixed expression, encompasses all expressions. In the Japanese attitude toward nature, examples of the principle ´smaller is better´ are countless. The rock garden encapsulates magnificent vistas of mountains, cataracts, and gorges in the space of a small plot of land. Towering pines, gnarled and worn by the elements, can be held in the palm of the hand. In the art of flower arranging, all the enigmas of the cosmos are contained in a single flower that has been carefully selected, trimmed, and fixed in place. Even the gods themselves are not allowed to freely roam the heavens --they have niches prepared for them in the home to be ready at hand when comfort is needed. Given this predilection for reducing things, it naturally follows that Japanese excel at creating videotape recorders, Walkmans, and microchips. ／The provocative insights contained in this book could perhaps only have come from the mind of someone with an entirely different cultural perspective from the writers who have concerned themselves with Japan to date. The South Korean O-Young Lee sees clearly not simply how Japan stands in relation to the West, but how it contrasts and corresponds with the rest of Asia. After all, uniqueness does not merely mean being different from the West, a mistake committed all too often in the past by both Japanese and Westerners alike. Thus, while offering an absolutely fresh view of Japanese thinking, the author also quite easily demolishes a number of theories about the Japanese that are widely held today. All in all, there is not likely to be as remarkable a book as this published about the Japanese for years to come.／ ◆O-Young Lee, born in 1934, graduated from Seoul University in 1956. An award-winning novelist, playwright, and critic, he is currently professor of literature (Korean, French, and Japanese) at Ewha Women´s University, Seoul, as well as editor and publisher of the journal ´Literature and Thought´. ▼CONTENTS／ ●1.THE NAKED TRUTH ABOUT INTERPRETATIONS OF JAPAN／A Festival of Interpretations of Japan／Forks and Chpsticks／Little Giants／Haiku and Mame-emon／ ●2.SMALLER IS BETTER : SIX EXAMPLES／Boxes within Boxes --The Principle of Inclusion／The Fan --Fold It, Hold It, Bring It Closer／The ´Anesama´ Doll --Take Away and Pare Down／The Well-stuffed Box Lunch --Pack It In／The Noo Mask --Assuming a Proper Attitude／Family Crests --Congealing／ ●3.THE CULTURE OF REDUCTIONISM AS MANIFESTED IN NATURE／Ropes and Wheels／The Garden as Picture Scroll／Dry Landscape --The Beautiful Captive／Bonsai --Delicate Chamber Music／Ikebana --Cosmic Flower Petals／The God on the Ceremonial Shelf and the Urban Recluse／ ●4.REDUCTIONISM AS FOUND IN PEOPLE AND SOCIETY／Understanding the Four-and-a-half-mat Space／The Tension Culture／One Meeting in a Lifetime／The Concept of the Theater／The ´Hanamichi´ in Modern Society／Assembling Things／ ●5.REDUCTIONISM TODAY／Transistors Reflecting the Japanese Spirit／Reductionism and Management／The Robot and Pachinko／Speculation and Innovation／ ●6.EXPANSIONISM AND THE JAPAN OF TODAY／Pulling in Other Lands／The Samurai Merchant／A Fear of Open Spaces／The Handtruck and the Raft／Ah, To Be an Honorary White Man!／ ●Conclusion : Don´t Become Demons, Become Issun Booshis!／) |
BASE de DATOS, Biblioteca del Centro Cultural de la Embajada de Japon
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