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What aspects of traditional Japanese arts and culture do you really like?

20 Comments

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Martial arts, food, ozashiki, onsen

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Wild Jomon pottery and haniwa.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

The minimalist approach into their traditional arts: ink painting, haiku and music. You really get the raw feel of Japanese culture. In my humble opinion, Ukiyo-e woodblock printing is my favorite

5 ( +5 / -0 )

Architecture, pottery (especially the misshapen stuff), printing, painting, textiles, calligraphy, cuisine, gardens, pretty much the whole lot. Nihonshu (sake) is too strong for me, but I see the appeal.

I find it disappointing that few Japanese people still build Japanese houses. Lime render (shikui), wooden flooring, verandahs, and paper screens do not cost a lot of money. We built an outbuilding with charred wood siding (yakisugi) and the material was 3500 yen a square meter at the home center, way cheaper than the vinyl, cement board, or galvalium everyone covers their house with. Such materials have no wabi or sabi.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Popular - Food, Anime, Martial Arts, Costumes, Unique Technology, and Even Ads.

Less Popular - Jomon, Less Known Festivals throughout the year and some rare scary statutes (Eg. Kappa) near the shrine/park.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

I like the politeness, and willingness to set aside personal issues for the better of the group.

0 ( +3 / -3 )

Haniwa, ukiyo-e, honesty.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Food and culinary culture are extraordinary. Cannot name or choose particular dishes, but I highly value umami-taste. No matter how subtle it is, umami is almost everywhere as a hidden taste. Miso, soy sause, many other fermented food products contain umami. Bonito and sea weeds also produce umami. When acculturated deeper into Japanese life, it's more likely to be able to sense or enjoy umami.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Bowing. It can be useful when in a hurry and not having time to stop and talk,but it acknowledges the person. Also, I like at temples and shrines where people bow when leaving. I recently do,but feeling sheepish, rush it! Yesterday at the gym an oji-chan bowed when leaving the gym area.I was impressed.

LOL

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Love hotel? Maid cafe?

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Yobai!! May it never end!

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Extreme capability and willingness for higher concepts, beyond their own mortal self and material urges. Throughout the society, it's aspects and even life-style of the majority of Japanese people - fundamental, permeating thoughtfulness and profundity are omnipresent. Preoccupation with integrity, morality, courage, greater good - many fragments of this are forgotten now, but it still lingers in the people, and they are willing to share their grandeur with the world.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

Drinking on the streets. Love hotels.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Ukiyo-e, pottery, sumi-e, food, architecture, kimono, social grace, etc. etc.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

End of last year we moved into our first modern house, western style but still with three Japanese style rooms. Better insulation, cheaper heating/cooling bills, cleaner. 6LDK.

In this area, there are many very large traditional houses and I commented to my wife, from how now I never want to live another of them. She agreed.

You can build very Japanese-looking houses with Passivhaus levels of insulation, draughtproofing, and high grade windows. All you have to do is select traditional looking cladding and hopefully use a bit of symmetry like old Japanese houses. Planners in most countries would not allow builders to build the mish-mash of materials, styles and colours you get in Japan now. They know that doing so would only result in a jumbled mess.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

The mothers chatting after putting their kids on the pe-school busses. Sure would love to hear that chatter.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Before Meiji era and after this Reiwa of nothing where I find something brought by this government who needs more social classes and more poverty to display plastic world. I like Nishikie the best, it's not a painting style art but it's a Japanese etching style using prints graduated by colors, the colors of that era, period and every generation now and then.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

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