The west has always shown a sympathetic, although patronizing, appreciation of the old Japan. Many a foreign observer would remark with a sigh: 'What a pity that things of the past, of beauty and joy forever, should be so mercilessly sacrificed on the altar of modernism!'
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Western observers view Japan’s past with nostalgic pity, seeing modernism as mercilessly destroying beauty and joy.
- In plain terms
- West feels sad that modernism destroys Japan’s beautiful past.
- What can you take from it?
- Recognize the tension between tradition and modern progress.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- How much should tradition constrain modernity?
- What defines 'beauty' in a changing society?
Another view
Romanticizing the past can hinder necessary change.
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