Gates – physical and metaphorical – lurk deep in the Japanese psyche.  

To be accepted, to become part of a group, to gain trust, but also knowledge - to become familiar with a subject – one always has to pass through a gate. 

The Japanese word for an introduction, or a primer, is nyūmon 入門, which literally means "entering through a gate." Those standing outside – mongaikans  外漢 – signify “people who know nothing.”

Developed in the shut-off interior and shunning direct expression, Japanese culture has been perceived by the outside world as mysterious and alluring. Yet, it’s often misunderstood.

I once stood at the gate. As most mongaikans, I arrived with excitement and a lot of misconceptions. I probably still harbor many. But if there is one thing that Japan has taught me is to be humble in face of its countless contradictions.  

This collection will by no means reconcile all of them, nor will it remove all your doubts or questions. But hopefully, it will be your primer – a cultural lexicon, your Japan101. It’s meant to be helpful as you pass through the first gate.

島国 

shimaguni:

island

The Japanese word for island is shima.  In written form, it is represented by the ideograph of a bird sitting on top of a mountain, as though, following an exhausting flight over the vast ocean, it has found a place to perch.  

Located on the eastern edge of the Euro-Asian continent, Japan is an archipelago of a thousand islands. Its closest neighbor — the closest body of land,  Korea —  is more than 100 miles away (six times the distance of the English Channel separating British Isles from Europe).

This isolation provided Japan with security and a firm sense of oneself. Out of it, also stemmed its great resilience and the focus on the inward; and very insular, hermetic culture.

自然

 shizen:

nature and gods

The word nature – shizen –in Japanese means “self-created;” having no beginning and no end; self-perpetuating.; like kamis – Shinto gods, who are perching near streams and waterfalls, lurking behind rocks, flying above rice paddies. The Japanese believe Nature is the manifestation of the Sacred.  

Nameless but potent, the gods are treated with awe and reverence. And so is Nature.

Centuries of earthquakes, tsunamis and typhoons have taught the people  to approach Nature with humbleness. But they have also developed keen awareness of its beauty and fragility. They can appreciate the fleeting nature of life. They learned to accept it.

幽玄

bigaku:

sense of beauty 

Yugen (幽玄) has buried within its ideograms the meaning of hidden beauty, darkness, depth and mystery. Most likely the word originates from an old Chinese concept that represented something too deep to be understood and seen. Yugen stands for things and feelings that can be sensed, but that are not obvious -- they cannot be expressed with words or straightforward images. Elusive and difficult to explain, it nevertheless is fundamental in Japanese aesthetics. One canot appreciate Japanese culture -- its arts, literature, theater, crafts -- without embracing yugen. 

和 

wa :

 harmony

Wa served as an ancient name of Japan and is usually translated as harmony.

The concept, which has overtones of peacefulness and fulfillment, is grounded in the idea that everything a person does or thinks has a rightful place in the world; that place should not be disturbed lest the harmony of existence is disturbed. 

The Japanese feel that the individual has a responsibility to develop personal skills (and to minimize personal defects) so that they can contribute to the good of the group. Everybody is an individual, but every individual has their unique and important place within a group.