This situation can be seen from many phenomena in Japanese society. Now TV, air conditioning, cars, computers, going abroad for holidays, etc. have deeply penetrated into ordinary families in Japan, and the surface of Japanese life has become unrecognizable. Nevertheless, behind the curtain of modernization, there are still many things belonging to Japanese native culture. From a deep analysis, Japan is still a traditional country. For example, they like to eat raw and cold food and advocate the original flavor; Like plain colors and natural tastes; Strong family power, family consciousness and group consciousness; Folk beliefs and witchcraft flourish; Women's meekness and dependence on men; Want to get rich, can get rich, but after getting rich, I am at a loss; Wait a minute.
This contradiction and unity are manifested in the input and output of culture.
Japan is a nation that attaches great importance to and is very good at absorbing and importing other countries' cultures. From the "big innovation" in the 7th century to the "Meiji Restoration" in the 9th century, it has greatly promoted Japan's development and progress. Comparatively speaking, China is not very good at absorbing the cultures of other countries and ethnic groups in history. It is certainly an advantage to have a long history and vast territory, but if we only pay attention to the output but not the input, and do not pay attention to absorbing nutrition from the cultures of other countries and ethnic groups and constantly developing ourselves, then this advantage will also go to the opposite side.
With the rapid growth of Japan's economy, Japan's awareness of selling its own culture abroad is getting stronger and stronger, and it has put forward a strategic slogan, which is what Nakasone Yasuhiro, a former Japanese prime minister, called "internationalization". In this regard, the Japanese government has invested a lot of money. According to a statistic in the 1990s, the annual budget for overseas cultural exchange projects sponsored by Japanese official institutions, such as inviting or sending scholars and overseas students, and carrying out large-scale cultural activities, is 10 billion yen. The International Exchange Fund under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan mainly encourages and subsidizes Japanese-related projects, such as Japanese education abroad, research, translation and publication of Japanese cultural and literary works, or cultural activities related to this. The government's large investment in promoting its own culture has achieved remarkable results. These measures are closely related to the fact that Japanese tea ceremony and flower path are world-renowned and that there are many good quality translations of Japanese literary works in many languages.
Another aspect of contradictory unity is the old official culture and folk culture in Japan.
In ancient Japan, no matter how much the government emphasized foreign culture, folk culture was still reserved to a great extent. For example, in the era when heian period (AD 794- 1 185) strongly advocated the culture of the Tang Dynasty, all Japanese literati men wrote in Chinese, but women did not. As a result, they became pioneers of Japanese native literature.
In a long historical period, people can do whatever they want within the boundaries of many areas permitted and controlled by the government. There, actors dressed as women, male prostitutes, prostitutes and woodcut artists can please God. The urban folk culture in the Edo period, especially in the prosperous17th century, is inextricably linked with this narrow world of enjoyment. Many writers, musicians, actors and painters are in and out of this "lewd world" which is despised by the government but deeply loved by the common people. Violent entertainment and absurd pornography are still important means for people to vent their feelings under the strict control of the government. No matter how the times change, the fundamental changes of this kind of culture are very small, and the importance of this phenomenon cannot be underestimated.
Finally, this contradictory unity is manifested in the elegance and vulgarity of sex.
It should be considered that, on the whole, the Japanese nation is an elegant nation. In daily life, the Japanese are "gentle, docile, polite and gentle". They express themselves with "gentle human feelings" instead of "dry and blunt theoretical thoughts". Compared with most other nationalities, the Japanese are more bound by feelings. For example, when two people argue, westerners often say angrily, "don't you understand what I mean?" If he is Japanese, he will hide his anger and unhappiness under the mask of politeness and say, "Don't you understand my feelings?" Generally speaking, the Japanese are more tolerant, and often maintain superficial harmony in different ways. Conflicts are always covered by a gentle and polite veil.
This cultural phenomenon is of course manifested in all aspects of social life, as well as in the sexual problems of men and women. In the process of sexual intercourse between men and women in Japan, even if they are prostitutes, people pay attention to rules and manners, and cover up the most vulgar sexual actions with a layer of elegant coat, otherwise they are afraid of being looked down upon by others, and most Japanese are very proud. In this respect, it seems that there are many similarities with "gentleness, kindness, courtesy, frugality and forbearance" advocated by the ancients in China, but the difference is that the Japanese pay more attention to forming this attitude into an external etiquette, and there is also a rough and violent side that forms a sharp contrast.
Answer supplement
Tea ceremony, flower path, sumo wrestling, judo, hot spring bath, kimono, sushi, cherry blossom, Osaka burning, adult ceremony, summer sacrifice, lacquerware, Mount Fuji, ukiyo-e, Sapporo Snow Festival, doll, kabuki, Japanese haiku, Sanwei line, folding fan, etc.