1. Read “In Praise of Shadows” if you haven’t already.
Then, on your personal blog, do the following:
a. Present what you think is the main point of the essay.
I think the main point of the essay is that Japanese
people base their aesthetic taste on the appreciation of shadows, which can be
seen from traditional Japanese architecture (especially toilets), food, food
containers, kimono, Nō and nearly every aspect of life. However, in the process
of Westernization and modernization, the beauty of darkness is appreciated and
sought by less and less Japanese people. Therefore, while grateful for the
advantages brought by the age, the author is also calling for resuming this
traditional taste of beauty at least in some areas like literature or the arts.
b. Discuss two items/discussions from the essay that you found
interesting, and post images that
illustrate points made by Tanizaki. Even if you don’t necessarily agree
with his points, try to find images that illustrate the points from his
perspective. Please do not deal with certain content that might be
considered today to be overtly racist or sexist (although you can deal with
such things as kimono or teeth-blackening if you wish).
The two discussions that I found interesting
are:
1) Drinking soup in a lacquer bowl is a
delight.
2) Nō has great sexual appeal than Kabuki.
c. Present one or two questions or topics
for discussion in class. You can include points he makes where you don’t
understand what he’s trying to say.
The
preservation of traditional aesthetic ideology and elements is important and
necessary in this globalized age. The question is that it is expensive to do so
and people nowadays are so used to modern facilities. What should we do to resume
these aesthetic traditions or integrate them into our modern life?
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