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Japan’s 72 Microseasons (2015)

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Re: Japan’s 72 Microseasons (2015)

#11

Post by gottorf »

canvascritic wrote: post #5

I first learned about the microseasons during my second year in Japan when I was wandering thru Tokyo one day in February, and had an experience that introduced me to the bush warblers singing microseason. I was looking for this bookshop owned by an older woman named yumi, who supposedly had a collection of ancient poems and stories, many of which encompassed the lore of the 72 kō (I never did end up finding it, sadl…

> It is pretty beautiful how such small, centuries-old traditions seem to abound in Japan, where the condition of the west seems to be a state of persistent impermanence.

Japan is a monoethnic nation. Much of the West isn't anymore for various reasons, to the degree where people engaging in "centuries-old traditions" are seen as weird or even racist.

And in a different tack, there is the fascinating concept of "change merchants"[0] that may help better understand why everything seems to be swirling around so quickly.

[0]: https://www.city-journal.org/article/change-merchants

Re: Japan’s 72 Microseasons (2015)

#12

Post by hinkley »

gottorf wrote: post #11
canvascritic wrote: post #5

I first learned about the microseasons during my second year in Japan when I was wandering thru Tokyo one day in February, and had an experience that introduced me to the bush warblers singing microseason. I was looking for this bookshop owned by an older woman named yumi, who supposedly had a collection of ancient poems and stories, many of which encompassed the lore of the 72 kō (I never did end up finding it, sadl…

> It is pretty beautiful how such small, centuries-old traditions seem to abound in Japan, where the condition of the west seems to be a state of persistent impermanence. Japan is a monoethnic nation. Much of the West isn't anymore for various reasons, to the degree where people engaging in "centuries-old traditions" are seen as weird or even racist. And in a different tack, there is the fascinating concept of "chang…

> monoethnic

That is an uncomfortable conversation because it’s not true but they pretend it is. Especially on the more peripheral islands. Okinawa, Hokkaido.

It’s a hilly archipelago nation. There are many traditions specific to one island and not held in common culturally with the rest of the Nihonjin.

On the other hand, because their culture is “taller” instead of broad, I see many ways in which particular arts and crafts have a depth that European trade and craft cultures rival, but do not exceed. Calligraphy is just bonkers. Especially if you include the toolmaking.

Re: Japan’s 72 Microseasons (2015)

#13

Post by gottorf »

hinkley wrote: post #12
gottorf wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> It is pretty beautiful how such small, centuries-old traditions seem to abound in Japan, where the condition of the west seems to be a state of persistent impermanence. Japan is a monoethnic nation. Much of the West isn't anymore for various reasons, to the degree where people engaging in "centuries-old traditions" are seen as weird or even racist. And in a different tack, there is the fascinating concept of "chang…

> monoethnic That is an uncomfortable conversation because it’s not true but they pretend it is. Especially on the more peripheral islands. Okinawa, Hokkaido. It’s a hilly archipelago nation. There are many traditions specific to one island and not held in common culturally with the rest of the Nihonjin. On the other hand, because their culture is “taller” instead of broad, I see many ways in which particular arts an…

> That is an uncomfortable conversation because it’s not true but they pretend it is.

Of course, every group of humans is further divisible into smaller groups, so no group larger than the individual is a true mono-anything. But when the great majority of those within and without Japan agree that for all practical purposes Japan is occupied by the Japanese, I'm OK rolling with it.

The same cannot be said of e.g. France, the US, or Brazil. America especially enjoys the phenomenon of the hyphenated-American.

Re: Japan’s 72 Microseasons (2015)

#14

Post by ajuc »

canvascritic wrote: post #5

I first learned about the microseasons during my second year in Japan when I was wandering thru Tokyo one day in February, and had an experience that introduced me to the bush warblers singing microseason. I was looking for this bookshop owned by an older woman named yumi, who supposedly had a collection of ancient poems and stories, many of which encompassed the lore of the 72 kō (I never did end up finding it, sadl…

> It is pretty beautiful how such small, centuries-old traditions seem to abound in Japan, where the condition of the west seems to be a state of persistent impermanence.

You own traditions often seem trivial and normal compared to foreign ones. Especially so anglosaxon ones because of all the popculture and merchandise. But they are just as bizzare and ingrained in culture when you look at them from a different POV.

I'm from a western Slavic country - not that much different from western Europe. Yet Haloween, "telling the bees" or even baby gender reveal parties seem completely alien to me.

On the other hand we have a barely christianized fertility ritual during which boys sprinkle girls with water :)

Re: Japan’s 72 Microseasons (2015)

#15

Post by hinkley »

jdgc wrote: post #8
canvascritic wrote: post #5

I first learned about the microseasons during my second year in Japan when I was wandering thru Tokyo one day in February, and had an experience that introduced me to the bush warblers singing microseason. I was looking for this bookshop owned by an older woman named yumi, who supposedly had a collection of ancient poems and stories, many of which encompassed the lore of the 72 kō (I never did end up finding it, sadl…

Shibuya itself has been totally ripped up and reconstructed over the past few years, and people are tripping over themselves to appeal to western sensibilities as much as possible. Please stop with the orientalist hyperbole

The US and Europe have historical preservation societies. Some people like it, some are satisfied by it, some go farther afield. I don’t think it’s “orientalist” necessarily to be interested in historical preservation of other cultures.

Is an interest [in] eastern philosophy orientalism?

I once heard it described that Shintoism is the undercurrent in Japanese society and industry in the same way that Calvinism is the undercurrent in America. Few practice it but everyone knows it subconsciously. There are a couple of famous books that look at Zen through the lens of arts like garden design or archery. I see a similar pattern in Chinese crafts and martial arts, vis a vis daoism, Confucianism, or ch’an (zen).

I’m sure someone not steeped in Christianity would see the same thing in our culture. But it’s like asking a fish to describe water.

Re: Japan’s 72 Microseasons (2015)

#16

Post by hinkley »

gottorf wrote: post #13
hinkley wrote: post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> monoethnic That is an uncomfortable conversation because it’s not true but they pretend it is. Especially on the more peripheral islands. Okinawa, Hokkaido. It’s a hilly archipelago nation. There are many traditions specific to one island and not held in common culturally with the rest of the Nihonjin. On the other hand, because their culture is “taller” instead of broad, I see many ways in which particular arts an…

> That is an uncomfortable conversation because it’s not true but they pretend it is. Of course, every group of humans is further divisible into smaller groups, so no group larger than the individual is a true mono-anything. But when the great majority of those within and without Japan agree that for all practical purposes Japan is occupied by the Japanese, I'm OK rolling with it. The same cannot be said of e.g. Fran…

The Ainu are distinctly not “Japanese” genetically. It’s at least the difference say (pulling this out of my ass, may be better examples) between Germanic and Celtic peoples in Europe. Only they were too evenly matched geopolitically and so one never managed to erase the other. Roma and Hebrews on the other hand… probably more like the Ainu than not.

Re: Japan’s 72 Microseasons (2015)

#18

Post by muggermuch »

canvascritic wrote: post #5

I first learned about the microseasons during my second year in Japan when I was wandering thru Tokyo one day in February, and had an experience that introduced me to the bush warblers singing microseason. I was looking for this bookshop owned by an older woman named yumi, who supposedly had a collection of ancient poems and stories, many of which encompassed the lore of the 72 kō (I never did end up finding it, sadl…

> in Oshiro, i had met a guardian of time, a man who, year after year, preserved a slice of japan's essence, ensuring that even in the heart of its busiest city, the song of the bush warbler would never fade away.

There was a lump in my throat as I read your comment out loud to my wife. Thank you for sharing this beautiful vignette!

Re: Japan’s 72 Microseasons (2015)

#19

Post by mempko »

Global Warming will (and probably already has) completely ruined that calendar. The problem with creating such optimizations is over fitting (every ML person here should understand this). And since now the underlying system (the climate system) is changing rapidly (causing change in underlying probability distributions), you can throw this calendar out.

Re: Japan’s 72 Microseasons (2015)

#20

Post by kstrauser »

Things like this remind me of the bizarre notion that only Japan has four seasons. I’ve been surprised by how many times I’ve heard that from people who seemed to sincerely believe it.

I give that as much credence as, say, “only Missouri has grass”.

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