Unraveling The Japanese Mind

Unraveling the Japanese Mind Through Zen

Like with the infinitely complex inner workings of the female mind, I had long given up on hope of ever understanding the Japanese psyche. However, during a recent session of meditation under the guidance of great Zen masters, I had a moment of insight.



I do not profess to possess the power to decipher minds, and to attempt to classify an entire culture and people in such a way would be as arrogant as imperialism. But no brilliance or ancient Eastern wisdom is needed to know the main causes of the differences in Eastern and Western culture and mentality stem from our separate religious and philosophical backgrounds. A primary focus of Western-Judeo-Christian culture is on the individual while Japanese-Buddhist-Zen-Shinto culture emphasizes the group. This, it appeared to me, is a gross over-simplification.



The Japanese, perhaps appearing physically week to outsiders intent on padding their egos with anything bigger, badder, or tougher, have less pride than Westerners and therefore less feelings to be hurt. The individual, the ‘self’, can afford to be pushed around. What we might see as ‘selling yourself short’ or as a self esteem issue, the Japanese value and embrace. As someone of the ‘nothing special’ variety, a Japanese who considers themself of little importance is free to accept things as they are and capable of seeing without labeling objects or events with concepts such as ‘like or dislike’, ‘true or false’, and ‘negative or positive’ as Westerners instinctively do. This person, able to see beyond the duality of such concepts, can be detached from circumstance and can float effortlessly along as an impersonal, dispassionate being immune to much of the self imposed inflictions of the Westerner.



This is Zen’s ‘Middle Way’. It is a mindset of balance and neutrality which allows for less judgment and criticism. This may also explain the inherent reliability and honesty endowed in Japan, a nation of model citizens. The serenity of mind shines bright in Japan. But as is its nature, it casts small shadows. The ‘Middle Way’ infused in the culture might also explain why some of the topics on Japanese TV shows are received by Japanese people with enthusiasm but by Westerners with gaping yawns. In Japan, it need not be the biggest or the best to be of interest or to be worthy of appreciation.



At the core of this passive neutral mind is a desire to act in accordance with the needs of the group rather than ‘looking out for number one’. This was not a revelation in itself, as it was abundantly clear quite quickly into my tenure in Japan. My enlightened thought was that just like the teachings of Zen insist upon, Japanese society in general doesn’t believe in a ‘self’ or an ‘I’. Everything is one. Even the language rarely makes use of personal pronouns such as ‘me’, ‘I’, or ‘you’. In Japanese it’s not necessary to specify whom the subject of your sentence is since it is already assumed. Similarly, the suffix ‘san’ is attached to someone’s name in the same regard as ‘Mr.’ or ‘Ms.’, but Japanese makes no distinction when using ‘san’ to address men or women. As a matter of fact, ‘san’ is even used to talk about animals or shops. This ‘oneness’, perhaps, is the very essence of the Japanese which endlessly eludes Westerners because as a Westerner the concept is as remote as the summit of Mt. Fuji, know as ‘Fuji-san’ in Japanese.





Part Two



Since the massively impressive rebuilding effort after WWII, the concept of ‘new’ has struck a cord with the Japanese. Shiny new things, modern conveniences, smooth plastics, ridiculous over-packaging, and a construction industry hell-bent on paving over the entire country are all indications of Japan’s war on Mother Nature. It is a battle brought on by the same attitude which says owning or building new things is a sign of successfully overcoming the horrific devastation of the war.



Japan is also a nation obsesses with cleanliness and safety. Nature is dirty and dangerous. It is old and it is not modern, thus mountainsides need to be coated in concrete ‘to prevent slides’, thousands of kilometers of coastline has to be lined with concrete barriers ‘to prevent erosion’, every river must either be damned ‘to provide energy to future generations’ (even though the population is plummeting), or it must be paved over completely ‘to prevent it from flooding’, and every wild deer must have its antlers sawed off because they are ‘dangerous’.*



This subconscious view that nature is the opposite of progress extends to the Japanese attitude towards sex. In spite of being bombarded with a kaleidoscope of neon and gargantuan billboards every time you leave the house in Japan, and the world’s largest sex industry, there is very little of the ‘sex sells’ motif Westerners have become desensitized to. It’s estimated 50% of marriages in Japan are ‘sexless’, and even a peck on the cheek in public is as strictly taboo as suggesting the rapidly declining birthrate is due to nothing more than a lack of sex. It seems, in spite of being largely hidden from the public eye, the draw of secretive sex from professionals has more appeal to Japanese men than revealing their own savage instincts to their spouse, or exposing the preferred illusion that their wife is evolved beyond performing acts of animalism. Although the attitudes of younger generations may be changing, typically the wives of men who run astray in the wide array of massage parlors, go-go bars, or love hotels, prefer a ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ policy. Even if caught in an affair, most wives say they would forgive their husband, and 80% don’t consider it cheating if it’s paid for.



As well as because things natural are viewed as unprogressive, this sentiment on sex likely spawns partially from Zen’s ‘Middle Way’ and Buddhism’s aim to eliminate suffering through shunning attachment. Today such conscious practices are limited to a few dedicated souls. Consumerism has all but negated beliefs of a simple life uncomplicated by possessions. As with Christianity in the West, the effects of a culture grown out of a past which cherished core Buddhist principles such as un-attachment are still evident in Japanese society. Buddha’s teachings aimed to relieve the pains caused by emotions by eliminating extremes and the roots of negative feelings. While it is said love and compassion are vital to a well rounded mind, extremes such as passion and desire cause ripples in an otherwise sound persona.



Like the culling of Japan’s wilderness the natural instincts within the human animal are tamed as well. Like all cultures, but perhaps more than most, the Japanese have refined themselves exquisitely. Manners unseen outside of British royalty in the West seem engrained in every Japanese citizen. Strict protocol is essential in nearly every aspect of daily life from being greeted at convenience stores by robotic sounding staff to the dainty elegance of the Tea Ceremony. As in the West, eating etiquette is of great importance when distinguishing ourselves from other animals. It is only the human who desires to eat with others. All other species happily take their share to the corner and tear at it in solitude.



Likewise, it is only we humans who clothe ourselves, ashamed of our undeniable animal appearance should we be seen without out disguise. Should a nude man walk the streets in any society he is scorned, detained, and crowds hurry to cover their eyes. Yet the man has hurt no one. He has done nothing more than reveal his true self. But we are ashamed of his nudity, even if he is not. It painfully reminds us, with our flesh and hair, we are one of Mother Nature’s animals, too. Modern accomplishment and refined etiquette may be able to mask that fact, but under our cloaks it still persists. It has to. Just as no amount of table manners can erase our need for food, the survival of our species depends on procreation.



In sex we not only admit dependence on another person for our pleasure, we also expose who we really are when engaged in this, the most raw of all animal acts. When nude, and particularly when engaged in carnal acts, we release the beast of truth which claws through the denial to reveal our instinctive savagery. For the Japanese this is an admission most are not quite comfortable with since it flies in the face of the sophisticated progress which serves as the cornerstone of both personal, and national, pride.



There is another element to this story, however. If you want to make a Japanese squirm just mention the unsettling fact that should present birth rates continue, not a single person of Japanese ethnicity will remain on this Earth beyond 200 years from now. Japan is at a crucial crossroads with a conundrum which stipulates they have two choices: The obvious is to ditch this self destructive attitude towards sex. The other option is to open the doors to immigration and allow the pride of a pure gene pool to be diluted. As a nation of homogenous conformity and inherent non-selfness, for the average Japanese, this poses a great challenge to their identity and collective psyche. In the end, it may be a matter of definition. With minds across Japan seemingly linked in the ‘We’ formation, each individual may have to look within themselves and ask if that concept of ‘We’ extends beyond the natural borders of the sea which neatly isolate their land of sophistication.





This is merely my own flash of Zen. It is a record of a moment within my own mind which illuminated an element of the ‘oneness’ within the Japanese mind. We are all individuals no matter what level of ‘self’ we possess and thus can never be defined in generalized terms. Certain points persist, however, with a commonality found often enough to be worthy of analysis. But these are only thoughts. And these particular thoughts lead me to wonder if such a magnificent and refined model society as Japan may ultimately be the death of itself since it prefers to deny its basic human nature and environment to the point of extinction.





*The destruction of nature and view that it as enemy of progress has recently begun to diminish with the onslaught of advertisers exploiting people’s fear of climate change. However, nature is still seen as dirty and dangerous, and thus is to be avoided by most Japanese people, and large unnecessary government backed construction projects continue to damage Japan’s ecosystem. Large areas of preserved forest still exist and Japan does offer some of the world’s most exquisite natural beauty.