Completely agree regarding the beauty of Japan. It has some areas of exceptional beauty and most cities have pockets of beauty but they are mixed in among hodgepodge architecture and, of course, the power lines. Someone once said that Japanese people 'have an eye for beauty and a blindspot for ugliness'. They can marvel at the beauty of an ancient shrine and ignore the concrete blocks of functional buildings all around it. I think there is some truth in that, and after decades here I think I am coming to be a bit like that myself!
I couldn't agree with you more about the very questionable beauty of Japan - Japan's built environment, at least. I have always found it paradoxical that a culture which appears to be quite obsessive about orderliness, neatness and tidiness seems to tolerate so much ugliness in its villages, towns and cities. It is, in my experience, rare to see a pretty village. The ubiquitous telegraph poles and hideous spaghetti wires, which spoil 99.99% of views of Japanese villages, towns and cities are particularly offensive; and the tatty timber buildings that look so unloved are also a blight. It seems that the average age of a Japanese house when it is demolished is thirty. So wasteful. Wouldn't it make more financial and environmental sense to build durably for the long term and maintain obsessively?!
I don't agree with you so much about the natural landscapes though. I'm no connoisseur, but the Japanese Alps, for example, seem to me to be every bit as stunning as those of Europe. As for autumn, yes the colors are just as gorgeous as those of New England or anywhere else, but there is for me an underlying sadness about autumn, prelude as it is to the cold, dark days and stark, bare branches of winter. I prefer the promise and new life of spring, sakura and returning warmth!
Thank you for reading and sharing your thoughts! You described the "ugliness" aspect much more vividly than I did. I hope anyone who reads my post also takes the time to read your thoughtful comment.
I also really appreciate you challenging me about the mountain scenery. I sometimes tend to oversimplify things for the sake of caveat-free writing, which I otherwise rely on excessively. I’d add that Daisetsuzan in Hokkaido is another destination I believe features equally flawless mountain scenery. I’ve explored parts of the Japanese Alps, but I feel too intimidated by the more exposed, chain-requiring sections, which are likely even more stunning. So, I`ll probably never get to experience their beauty! :)
I’m more of a melancholic person, so autumn suits me well. In spring and summer, I sometimes feel a bit pressured to be joyful all the time. :)
I haven’t explored Japan as you have but I was there for just 3 weeks from Kanazawa to Kyoto. Fujinomiya and Naoshima Island and places in between however to me everywhere I looked was beautiful , even the plain simple box like homes in quiet places . I also loved the out of place juxtaposition of those lovely traditional places next to the modern ones because it makes them more beautiful! I loved the general cleanliness of everything and the way even the smallest ugly thing on a street will be covered up with a potted plant . I lived the fact that graffiti either does t exist there or must be immediately got rid of, the feeling of order in potential chaos . I felt calmness there and continually noticed the care taken with so many things.. a general respect for life and beauty . I’ve been to New Zealand 5 times (as it’s close to Australia and everyone speaks English so very easy travelling!) and that is truly a Hobbitts paradise and a photographers dream but for me , there is nothing to compare to Japan . I see pictures of New York and it horrifies me but I see vast seemingly endless Tokyo and to my eyes it is a magnificent multifunctional mega city of order and harmony . I guess that’s weird 😂
Dear Diane, thank you for taking the time to read my post and for your thoughtful comment. I’m glad to hear that your experience in Japan was a more visually flawless one. I also agree that the contrast between traditional houses and modern buildings creates a very engaging scene. I hope you get to visit again!
I can't speak for Tuscany, but there are definitely areas of Provence, and France in general, that are concrete-heavy and not that beautiful. It's just that nobody bothers to write about them.
That is certainly true of Italy too. I recall a friend saying the prettiest bit of Northern Italy is Switzerland which is mean but contains a certain amount of truth.
If you take the train from Zurich to Milan, as we did when he made the comment, you come out of the Gotthard? tunnel and exchange gray Teutonic alpine architecture for sunny Italian, but you are still in Switzerland so everything is still clean and tidy and well maintained. Then you cross the border into the real Italy and it's not clean, not tidy, there's graffiti everywhere and it's full of half falling down buildings displaying weird mixes of concrete, breeze blocks and bare rebar.
Japan is not a museum or a nature park. So yes it has ugly spots
One thing that obscures the ugliness in the countryside is that it is such a lush climate that abandoned buildings disappear into nature in a few years.
I don't disagree with you about the ugliness of much of urban Japan though or the ravages of the Ministry of Concrete (err Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism) elsewhere.
Thank you for your comment. I am aware that Japan is not a museum or a nature park. What I tried to but maybe failed to underline was something different that is also tied to the difference between common perception and reality (at least from my perspective).
I think we are mostly in agreement. I liked what your other commenter said about 'an eye for beauty and a blindspot for ugliness', that seems to be very true. I may just be better at activating my blindspont :)
Hi Burcu, I absolutely love reading your articles. I lived in the Tokyo area for 18 months in the early 70's, doing a year-abroad at Waseda, then teaching English. LOVE Japanese culture! But mainly I want to say, your photography is UTTERLY, ABSOLUTELY stunning. Thank you so much for sharing such a beautiful take on a beautiful (mostly, LOL) country!!!
Dear Ann, thank you so much for reading my posts and for your kind comment! Living in Japan in the early ’70s—what a unique experience that must have been! As for the photography, I thought hiding some of my opinions behind the beauty of fall colors might somehow balance the tone of my words in this specific post :)
I felt the same way about people who’d had the opportunity to go to Japan before WWII, and/or whenever kimono was still the predominant clothing! I’m just glad they still honor and respect the style, and continue to dress authentically in certain situations. And your assumption about the pix was right! Good strategy!
I have exactly the same sentiments as you when it comes to aesthetics of concrete structures in Japan. I see the similarities in Hawaii where I spent my childhood there. There are cinder blocks used as fences rotting away with mold and generic homes built in the 1950s-1960s without any character whatsoever. And Japan and Hawaii have a special relationship. Most Japanese- Americans who are Hawaii residents have ancestors from Okinawa. But to be fair, in my travels, most cities have a mash up of unsightly architecture and in the historical districts, there are preserved beautiful buildings. I prefer to stay in the historical districts and spend most of my time there.
Nice article as always, Burcu! Are you familiar with the essays of Donald Keene? This reminded me of his essay Kapital of Kitsch where he talks about how Nikko is a bit...tasteless and how the buildings in Tokyo are all out of sync. I can online imagine the contrast with Istanbul which I haven't visited...
Personally I think the disjointedness and singular harmony contained within various spaces is very interesting...not visually appealing always but odd and unique. A lot of the buildings are designed quickly and functionally for disaster protection.
Jarring, but a zen master would find beauty in concrete, rust, stagnant pools: different, not charming, but still of beauty. Marianne Strobl and Margaret Bourke-White are two industrial photographers of some fame.
Thank you for reading and thoughtful comment. I enjoy the imperfectness of the scenery but still not able to find a meaning at a Zen master level - wish I could :) I will also check out the photographers.
I hope the photographers are interesting, they are not to everyone's liking. I think you captured some points of interest with the hotel, I would be excited if you could break them into single points to contemplate. Art of Kentsugi, Japanese Tea Ceremony Ware, some branches of Seto-yak pottery, use "defects" as points of entry into admiring and contemplation/self-reflection.
Completely agree regarding the beauty of Japan. It has some areas of exceptional beauty and most cities have pockets of beauty but they are mixed in among hodgepodge architecture and, of course, the power lines. Someone once said that Japanese people 'have an eye for beauty and a blindspot for ugliness'. They can marvel at the beauty of an ancient shrine and ignore the concrete blocks of functional buildings all around it. I think there is some truth in that, and after decades here I think I am coming to be a bit like that myself!
Thank you for this comment! What a statement -'have an eye for beauty and a blindspot for ugliness' - I think that sums up things perfectly!
I couldn't agree with you more about the very questionable beauty of Japan - Japan's built environment, at least. I have always found it paradoxical that a culture which appears to be quite obsessive about orderliness, neatness and tidiness seems to tolerate so much ugliness in its villages, towns and cities. It is, in my experience, rare to see a pretty village. The ubiquitous telegraph poles and hideous spaghetti wires, which spoil 99.99% of views of Japanese villages, towns and cities are particularly offensive; and the tatty timber buildings that look so unloved are also a blight. It seems that the average age of a Japanese house when it is demolished is thirty. So wasteful. Wouldn't it make more financial and environmental sense to build durably for the long term and maintain obsessively?!
I don't agree with you so much about the natural landscapes though. I'm no connoisseur, but the Japanese Alps, for example, seem to me to be every bit as stunning as those of Europe. As for autumn, yes the colors are just as gorgeous as those of New England or anywhere else, but there is for me an underlying sadness about autumn, prelude as it is to the cold, dark days and stark, bare branches of winter. I prefer the promise and new life of spring, sakura and returning warmth!
Thank you for reading and sharing your thoughts! You described the "ugliness" aspect much more vividly than I did. I hope anyone who reads my post also takes the time to read your thoughtful comment.
I also really appreciate you challenging me about the mountain scenery. I sometimes tend to oversimplify things for the sake of caveat-free writing, which I otherwise rely on excessively. I’d add that Daisetsuzan in Hokkaido is another destination I believe features equally flawless mountain scenery. I’ve explored parts of the Japanese Alps, but I feel too intimidated by the more exposed, chain-requiring sections, which are likely even more stunning. So, I`ll probably never get to experience their beauty! :)
I’m more of a melancholic person, so autumn suits me well. In spring and summer, I sometimes feel a bit pressured to be joyful all the time. :)
I haven’t explored Japan as you have but I was there for just 3 weeks from Kanazawa to Kyoto. Fujinomiya and Naoshima Island and places in between however to me everywhere I looked was beautiful , even the plain simple box like homes in quiet places . I also loved the out of place juxtaposition of those lovely traditional places next to the modern ones because it makes them more beautiful! I loved the general cleanliness of everything and the way even the smallest ugly thing on a street will be covered up with a potted plant . I lived the fact that graffiti either does t exist there or must be immediately got rid of, the feeling of order in potential chaos . I felt calmness there and continually noticed the care taken with so many things.. a general respect for life and beauty . I’ve been to New Zealand 5 times (as it’s close to Australia and everyone speaks English so very easy travelling!) and that is truly a Hobbitts paradise and a photographers dream but for me , there is nothing to compare to Japan . I see pictures of New York and it horrifies me but I see vast seemingly endless Tokyo and to my eyes it is a magnificent multifunctional mega city of order and harmony . I guess that’s weird 😂
Dear Diane, thank you for taking the time to read my post and for your thoughtful comment. I’m glad to hear that your experience in Japan was a more visually flawless one. I also agree that the contrast between traditional houses and modern buildings creates a very engaging scene. I hope you get to visit again!
I can't speak for Tuscany, but there are definitely areas of Provence, and France in general, that are concrete-heavy and not that beautiful. It's just that nobody bothers to write about them.
That is certainly true of Italy too. I recall a friend saying the prettiest bit of Northern Italy is Switzerland which is mean but contains a certain amount of truth.
If you take the train from Zurich to Milan, as we did when he made the comment, you come out of the Gotthard? tunnel and exchange gray Teutonic alpine architecture for sunny Italian, but you are still in Switzerland so everything is still clean and tidy and well maintained. Then you cross the border into the real Italy and it's not clean, not tidy, there's graffiti everywhere and it's full of half falling down buildings displaying weird mixes of concrete, breeze blocks and bare rebar.
Japan is not a museum or a nature park. So yes it has ugly spots
One thing that obscures the ugliness in the countryside is that it is such a lush climate that abandoned buildings disappear into nature in a few years.
I don't disagree with you about the ugliness of much of urban Japan though or the ravages of the Ministry of Concrete (err Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism) elsewhere.
Thank you for your comment. I am aware that Japan is not a museum or a nature park. What I tried to but maybe failed to underline was something different that is also tied to the difference between common perception and reality (at least from my perspective).
I think we are mostly in agreement. I liked what your other commenter said about 'an eye for beauty and a blindspot for ugliness', that seems to be very true. I may just be better at activating my blindspont :)
Hi Burcu, I absolutely love reading your articles. I lived in the Tokyo area for 18 months in the early 70's, doing a year-abroad at Waseda, then teaching English. LOVE Japanese culture! But mainly I want to say, your photography is UTTERLY, ABSOLUTELY stunning. Thank you so much for sharing such a beautiful take on a beautiful (mostly, LOL) country!!!
Dear Ann, thank you so much for reading my posts and for your kind comment! Living in Japan in the early ’70s—what a unique experience that must have been! As for the photography, I thought hiding some of my opinions behind the beauty of fall colors might somehow balance the tone of my words in this specific post :)
I felt the same way about people who’d had the opportunity to go to Japan before WWII, and/or whenever kimono was still the predominant clothing! I’m just glad they still honor and respect the style, and continue to dress authentically in certain situations. And your assumption about the pix was right! Good strategy!
I have exactly the same sentiments as you when it comes to aesthetics of concrete structures in Japan. I see the similarities in Hawaii where I spent my childhood there. There are cinder blocks used as fences rotting away with mold and generic homes built in the 1950s-1960s without any character whatsoever. And Japan and Hawaii have a special relationship. Most Japanese- Americans who are Hawaii residents have ancestors from Okinawa. But to be fair, in my travels, most cities have a mash up of unsightly architecture and in the historical districts, there are preserved beautiful buildings. I prefer to stay in the historical districts and spend most of my time there.
Nice article as always, Burcu! Are you familiar with the essays of Donald Keene? This reminded me of his essay Kapital of Kitsch where he talks about how Nikko is a bit...tasteless and how the buildings in Tokyo are all out of sync. I can online imagine the contrast with Istanbul which I haven't visited...
Personally I think the disjointedness and singular harmony contained within various spaces is very interesting...not visually appealing always but odd and unique. A lot of the buildings are designed quickly and functionally for disaster protection.
Anyway you gave me food for thought 😊
Thank you, as always, for your time and suggestion. I’ll look into his essays—poor Nikko got singled out! :) I am looking forward to your next post.
Jarring, but a zen master would find beauty in concrete, rust, stagnant pools: different, not charming, but still of beauty. Marianne Strobl and Margaret Bourke-White are two industrial photographers of some fame.
Thank you for reading and thoughtful comment. I enjoy the imperfectness of the scenery but still not able to find a meaning at a Zen master level - wish I could :) I will also check out the photographers.
I hope the photographers are interesting, they are not to everyone's liking. I think you captured some points of interest with the hotel, I would be excited if you could break them into single points to contemplate. Art of Kentsugi, Japanese Tea Ceremony Ware, some branches of Seto-yak pottery, use "defects" as points of entry into admiring and contemplation/self-reflection.
That is such a good idea. As always, thank you for the rich contribution, I really hope that everyone reads the comments, not just the post.