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Japanese Beauty Of Change

Hectic city, frown-faced people, soaring buildings, no yards, and no animals— symbols of the high-tech, capital of Japan, Tokyo; where I grew up. After I came to the United States, I started appreciating my culture more. However, when I go home, for the most of the part, what I see are the same things found in America. Many parts of the good old Japanese taste have changed. While many things have changed, our religion remains the same. When people were fighting as Samurai, when people were starting to wear European dresses, when people first saw human beings in a small box called television, we all believed in the same thing.
As you know, in my country Buddhism is the main religion; however, not many people are devout. Buddhism came from China, developed in our country, and played an important role in politics. Presently, Buddhism is not something recognizable in our actual lives; nevertheless, I recognize that some beliefs of Buddhism still remain in our hearts. There does not exist an exact translation for this word in English, but the word ‘‘sho-gyo-u-mu-jyo-u’’ is one of the most important, basic doctrines of the three pillars in Buddhism. It means that all things are in flux, nothing is permanent. This idea can be found permeating several areas of Japanese culture.
When I pay attention to the things we love in Japan, I am able to catch a glimpse of old Japanese sensibility that still remains in our genes. Japanese tradition appreciates the natural changes more than Americans do. Japanese have this lovingness toward mutability because of the four seasons: spring, summer, autumn, and winter. American spring and autumn are shorter and more of an extension of previous seasons. In Japan, each season is clearly different from one another and each arrives and leaves soon. All are gorgeous in different ways, and we appreciate every season. For each season, Japanese eat different foods; our menus vary according to the seasons. In the houses, Japanese have an event...