#but they just dont get it! its just aesthetic changes and non traditional performance styles

[anewbrainjughead]

in some places they'd shoot a man for saying this, but how many edgy cabaret revivals are we going to get through before they make one that's anywhere near as good as Cabaret (1972)?

[itscaitlinkane]

Blog #8

Bigaku

This is the Japanese sense of beauty, in looks, actions, art, music and all other aspects of Japanese life. Though it was closed off for much of the early years of Japan, since they opened the country up again, they have accepted cultural influence from China, Korea, and Western countries.

“with the opening of japan on the nineteenth century, the Japanesehave tried to keep up with western people and become like them. ...many people are beginning to ask where one can find original Japanese culture with its deep sense of beauty.”

Japanese people have traditional clothes such as Kimonos to wear and traditional music to play if they want to reach back to the traditional beauty of their ancestors. America doesnt have as much historically traditional beauty, since it is a melting pot. Most people in the US have ancestors from many different countries. Their traditions might be Polish or Irish or Indian, but not really American. the only traditional beauty i can think of from america would be 18th century furniture design and art, but people dont really try to “reconnect” with american history with that.

“one important difference between these two approaches (Japanese and western art) can be found in “the spirit of art”. Mono no aware, a kind of aesthetic value that comes from feelings, while in western art, people try to construct something of beauty with a logic of what is beautiful. In contrast, Japanese art focuses not on what is logically considered beautiful, but on what people feel is beautiful.”

The text says that western art is logical and implies that it has no feeling to it. I don’t think that’s true. western art has gone through many changes, especially in the last 100 or so years, with a different style emerging nearly every half decade. some are more rigid and pragmatic, while others are pure feeling and expression. comparing american art in the early 1800s to art in the 70s is night and day.

Kisetsu

Kisetsu is the sense of the seasons in Japan. this is shown through celebrations, holidays, and festivals. the seasons are very important to japan as agriculture is very important, which depends on the seasons.

“They enjoy eating special dishes that are associated with the seasons.”

This happens in the US as well. pumpkin in the fall, fresh fruit in the summer, healthy vegetables in the spring, and cinnamon spices in the winter. 

“In the past, the autumn festivals were held to thank the gods for the harvest. Today, people who participate in these festivities regard them as a sort of recreational activity or tourist attraction.”

A lot of American holidays were once related to religion and have become just recreation as well. Christmas and Easter are religious holidays that non religious people still celebrate. America doesnt really have any seasonal holidays like Japan does, because not all of America has the same seasons. December in Ohio is very different from December in texas, so the seasonal experiences are not the same across the country. Certain areas might have their own celebrations and festivals from city to city, though. 

Otogibanashi

Otogibanashi are folktales of Japan. these are used to pass cultural values and traditions down from generation to generation.  

“Japanese folktales often contain animal characters that take the form of human beings, and these elements help explain the japanese concept of nature in which people are thought to coexist with nature in a rather vague way.”

Most folktales you hear in America are less related to nature and are more used to teach lessons and morals. Some of them relate to nature, but they use nature to teach lessons on how to treat other humans.

“these are people who act in accordance with their own wills and who become happy through their intelligence. This is the ideal of the person that many japanese long to become.”

This seems strange to me, because previous terms have stated that the japanese try to all be the same and conform to set standards, but this one says they want to be independent and do what they want. This idea, though, can be seen in a lot of American stories. for example, a girl at a new school trying to make friends by conforming to what she thinks is right, but then decides to just be herself and finds good friends that are like her.

Wabi Sabi

wabi sabi is the japanese beauty ideals of simplicity and elegance. these ideals are present in all aspects of Japanese culture, art, architecture, lifestyle, etc.

“a tea ceremony was held to enlighten people’s spirit, emphasizing contemplation and the simple natural surroundings of tea-drinking activities.”  

A lot of Americans practice similar things as this such as yoga and meditation. These arent traditionally american practices, but they are common in America. Also, many americans are adopting a simpler way of living, getting rid of unnecessary belongings and finding more open spaces to live.

“Simplicity, lack of polish, and asymmetry were all highly esteemed qualities in the performance of the tea ceremony, reflecting the Buddhist notion that the imperfect is the natural condition of nature that underlies all existence.”

Most of the time, in the US, imperfection is seen as a bad thing. lately, it’s been more accepted as a part of life, but people still strive for perfection, knowing they’ll never reach it. Although, there is still an appreciation for handmade items that contain imperfections. these are seen as features instead of flaws.