The Modern Samurai Society: Duty and Dependence in Contemporary Japan

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Today, many Japanese jet out of their native islands and go abroad. Almost every one of them is, without notice, snapshotted from unexpected angles, at the corner of a thriving street or in front of an historical landmark. The next morning, or even a few hours later on the same day, the photo is printed on glossy paper and is presented forcibly to the Japanese visitor for sale.

To be sure, his curiosity compels him to peep into the picture and meet himself. With pleasure or surprise, or even a bit of sorrow, he discovers from the profile a person he has not been aware of and says, "Oh, no, is this me? What a unique human being I am!" Beyond expectation, he experiences genuine emotion about himself.

The nation as a whole is so as well. Until the people are exposed to themselves objectively, they do not know who they are. The Japanese have lived happily together for centuries, speaking one language and maintaining their homogeneity within the narrow island country. Their insularity has created such distinctive cultural characteristics that people throughout the world have claimed that Japanese thought and culture is the most enigmatic and paradoxical of all national traditions. The major reason is that for many years the culture was never truly exposed to foreigners.

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