JP.VI: Ancient Modernity - "New World, Ancient Minds" or "New Minds, Ancient World"

As the final chapter of this blog series on the discussion regarding the Japanese concept of Ancient Modernity, it would be appropriate to also expand further into the dynamic consequences of its existence and rationalize its role in formulating the vast generational differences within the modern urban context of Japan. Is it a new world with ancient minds or is it new minds living in an ancient world? The answer may be both.

Hand-sketch of the Oaska-Umeda Sky Tower, a symbol of Japan's technological achievement. 06/2023

When addressing the concept of "New World, Ancient Minds," we are focusing on the conditions of the Japanese older generations feeling that they are living in an age of drastic change in both values and technologies, often leading to the presence of disoriented or unwelcoming emotions. As previously expressed in my conversation with Tomei-sensei, a representative from the Kyoto University of Foreign Studies, the older population of Japan was a part of the technological advancement process, but not the receiving end of its final products. Within less than a century, Japan has come from sending letters and reading telegraphs to using public cellular services and eventually packing their entire office and all communications nicely and conveniently into a personal cellphone. In Japan, more than 90% of its population within the age group 13-59 used the Internet in 2020 [1]. Despite many governmental efforts to promote access to the Internet among seniors, aiming to minimize the grey digital literacy gap, the significantly low portion of the entire 70+ old Japanese population (only 25.6% of them) that utilizes these services renders these efforts relatively ineffective. During peak self-quarantining and lockdown periods of COVID-19, the wireless communication impact on counteracting the negative effect of social distancing proved its importance even more. To much older Japanese, social distancing replaced traditional community group exercise and cultural events in which they would have otherwise been able to participate. To their younger counterparts, however, their communication styles were mostly unchanged. It was the perfect moment for them - a game that they were born to play and have always been good at.

A concrete theater imitating the essence of a traditional Japanese castle, in front of it is a busy road filled with automobiles. Strangely familiar from afar... 06/2023

Starting in the late 20th century, the younger generations of Japan began their admiration and tailored their aesthetics towards Western pop culture, especially the American Pop Art movement and the United Kingdom's Punk Rock. To them, Japan represented an ancient cocoon that they must rip apart and escape from its bindings in order to seek liberal freedom. Various subcultures emerged themselves in the landscape of major cities, competing against the already existing traditional norms and rules of society. Although the initial trends eventually subsided, its notion is still relevant. In the first-ever poll taken in 2015, the NHK (a national broadcast) found that 74 percent of late teens were "dissatisfied" with politics and only 22 percent of them said they would "definitely" go to the polls, leaving the government's power at the hands of their increasingly elder counterpart [2]. This idea of dissatisfaction with the world that their predecessor created and left them with creates hypertension and uneasy attitudes between generations, further thickening the wall that blocks their capability for mutual understanding. In a Japanese youth's mind, they were born into an economic boom of the nation and thus forced into this mold of various expectations: studying hard and finding a job just to in return take care of the growing elder population. Their mission was outlined. Their fate is decided.

As a foreigner, my short stay prevents further studies or any more actual dialogue with its people, and thus, it is a delicate topic to talk about when evaluating how relevant is the presence of ancient ideology and relics in modern Japan. One thing remains true: when it comes to Modernity or Westernization, the Japanese people adapted, but never assimilated.

Word Count: 618 words

Citation:

1. “Digitally Inclusive, Healthy Aging Communities" National Library of Medicine, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9223148/

2. "Japanese Millennials and Politics" Association for Asian Studies, https://www.asianstudies.org/publications/eaa/archives/japanese-millennials-and-politics-an-introduction/