Today is a national

Today is a national holiday--Culture Day.

Recently a friend and I were discussing the soul of Japan. We have different views. She seems to believe that the soul of Japan is missing; the uninspired, boxy concrete architecture and lack of outdoor spaces in Tokyo indicate a country with no culture; no heart.

But I look at all of the things people do--study flower arranging and tea-ceremony, hone their bodies and minds with marital arts, cultivate plants and flowers into bonsai--and I see plenty of soul. But it's the sort of spirit that you can't get to know superficially.

To know the soul of Japan requires some effort, I think. Learning the language helps as does getting to know people. Studying a craft or a skill along with others who are interested is another way. The soul of Japan is changing, as it has changed over the centuries. But it hasn't disappeared.

And there's even a national holiday to remind us.