RKS Japanese Literature: Tomoda Begins to Reject Japanese Culture (Tanizaki Jun’Ichiro)

‘A friend during my student days in Yokohama was another bad influence. He took me to Yokohama a couple of times, where I entered a dream world that few Japanese in those days had seen. It was my first glimpse into the world of the white man’s pleasures. From that moment, I had nothing but contempt for Oriental tastes and traditions. It was all so gloomy-just like that old house in Yagū. The idea of elegance and restraint disgusted me. It was the exact opposite of everything that was honest and genuine in life, of everything natural and spontaneous. It’s not a culture for healthy young people with the energy and drive to make a life for themselves. Doddering old fogies put up with it because they have no choice. They force themselves to find meaning and pleasure in their tedious lives. But really it’s nothing more than a sad and twisted mix of inhibition and self-deceit. Even when he indulges in pleasure, the Oriental never really lets himself go. It’s all so half-hearted.’

Tanizaki Jun’Ichiro, “The Story of Tomada and Matsunaga”