Variables and Constants of Japan

Since the Industrial Revolution, Japan’s path to modernization—beginning with the Meiji Restoration—seems to have established a distinct cultural attitude: the ability to preserve long-standing traditions while continuously reinventing them. After WWII, Japan made a remarkable recovery and quickly rose to global prominence, its cultural influence spreading across the world. For someone like me—born in the 1980s in Taiwan—this familiarity with Japanese culture feels second nature. As a student of Western classical music, I often find that this aesthetic of fusion, and even the lifestyle it reflects, plays a guiding and inspiring role in my creative process. The five selected works—covering religion, food, film, craftsmanship, and nature (intentionally excluding music)—may seem diverse, but each explores the same underlying tension and harmony between permanence and transformation. In a world where we constantly face global pressure and existential questions, this deep cultural foundation offers a quiet but powerful source of strength—especially for those of us who stand on the side of the challengers.