Japanese Storytelling Part 1: Savoring the Moment, A Study of Ma, and Mono no Aware

over the last 60 or more years export of Japanese films anime and video games has created a uniquely dedicated audience for J entertainment in the West this may be due to the fact that pretty much everything that comes out of Japan is unmistakably Japanese Japan's unique cultural signature is evident on its films video games manga and other entertainment exports the through line that connects all these things and perhaps the reason for their dedicated international fanbase is the Japanese storytelling style every culture has its own storytelling style but Japan's style has some especially unique aspects that defy even the sensibilities of other Asian countries let alone the West these aspects have fascinated me for years so in this video I will explain some of my thoughts and observations on the subject because there is too much to cover in a single video I will only cover one aspect of the Japanese storytelling style in this video but if you enjoy the video please like it and subscribe and I will cover more aspects of Japanese storytelling in future videos or if you'd like to see a video covering the storytelling style of another country or culture let me know what it is in the comments below so let's get started [Music] one of the most distinct and interesting aspects of Japanese storytelling is what I like to call savoring the moment this is when the narrative slows down or seemingly halts in order to allow the audience time to truly experience a moment in the story Japan is not the only culture that uses slow paced storytelling for example a European New Wave cinema is full of slow-paced narratives and long takes but often in the West storytellers will use this technique to highlight a section of the story in a more calculated emotionally sensitive way in Japanese storytelling however the technique is not necessarily intended to draw attention to a particular plot point but often to allow the audience time to contemplate and fully experience the beauty within that brief moment of the story while there are examples of similar techniques in Western storytelling these are not the norm for instance Terrence Malick's films don't adhere to the standard Western storytelling style they are an exception to it in Japan however it's surprising how prevalent savoring the moment is in pretty much all types of art and entertainment even mediums that are seemingly unsuited to it like video games and anime it is likely this storytelling sensibility is derived in part from japan's zen buddhist tradition as well as from its indigenous religion shinto zen buddhism places an emphasis on the practice of meditation and through it the development of a heightened but peaceful awareness free from the clutter and distraction of thought in other words it provides a method toward truly experiencing the moment zen buddhism influenced many of japan's most important traditional poets artists and storytellers like Yoshida Kenko Matsuo Basho and seshu Toyo the word Zen is derived from an Indian word meaning meditation so perhaps savoring the moment includes a kind of meditative mindset Shinto is similar to Zen Buddhism in that it is more of a practice than a dogmatic belief system or doctrine the goal of Shinto is to live in harmony with the spirits that inhabit the natural world known as comi while Zen Buddhism is highly ritualistic Shinto emphasizes ritual even more so in the practice of Shinto is almost exclusively comprised of rituals with very little else Shinto does contain a massive pantheon of gods but the rituals associated with these gods are far more important than belief in the gods themselves rituals reinforce the philosophical value of Shinto which simply put is a respect and reverence for the world we inhabit today then and Shinto sensibilities are simply an implicit aspect of Japanese culture and art as such the influence they have had on Japanese storytelling is considerable even if it isn't always intentional ichinomiya no koto - oh no ocarina a Metallica story must' before we look at contemporary storytellers let's look at their roots in traditional Japanese literature for example the high Koons of Japan's most revered poet from the Edo period Matsuo Basho ukume a warm nude 80 metre yawn that's a Dutch key yeah translation a summer room we're lying down I see the clouds as they go past while seemingly simple this poem follows a strict structure and rule set including its season specific imagery and contrasting final phrase which reveals a new perspective on the previous two fasho often uses a play on words or juxtaposition that can be a bit whimsical but the imagery also evokes beauty from fleeting details and momentary impressions which allude to a more profound emotion one which is difficult to define in order to attempt to define it we have to look at another seminal work in Japanese literature from an earlier era the Heian period The Tale of Genji was written by Murasaki Shikibu a lady-in-waiting at the imperial court during the early 11th century and it is considered by some to be the first novel ever written the tale chronicles the life and many lovers of Hikaru Genji a man of royal lineage who is passed over by the court and instead serves as an imperial officer although a work of fiction it provides a deep insight into the aristocratic class of the Heian period their values and the specific kind of beauty they prized most the emotion linked with this beauty was called a wall ring and there are many reference to it in the tale of genji later this became known as Mona no owari which roughly translates as a pathos toward things this doesn't make a lot of sense in English and in fact most experts believe the phrase is untranslatable from the Japanese in essence it is an awareness of the beauty of impermanence to go further it is also a kind of emotional atmosphere that English words like longing melancholy sentimentality or nostalgia might touch on but not truly capture perhaps the indefinable enigmatic quality of this emotion is in part the reason it was so prized in the Heian period and remained so in Japanese literature and art savoring the moment is not meant to be a translation of Moana no owari because I don't believe I can truly define it however I believe that the technique I am attempting to define the slow peaceful moments and Japanese stories do often evoke mana no owari and it could be this unique sense of beauty that gives these moments there unmistakably Japanese flavor to truly experience and savor a moment you must be aware of its and permanence every moment is fleeting and to acknowledge this is to acknowledge a kind of sadness but there is also beauty within that sadness or a bittersweet sentimentality if you will as there would be no happiness without sadness to give a meaning there would be no beauty in a moment if it lasted forever when Japanese stories take time to savor the moment they are doing so with the full awareness and appreciation or the impermanence of that moment I really hope I'm not getting too sappy for you here just stay with me I'll try to ease up on the SAP I promise The Tale of Genji and haikus of Matsuo Basho are hundreds of years old and yet the sentiments they contain are still present in contemporary Japanese literature for example the novels of Japan's most revered contemporary author Haruki Murakami in his novel what I write about when I write about running Murakami States no matter how mundane some action might appear keep at it long enough and it becomes a contemplative even meditative act this zen-like sensibility permeates much of Murakami's work his 1987 novel Norwegian Wood is a contemplation of memory and it's leg see as time passes the narrator recalls a relationship from his youth that develops while he and his friend Naoto take a series of walks through Tokyo the walks take on a meditative ritualistic quality in the novel and because they are viewed through the prism of memory they are also highly nostalgic perhaps evoking a kind of mana no owari in this passage from the novel the protagonist writes a letter afternoons are quiet peaceful and for me lonely I read books or listen to music sometimes I think back on the different routes we used to take on our Sunday walks around Tokyo I can come up with a pretty clear picture of the clothes you were wearing on any particular walk I remember all kinds of things on Sunday afternoons although Morikami is a contemporary author with some definite Western influences his novels incorporate themes and aesthetics drawn from traditional Japanese literature as well but what about more modern mediums like film [Music] early Japanese cinema delved into several different genres most prominently adaptations of Kabuki theater however Japan didn't truly develop its own unique cinematic voice until the early work of filmmakers like TN Asuka kinugasa Kenji Mizoguchi and yasujiro ozu of course the early days of Japanese cinema were chock-full of some fast paced samurai action but filmmakers like azu began to introduce a slower more meditative narrative style in this final shot of bows oohs iconic 1953 film Tokyo story an old man sits on a tatami mat Fanning himself while looking out at the channel that his house overlooks we are meant to see the characters loneliness and isolation in this moment but also as he reflects on his life his purpose and those he has lost we do the same this moment is melancholy but there is also a kind of beauty behind the sadness one of OSes contemporaries Akira Kurosawa achieves a similar effect in the film released the previous year Akira upon learning he has a terminal diagnosis the hopeless bureaucrat Watanabe decides to use his little remaining time to accomplish one truly selfless act approving a playground to be built in a neighborhood that badly needs it Watanabe spends his final night in the newly completed playground singing the gondola song as snow falls the changing of seasons are hugely important to Japanese art and culture and especially to the concept of Bona no owari this scene is the first time we see snow falling in the film and it aids in creating a melancholy but beautiful atmosphere as well as symbolizing the final season of Watanabe life OHS ooh and Kurosawa paved the way for the Japanese New Wave during which filmmakers like Nagisa Oshima show hey Emma Mora and Hiroshi Teshigahara were able to develop the Japanese cinematic language even further while still drawing from Japanese storytelling tradition Hiro cazuca Rita is a contemporary director but draws from this tradition as well in his 2008 films still walking he also utilizes a ritualized act which is not surprisingly walking the film depicts a family reunion and annual commemoration for the loss of their eldest son who died 12 years prior the stubborn patriarch of the family kyo Hey opens the film by taking one of his daily walks around the neighborhood this action is repeated several times by various family members in the film and always during an emotional turning point in the story at the midpoint the family visits the grave of the lost son without Kyoya while they walk yo haze surviving son Ryota hints at the unfair expectations his father has placed on him more during these on ricardio do you know I got it well I was a little boy during the conclusion yo hey Ryota and his adopted son at sushi all walk together the three generations walking together suggests the various stages of life as time passes and Ryota finally accepts his father despite his many grievances toward him the walks allow the audience time to experience that moment in the story in full soak it in and through this fully understand the emotions of the characters before the story progresses but does savoring the moment extend to japan's world renowned animation aka anime because animation is so labor-intensive its narratives are traditionally tight and quickly paced every second of the final product requires considerable production time and expense so animated films traditionally do not waste time with moments that are not pushing the story forward or engaging the audience with action however this classic scene from Hayao Miyazaki's 1988 film my neighbor totoro turns that notion on ted it's rare you see this kind of pacing in animation it allows the audience time to experience what the protagonist Satsuki does in a natural way the viewer has time to experience the little details of the scene that might otherwise be overlooked the sound of the rain and Toros footsteps as he walks through a puddle the image of his wet fur as he scratches it the dark mysterious forest that surrounds the bus-stop the pacing of the scene allows us to experience all these little details and as a result we are transported to the bus stop with the characters it is difficult to justify exactly why a shot up tutorial scratching his fur matters to the story and yet miyazaki knew all these little details were essential in order to create the distinct atmosphere and fully draw the audience into the experience of the scene another example comes from the animated films of director Makoto Shinkai his 2013 film the garden of words follows a young man to Keo who meets an older woman Yukari in the Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden notices her it takes a full minute before either of them speaks of work while pauses and silences are often used to build tension in the West this minute is strangely comfortable the time is spent establishing the atmosphere of the scene the sound of rain a shot of the nearby stream and Tokyo's pencil as he sketches as we focus on the seemingly inconsequential details our minds shift away from anticipating what will come next and instead begin to absorb the present moment experiencing it as the characters do as the story progresses Takeo and Yukari meet regularly in the garden and always during rainy days once again these scenes become meditative and very ritualized in nature and always achieving that beautifully sad atmosphere Japanese gardens adhere to a long tradition of aesthetic and philosophical principles rooted in Shinto and Zen Buddhism and are meant to provide a peaceful harmonious experience so the choice of setting for these meetings is very much deliberate [Music] early videogames focused on gameplay and game mechanics storylines were minimal and the experience was typically fast-paced and intense however if you play video games through the 80s and 90s during the era dominated by Japanese console games you might have found at times a more peaceful experience in the last few years peaceful meditative games have developed into a fairly successful genre but in the early days of gaming savoring the moment was completely antithetical to the standard model of game design in spite of this Japanese developers managed to work these kinds of experiences into their games from time to time for example the towns in Japanese RPG games are often oddly peaceful sanctuaries with a sentimental and sometimes melancholy atmosphere this is a no small part aided by the stunningly emotive and ethereal music scores that somehow reach beyond the limitations of their small file size [Music] what country other than Japan could have possibly produced a cult hit game in the mid 90s about farming granted the American game Sim Farm predates it but the 1996 Japanese game Harvest Moon manages to imbue such joy and fulfillment into the seemingly mundane act of farming the changing of the seasons again plays a role in establishing the atmosphere over time Harvest Moon and other Japanese game series like Animal Crossing helped to make these themes more prevalent in gaming even in successful Western produced games like Journey Ori and the blind forest and minecraft which also allows you to savor the moment from time to time considering this trend in Japanese storytelling it may seem ironic that Japan has one of the most intense work cultures in the world the standard long hours and constant pressure in the Japanese workplace doesn't seem very conducive towards savoring the moment but perhaps that's why Japan needs these moments of respite and perspective perhaps an appreciation for the fleeting beauty of life allows Japanese society to persevere and thus it has become an essential aspect of their storytelling style while these concepts are somewhat foreign in the West we could potentially learn profound things from them not just in art but in the way we approach life slowing things down from time to time to fully experience a moment not only enjoy but also an appreciation for its fleeting beauty if something I believe more Westerners could benefit from but that's just my theory if you agree or disagree let me know in the comments below what Japanese books manga films and anime have you noticed contain a good example of savoring the moment or Moana no owari like and subscribe if you want to see another video covering another aspect of Japanese storytelling or the storytelling style of another culture until next time sayonara [Music]

Channel: StoryDive

Views: 38,188

Rating: 4.9640779 out of 5

Keywords: Anime, Japanese, Storytelling, Mythology, Films, Movies, Literature, Writers, Manga, Books, Art, Hayao Miyazaki, Studio Ghibli, Akira Kurosawa, Yasujiro Ozu, Makato Shinkai, Your Name, My Neighbor Totoro, Spirited Away, Ghibli, Stories, Ikiru (1952), Tokyo Story (1953), Analysis, Earthbound, Breakdown, Mother, Nintendo, RPGs, Japanese Style, Tale of Genju, Matsuo Basho, Miyazaki, Iyashikei, Mono no aware, Japanese Ma, Ma, Animal Crossing

Id: WuEUK4mbdZI

Length: 18min 18sec (1098 seconds)

Published: Tue Jul 04 2017