Relying on words
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When people say “there’s no communication between parents and children”, this is an American way of thinking. In Japan we didn’t need spoken communication between parents and children. A glance at the face, a glance at the back and we understood enough. That was our way of thinking, and it was because we had true communication of the heart. It’s when we took as our model a culture relying on words with problems that things went wrong. Although we live in a society replete with problems that words cannot ever solve, we think we can solve with words, and this is where things go wrong. An astonishing quote in Dogs and Demons written by Alex Kerr. Last months I realized how difficult it is to communicate in Kyoto with young and elderly people. I rarely meet people speaking english and the communication by the heart is sometimes even more difficult, because of traditional and cultural differences. But I think and hope that the younger generation will discuss about their problems and fascination. Language is not the most elegant way of communication but it helps to overcome entrenched ideas and loosen the traditional ties.  Cheergirls and boys on the schoolyard  Parade on junior highschool with loud marching music  children taking lunch in the park of the Imperial Palace |
