XV.  AESTHETIC CHARACTERISTICS

The wide development of the aesthetic sense in Japan—­Japanese aesthetic development is unbalanced—­The sense of smell—­Painting—­Japanese art pays slight attention to the human form—­Sociological interpretation—­The nude in Japanese art—­Relation to the social order—­Art and immorality—­Caricature—­Fondness for the abnormal in nature—­Abnormal stones—­Tosa cocks—­AEsthetics of speech—­The aesthetic sense and the use of personal pronouns—­Deficiency of the aesthetic development in regard to speech—­Sociological explanations—­Close relation of aesthetics and conduct—­Sociological explanation for the wide development of the aesthetic sense—­The classes lived in close proximity—­The spirit of dependence and imitation—­Universality of culture more apparent than real—­Defects of aesthetic taste—­Defective etiquette—­How accounted for—­Old and new conditions—­“Western taste debasing Japanese art”—­Illustration of aboriginal aesthetic defects—­Colored photographs—­AEsthetic defects of popular shrines—­The aesthetics of music—­Experience of the Hawaiian people—­Literary aesthetic development—­Aston quoted—­Architectural aesthetic development—­AEsthetic development is sociological rather than biological, 170

XVI.  MEMORY—­IMITATION

Psychological unity of the East and the West—­Brain size and social evolution—­The size of the Japanese brain—­Memory—­Learning Chinese characters—­Social selection and mnemonic power—­Japanese memory in daily life—­Memory of uncivilized and semi-civilized peoples—­Hindu memory—­Max Mueller quoted—­Japanese acquisition of foreign languages—­The argument from language for the social as against the biological distinction of races—­The faculty of imitation; is not to be despised—­Prof.  Chamberlain’s over-emphasis of Japanese imitation—­Originality in adopting Confucianism and Buddhism—­“Shinshu”—­“Nichirenshu”—­Adoption of Chinese philosophy—­Dr. Knox’s over-emphasis of servile adoption—­Our ignorance of Japanese history of thought—­A reason for Occidental misunderstanding—­The incubus of governmental initiative—­Relation of imitation to the social order, 189

XVII.  ORIGINALITY—­INVENTIVENESS

Originality in art—­Authoritative suppression of originality—­Townsend Harris quoted—­Suppression of Christianity and of heterodox Confucianism—­Modern suppression of historical research—­Yet Japan is not wholly lacking in originality—­Recent discoveries and inventions—­Originality in borrowing from the West—­Quotations from a native paper, 203

XVIII.  INDIRECTNESS—­“NOMINALITY”

“Roundaboutness”—­Some advantages of this characteristic—­Illustrations—­Study of English for direct and accurate habits of thought—­Rapid modern growth of directness—­“Nominality”—­All Japanese history an illustration—­The Imperial rule only nominal—­The daimyo as a figure-head—­“Nominality” in ordinary life—­In family relations—­Illustrations in Christian work—­A “nominal” express train—­“Nominality” and the social order, 210