This is Japanese culture: silence, evanescence and simplicity

When I went to Meiji-jingu / 明治神宮 (a well-known Shrine in Tokyo) with my Slovak friend two months ago, we came across a sort of wedding parade. The bride and groom, who wore traditional Japanese bridal clothing, and their relatives were walking in a line. Shinto priests（神主/kannushi) and female attendants (巫女/miko) were leading them (Please see the attached picture). They were heading to the main hall where their wedding ceremony was going to be held. My friend was very excited and asked me why there was no music. I told her that silence is an important part of Japanese culture. She just said "I see.......". Actually, although there was no music around the people, I heard  "雅楽/gagaku" traditional Japanese music (Please see the Youtube video), coming from the main hall. I thought that it must have sounded so solemn and feeble that she wasn't able to catch it. I was sure that the sound was totally different from what she expected.

As you may know, Japanese people love 桜/Sakura (cherry blossoms). In March or April, regardless of age and gender, people pay great attention to when and where cherry blossoms will bloom since they usually last only about a week. It's been said that people find cherry blossoms more beautiful and valuable because of their ephemerality. As I wrote in my last post, we traditionally think that everything is constantly changing, and nothing lasts forever. Actually, this way of thinking is reflected in the Buddhist teaching of "諸行無常/shogyo-mujyo (Everything is evanescent)", but I don't think people are aware of that fact. They just naturally think that way because it's Japanese tradition. Anyway, this traditional way of thinking can explain why Japanese people love cherry blossoms.

When you eat popular Japanese food, you'll find much of it very simple. Let's use Sashimi/刺身 as an example. I think that many people would say that Sashimi is just sliced raw fish. However, it's been said that cooking simply is the most difficult way of cooking, and if you don't have enough skill and don't devote enough time and care, you can't prepare simple foods. It's been thought that seemingly simple Japanese food doesn't make you realize that a great deal of time and care have been devoted, and it can make the food more valuable.