Departures and other stuff

Many people asked me why I liked Japanese culture during my stay in Europe. I tried to answer and somehow I often felt bad after because what I said didn't seemed attractive or convincing even to my own ears. Once Stine asked me this question and I told her that there were many ideas which existed only in Asian culture I couldn't explain in English. She asked me to explain it in Chinese instead. I tried, but it didn't work. The truth is, I didn't think about why I like Japanese culture before I left Taiwan. Most Taiwanese people adore Japan so no one asks me this question and I don't need to think about it. I guess the situation will be quite similar if a Dane is being asked why there are so many irony in Danish language or why Danes like Lakeries? These are something we aren't aware of if we're still in the environment.

When I watched Departures(by Yojiro Takita) this afternoon, suddenly I felt I could provide a more proper answer now: I appreciate Japanese people can lead their life in such a modern(westernized) way but at the same time their traditional spirit is still deeply rooted in their daily life. Besides this charming and smart mixture, their tradition itself is fascinating, ex. ceremony, ritual, philosophy...etc. It's also one of the rare cultures that always try to deal with the issues of death: death, the passing of time, ever lost moment... and face it in a special way.

Departures, a beautiful movie http://www.departures-themovie.com/index.html

these 2 are also nice:

Sweet Rain (by Masaya Kakei)

Cherry Blossoms- Hanami (by Doris Dorrie)