[jdgc]

Shibuya itself has been totally ripped up and reconstructed over the past few years, and people are tripping over themselves to appeal to western sensibilities as much as possible. Please stop with the orientalist hyperbole

[hinkley]

The US and Europe have historical preservation societies. Some people like it, some are satisfied by it, some go farther afield. I don’t think it’s “orientalist” necessarily to be interested in historical preservation of other cultures.

Is an interest [in] eastern philosophy orientalism?

I once heard it described that Shintoism is the undercurrent in Japanese society and industry in the same way that Calvinism is the undercurrent in America. Few practice it but everyone knows it subconsciously. There are a couple of famous books that look at Zen through the lens of arts like garden design or archery. I see a similar pattern in Chinese crafts and martial arts, vis a vis daoism, Confucianism, or ch’an (zen).

I’m sure someone not steeped in Christianity would see the same thing in our culture. But it’s like asking a fish to describe water.

[yamazakiwi]

In one of your previous comments you wrote: I've lived in Japan for many years and its essentially a western nation with a stronger social conformity / shame culture.

I have also lived in Japan and I don't know how you could believe that is true. Westerners usually experience culture shock when visiting Japan.

Japan is 98% Japanese by population.