Transcriber: Takahiro Shimpo Reviewer: Angel Hsu
This year has been a significant year for me.
I had a very sad event
and very wonderful news.
The sad event is that my father passed away.
The wonderful-happy event is that
Mt. Fuji was inscribed on the UNESCO's World Heritage list.
My father was brought up in the city of Numazu
in Shizuoka prefecture, which is the host to Mt. Fuji.
And he spent all his school days
worshiping and admiring Mt. Fuji.
So it is quite natural that
he had been dreaming of the day
when Mt. Fuji is designated as a World Heritage.
He resigned many years ago
and moved to Atami, another city in Shizuoka prefecture
which is known to be a wonderful resort town
and lived there until the age of 94.
Early May, when I learned that ICOMOS,
which is the advisory body of UNESCO,
made a recommendation that Fuji-san should be inscribed
on the World Heritage list.
So I immediately went to see my father
in the hospital in Atami
to share this wonderful news with my father.
He, who was already unable to speak
opened his eyes, gave me a big smile
and took my hand.
And that was my last conversation with my father.
He passed away a few hours later, before dawn.
6 weeks later
Mt. Fuji was officially designated as a World Cultural Heritage.
What is significant here is that
Mt. Fuji was designated as a World Cultural Heritage
and not World Natural Heritage.
It is not its beautiful landscape
but its role as a source of artistic inspiration
that was appreciated by UNESCO.
Mt. Fuji inspired many Japanese artists
ranging from the poets who appear in Manyosyu
the oldest anthology of Japanese short poem, Waka
to Katsushika Hokusai
and other woodblock print artists in Edo period.
The essence of traditional Japanese aesthetic comes from
Japanese unique views of nature, I believe.
The Western civilization places humans above nature
because humans have reason
whereas in Japan people tend to think that
even humans are no more than part of nature
and seek a lifestyle which unites with nature
and never challenge it head on.
These unique views of nature developed by the Japanese
are best represented in the making of Japanese gardens.
Japanese gardens are made in full harmony with natural landscape
Sakuteiki, which is an instruction book on garden making
published in the 11th century tells that
if you want to make the best Japanese garden
you have to follow what nature tells you.
This is in a sharp contrast with the Western gardens.
The garden of the Palais de Versaille
outside of Paris in France
is geometrically designed, composed of straight lines
complete circles and total symmetry
asserting human superiority over nature.
However there are no either straight lines or complete circles
no perfect symmetry in the real world.
They only exist in human brain.
The similar difference exists in the world of ceramic wear.
Royal Copenhagen tea cup
is very assertive in trying to make as a perfect round as possible
whereas Japanese Raku-Yaki
the tea ceremony bowl
is intentionally distorted.
Japanese feel it is very comfortable
because it is natural.
The Japanese respect for nature
places animals as equal partners of the humans.
In Yuzuru, one of the most famous
and the widely-loved Opera in Japan
a crane, Tsuru, transforms itself into a human lady
to help the man who saved its life.
This may never happen in the Western civilization
because in the Western civilization
people are supposed to be superior to nature.
So maybe a demon transforms a man into a swan
but animals do not transform themselves to express their emotions.
Japanese believe that
people or humans are only part of nature
goes on to accept that even furniture has emotion.
This is Otogi-zoshi scroll of the medieval ages.
This tells a story about a group of furniture
which were thrown out into this corner of a garden,
got angry about it
and tried to threaten humans as a revenge
by transforming themselves into monsters and demons.
So this is scientifically impossible
therefore sounds totally absurd
to most of the people in the West
but Japanese, more or less accept it
without much difficulty.
Now these Japanese unique views of nature
are based on the mixture of awe for and love of nature
developed over the centuries.
You may wonder why the Japanese have developed
such ideas, such unique views of nature.
The answer is the wonderful scenic views
natural beauties with distinct 4 seasons.
And the disasters beyond human control
such as volcano eruptions or earthquakes.
And rich natural resources such as blossoms, fruits, vegetables, fish
that embrace the people
immediately after disaster.
So I think these unique views of nature
developed and held by the Japanese
should be better appreciated by contemporary Japanese
and also should be shared by the rest of the world
for the following reasons.
One, this approach will help us develop
high level of respect for nature
which is significantly important to deal with environmental issues
to protect the environment of the planet
including our fight against global warming.
Second, this will help us develop
sympathy, compassion for others
which is vitally again important
to enhance mutual understanding
amongst the people of different cultural backgrounds.
And third, this will lead us to the acceptance of diversity
which will let us avoid unnecessary conflicts
and will help us build true world peace.
So I hope the designation of Mt. Fuji as a World Cultural Heritage
will highlight the importance of these traditional views of nature
held by the Japanese
and demonstrate the relevance in the 21st century civilizatoin.
Ladies and gentlemen
let me invite you to go back to the life of a diplomat.
They say, when a diplomat says "Yes"
he means "Perhaps".
When he says "Perhaps",
he means "No".
And if he says "No"
he is no diplomat. (Laughter)
And when I said "Yes" to the invitation
from TEDxKyoto, I really meant it
because this will provide me with a wonderful opportunity
to get this message across.
And this is exactly what my father wanted me to do
after the official inscription of Mt. Fuji on the World Heritage list.
Thank you very much.
(Applause)