essay by JUN’ICHIRŌ TANIZAKI The famous writer Jun’ichirō Tanizaki (1886-1965) examined Japan’s cultural identity and the clash between Western modernity and traditional values in his book ‘In Praise of Shadows’. It described the subtle art of shadows in Japanese interiors and the delicate relationship between light and darkness in everyday life. I possess no specialized knowledge of architecture, but I understand that in the Gothic cathedral of the West, the roof is thrust up and up so as to place its pinnacle as high in the heavens as possible — and that herein is thought to lie its special beauty. In the temples of Japan, on the other hand, a roof of heavy tiles is first laid out, and in the deep, spacious shadows created by the eaves, the rest of the structure is built. Nor is this true only of temples; in the palaces of the nobility and…