Tanizaki's In Praise of Shadows

Tanizaki's In Praise of Shadows is a beauty. I read it in a day. It is an essay on the beauty of darkness and shadows. His tone his rather harsh towards Westerners; he claims that Japanese society has been too spoiled/influenced by Western ideals that the nation has lost its independent pride. Furthermore, he takes a stance by stating that Westerners strive for too much light, and that it harms the natural shadow. In other words, artificial light hides the aesthetic shape of darkness. Throughout the entire essay, he writes about the beauty of shadows and darkness. He talks about darkness in lacquer ware, jade, architecture/interior of the traditional Japanese house, toilets, food, women, and the like.  Below are some evocative quotes. 

"The scroll and the flowers serve not as ornament but rather to give depth to the shadows."

"We find beauty not in the thing itself but in the patterns of shadows, the light and the darkness, that one thing against another creates."

"The older we get the more we seem to think that everything was better in the past."

And this last quote, still is somewhat true today. 

"The conveniences of modern culture cater exclusively to youth, and that the times grow increasingly inconsiderate of old people."

Notice how the photograph of the book blends in with the desk. 

谷崎の「陰翳礼讃」を読み終えました。良かったよ。