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Abstract:
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The Japanese mentality is often characterized by its secretiveness and non-expression in various social contexts. Culturally, it is regarded as a virtue not to reveal our capacity and strength. The essence and knowledge of traditional art and craftsmanship at the highest levels is kept esoteric and should not be propagated to the general public, as truly essential and valuable points could not be verbally expressed or revealed. In the past, some psychoanalysts, such as T.Doi and O.Kitayama, have dealt with the issue of secretiveness and non-expression. This secretiveness and non-expression apparently have some merits and even a social role. It inhibits envy and competitiveness that a show of one’s capacity and strength would elicit in others. Also, they protect both one’s strength and vulnerability by keeping these invisible to others as well as to oneself, so that they remain unchallenged and unharmed by others. This invites an important question about the Oedipus in Japan. Is our secretiveness a way of avoiding Oedipal confrontations with others? Is it defeat or a higher tactic? The author considers that in Japanese society, the Oedipal dynamic exists in a rather convoluted way due to the passive and secretive nature of the Japanese people.
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