Japanese culture

　Japanese have a unique idea called “Ma.” “Ma” is the spatial or chronic intervals that characterize Japanese culture. It has much influence for Japanese idea and the way of expression. The range of its influence is very broad, and reach from Japanese life-style to art. Especially, “Ma” is often reminded in Japanese traditional art like “Noh”, “Kabuki” and “Gagaku.” And in art that has no motion like bonsai and calligraphy, “Ma” is reminded.
For example, in Noh, audiences tend to feel tired and troublesomeness when a performance is too perfect as audiences hardly have time to catch their breath. However performance is good, this phenomenon always happen. But if performer purposely refrain from his performance moderately, audiences enjoy that performance and concentrate on it. Saving his performance purposely like this is called in Japanese “Suki” means “an aperture,” and this aperture is very “Ma”, which makes Noh enjoyable and deeply significant. In a similar way, in other arts, “Ma” makes them enjoyable and deeply significant.
In Japanese dairy life, “Ma” is necessary. If any “Ma” like “Ma” among talks, chronic “Ma” and spatial “Ma” are not exist , we must live always feeling strictness. So, it is the Japanese idea to create emotional, chronic and spatial composure in dairy life. However, though “Ma” is very important, “Ma” itself is not usually reminded. It is on the ware and not noticeable. And this character can give us composure in dairy life that tend to be busy.
Then, how used “Ma” in modern society. Modern Japanese become very busy, and people are given many characters, roles and duties. And to make matter worse, in modern Japan, the mass say this tendency is good, and if we try to keep “Ma,” we must feel a sense of estrangement. Then, people take small “Ma” in dairy life. This means people have hobbies like travel, playing sports or game, and listening music. Modern Japanese get emotional composure by this way.
Thus, “Ma” always supports Japanese culture and dairy life from the earliest times to modern inconspicuously. I think this “Ma” is the very Japanese fundamental sensitivity.