Japanese Consciousness of Narrowing from the Perspective of Architecture

One of the characteristics of Japanese culture is the “consciousness of narrowing”. Sei Shonagon once wrote in “The Pillow Book” that “no matter what, small things are exquisite.” The Japanese people's awareness of the beauty of smallness is widespread and is reflected in every aspect, and it can be said that “smallness” exists everywhere in Japan. Japan is a small island country surrounded by the sea on all sides, in such a geographical environment, the Japanese people have developed a “consciousness of narrowing”. This “consciousness of narrowing” has had a profound impact on many aspects of Japanese society, and has led to the formation of a unique Japanese culture. Culturally, the Japanese art of flower arrangement and architecture also pursues subtlety and delicacy in form and structure, and favors a small and exquisite style in its aesthetic sense. Throughout the history of mankind, no matter what era, architecture has always served to protect mankind and avoid danger. Even though the style of architecture has changed with the change of time, the cultural connotation embodied in it is still preserved. Therefore, this thesis analyzes the causes and effects of the “consciousness of narrowing” on Japanese society to further understand the unique culture of the Japanese people. At the same time, by citing representative Japanese buildings and understanding the “consciousness of narrowing” embodied in them, it is hoped that the national character and aesthetic sense of the Japanese people can be further understood, and that Sino-Japanese cultural exchanges can be promoted. At the end of this thesis, we will briefly compare the differences between Japanese traditional culture and Chinese traditional culture represented by “consciousness of narrowing”, hoping to further understand Japanese culture on this basis, and to help promote cultural exchanges between China and Japan.