In Praise of Shadows

It was David Mitchell who first introduced me to the genius of Tanizaki, and I have read most of that which is in translation, starting with The Key and including Some Prefer Nettles. Have no doubt, Tanizaki was a highly intelligent and multi-skilled author. In Praise of Shadows is an essay on aesthetics. While it would be facile to compare it to Adorno/Benjamin, the work is more than just a set of considerations about beauty from a Japanese perspective. Sure, Tanizaki evokes the simple joy from a ceramic bowl or traditional tea ceremony, but within there is a call to arms contained. Tanizaki was perspicacious enough to recognise the growing encroachment of Western culture into Japan. It is an uneasy recognition: change/modernisation, in his view, is not always for the best. In Praise is precisely that: a homage to the unique ways of Japan. Definitely a book for Nipponophiles, not rated.

By Jun'ichirō Tanizaki