Praise Of Shadows

Jun’ichirō Tanizaki uses In Praise of Shadows to relate to the audience by talking about the multitude of differences between traditional Japanese aesthetics and modern western inventions. He shows how these differences affect the past culture, causing it to fade away with the introduction of innovations that are more useful, beneficial, and efficient. There are many aspects of different beliefs on the same idea that the author should be open-minded about. The audience has insights on the author’s perspective on many of the presented objects and places talked about throughout the book. The author manipulates his many favorable views of his personal recollections and his outlook on every detail with everything he introduces in the book.

In the book he states “ … seemed somehow to acquire a real depth, and to become infinitely more appetizing as well”(16). The author relays to the audience that everything has a purpose when dealing with traditional Japanese aesthetics, nothing is left out and each role has a significant way that affects the person. Moreover, his language and word choice throughout the book shows the audience that he has a deep passion and sticks to what he believes in which is evident with everything he talks about.
Many of the concepts talked about by Tanizaki embraces the flaws of people and teaches people to be comfortable about how they are and what they look like, not to be influenced by others. The author speaks to the audience through the words of his book, when he expresses how he feels on the subject of beauty. Tanizaki communicates “ The man's beauty is his own; our eyes are in no way deceived”(24). When he talks about eyes being deceived, he refers to how makeup, which is often used in the western culture in relation to beauty is how people try to hide themselves because they feel as though their true features don't satisfy others or they would be judged, but with makeup they can cover their imperfections so that people will notice them, and they feel better about themselves, but the author is trying to convey to the audience that beauty isn't what is on the exterior, and that you shouldn't cover your face; true beauty is found