---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Japan is very cosmopolitan - it values…"
description: "\"Japan is very cosmopolitan - it values its origins, but a world view hovers above this narrow perspective. The interest of the Japanese in their folk c..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/14f/f-sionil-jos-2399_above_japan-is-very-cosmopolitan-it-values-its_2318900.jpg"
---

#  Japan is very cosmopolitan - it values its origins, but a…

![“Japan is very cosmopolitan - it values its origins, but a world view hovers above this narrow perspective. The interest of the Japanese in their folk culture is transcendental.” quote by F. Sionil Jose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/14f/f-sionil-jos-2399_above_japan-is-very-cosmopolitan-it-values-its_2318900.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/14f/f-sionil-jos-2399_above_japan-is-very-cosmopolitan-it-values-its_2318900.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/14f/f-sionil-jos-2399_above_japan-is-very-cosmopolitan-it-values-its_2318900.jpg)

> “Japan is very cosmopolitan - it values its origins, but a world view hovers above this narrow perspective. The interest of the Japanese in their folk culture is transcendental.”

[F. Sionil Jose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-sionil-jos/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Japan embraces modernity while honoring its roots; its folk culture transcends everyday life, offering deeper meaning.

**In simple terms:** Modern Japan respects tradition yet looks beyond.

Key Takeaway

Appreciate cultural depth while engaging globally.

Themes

culture modernity tradition identity

Mood

contemplative inspired

Type

philosophical cultural

When to use this quote

- travel
- education
- artistic projects
- international collaboration

Key Concepts

cultural continuity global perspective transcendence

Questions to Reflect On

- How can societies honor tradition while innovating?
- What role does folk culture play in modern identity?

A Different Perspective

Focusing on heritage may limit innovation if not balanced.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Culture](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/culture/) [Folk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/folk/) [Interest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/interest/) [Japan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/japan/) [Japanese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/japanese/) [Origins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/origins/) [Perspective](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/perspective/) [Transcendental](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/transcendental/) [Values](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/values/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) [World view](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world-view/)

## Related quotes

> [I don't purchase records. I do enjoy listening to things like Japanese folk music or Indian music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lennon/i-don-t-purchase-records-i-do-enjoy-listening-to-things-like-japanese/)

[John Lennon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lennon/)

> [“Roosevelt loved the subtleties of human relations...He was sensitive to nuances in a way that Harry Truman never was and never would be. Truman,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mccullough/roosevelt-loved-the-subtleties-of-human-relations-he-was-sensitive-to/)

[David McCullough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mccullough/)

> [I go for cosmopolitan cities, and I like to be in the middle of everything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-urie/i-go-for-cosmopolitan-cities-and-i-like-to-be-in-the-middle-of/)

[Michael Urie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-urie/)

> [“Who are theologians? What kind of self-identity could or should a theologian claim? Should a theologian be a defender or transmitter of Christian \_tradition\_?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/namsoon-kang/who-are-theologians-what-kind-of-self-identity-could-or-should-a/)

[Namsoon Kang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/namsoon-kang/)

> [“What could be more fundamental to our sense of meaning and purpose than a conception of whether the strivings of the human race over…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-pinker/what-could-be-more-fundamental-to-our-sense-of-meaning-and-purpose/)

[Steven Pinker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-pinker/)

> [“the overall theme of theology can be twofold: the search for meaning and the responsibility one has to the others.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/namsoon-kang/the-overall-theme-of-theology-can-be-twofold-the-search-for-meaning/)

[Namsoon Kang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/namsoon-kang/)

> [I wanted a literate, socially intricate, and cosmopolitan world - something I could have fun destroying.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-scott-bakker/i-wanted-a-literate-socially-intricate-and-cosmopolitan-world/)

[R. Scott Bakker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-scott-bakker/)

> [All good men are international. Nearly all bad men are cosmopolitan. If we are to be international we must be national.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gilbert-k-chesterton/all-good-men-are-international-nearly-all-bad-men-are-cosmopolitan-if/)

[Gilbert K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gilbert-k-chesterton/)

> [My parents are very modern. My father is a cosmopolitan person. He always supported the fact that I will be an actress. There is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kareena-kapoor-khan/my-parents-are-very-modern-my-father-is-a-cosmopolitan-person-he/)

[Kareena Kapoor Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kareena-kapoor-khan/)

> [New York is at once cosmopolitan and parochial, a compendium of sentimental certainties. It is in fact the most sentimental of the world's great…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-gregory-dunne/new-york-is-at-once-cosmopolitan-and-parochial-a-compendium-of/)

[John Gregory Dunne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-gregory-dunne/)

> [For those who struggle with anti-pagan prejudices and stereotypes, Humanist Paganism might be a powerful educational tool. It can show that a pagan can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brendan-myers/for-those-who-struggle-with-anti-pagan-prejudices-and-stereotypes/)

[Brendan Myers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brendan-myers/)

> [I love downtown Seattle. It's a city that has all of the outdoor activities and is still a very cosmopolitan city.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-lemond/i-love-downtown-seattle-it-s-a-city-that-has-all-of-the-outdoor/)

[Greg LeMond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-lemond/)

> [“I believe theology should be about one's way of life, a kind of gaze into onesself and others, and a mode of one's profound…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/namsoon-kang/i-believe-theology-should-be-about-one-s-way-of-life-a-kind-of-gaze/)

[Namsoon Kang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/namsoon-kang/)

> [“Cosmopolitan theology affirms and radicalizes the belief that the Divine creates each and every human being as equal to every one else as a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/namsoon-kang/cosmopolitan-theology-affirms-and-radicalizes-the-belief-that-the/)

[Namsoon Kang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/namsoon-kang/)

> [“I want to affirm that thinking and living, knowing and doing, theory and practice intersect.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/namsoon-kang/i-want-to-affirm-that-thinking-and-living-knowing-and-doing-theory/)

[Namsoon Kang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/namsoon-kang/)

## More by F. Sionil Jose

> [“There is nothing like the land you belong to claiming you back. But everywhere the earth is the same. -Old David”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-sionil-jos/there-is-nothing-like-the-land-you-belong-to-claiming-you-back-but/)

[F. Sionil José](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-sionil-jos/)

> [“Indeed time has that ultimate capacity to render the passions of the past when recalled in the present as no more than grandiloquent gestures.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-sionil-jos/indeed-time-has-that-ultimate-capacity-to-render-the-passions-of-the/)

[F. Sionil José](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-sionil-jos/)

> [Class - or the economic status of individuals - is evident in all societies, some very well stratified by a rigid caste system determined…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-sionil-jos/class-or-the-economic-status-of-individuals-is-evident-in-all/)

[F. Sionil Jose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-sionil-jos/)

> [We write from life and call it literature, and literature lives because we are in it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-sionil-jos/we-write-from-life-and-call-it-literature-and-literature-lives/)

[F. Sionil José](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-sionil-jos/)

> [I can imagine the writers of China, England and France, crippled and unsure of themselves when they feel that the ghosts of Confucius, Mencius,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-sionil-jos/i-can-imagine-the-writers-of-china-england-and-france-crippled-and/)

[F. Sionil Jose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-sionil-jos/)

> [Always remember: the alleviation of poverty is never a political or economic issue - it is moral.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-sionil-jos/always-remember-the-alleviation-of-poverty-is-never-a-political-or/)

[F. Sionil Jose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-sionil-jos/)

> [In the end, religion teaches us to value truth, justice and freedom.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-sionil-jos/in-the-end-religion-teaches-us-to-value-truth-justice-and-freedom/)

[F. Sionil Jose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-sionil-jos/)

> [My reading of philosophy and history is desultory; I know so much and yet so little.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-sionil-jos/my-reading-of-philosophy-and-history-is-desultory-i-know-so-much-and/)

[F. Sionil Jose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-sionil-jos/)

> [Life is always sad. That's what makes suicide so tempting because life is all that we really have and haven't. Death makes us equals,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-sionil-jos/life-is-always-sad-that-s-what-makes-suicide-so-tempting-because-life/)

[F. Sionil José](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-sionil-jos/)

> [We recognize the distinctness of Asian art when we turn to its traditional forms, recognize it as Japanese, Chinese and Indian, even Balinese or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-sionil-jos/we-recognize-the-distinctness-of-asian-art-when-we-turn-to-its/)

[F. Sionil Jose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-sionil-jos/)

> [“There is nothing in the world which an artist cannot recreate into something poetic, ennobling. And why do we read these things? They are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-sionil-jos/there-is-nothing-in-the-world-which-an-artist-cannot-recreate-into/)

[F. Sionil José](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-sionil-jos/)

> [All through history, a nation or a civilization's enduring glory is articulated by its mega constructions - the pyramids, the lofty cathedrals of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-sionil-jos/all-through-history-a-nation-or-a-civilization-s-enduring-glory-is/)

[F. Sionil Jose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-sionil-jos/)

> [Colonialism subdues in many dulcet guises. It conquered under the pretext of spreading Christianity, civilization, law and order, to make the world safe for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-sionil-jos/colonialism-subdues-in-many-dulcet-guises-it-conquered-under-the/)

[F. Sionil Jose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-sionil-jos/)

> [November is auspicious in so many parts of the country: the rice harvest is already in, the weather starts to cool, and the festive…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-sionil-jos/november-is-auspicious-in-so-many-parts-of-the-country-the-rice/)

[F. Sionil José](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-sionil-jos/)

> [“No stranger can come battering down my door and say he brings me light. This I have within me. -Istak”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-sionil-jos/no-stranger-can-come-battering-down-my-door-and-say-he-brings-me/)

[F. Sionil José](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-sionil-jos/)

[Explore all 168 F. Sionil Jose quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-sionil-jos/)

## More Above quotes

> [If you're going to reach for it, reach all the way for it. Albums like 'Purple Rain' and 'Thriller' and those kind of records,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-sitek/if-you-re-going-to-reach-for-it-reach-all-the-way-for-it-albums-like/)

[Dave Sitek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-sitek/)

> [I have found that my fan base is a bit above average when compared to the common horror fan.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-green/i-have-found-that-my-fan-base-is-a-bit-above-average-when-compared-to/)

[Adam Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-green/)

> [Ronaldo dominates this world, and Messi is above everything else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-prince-boateng/ronaldo-dominates-this-world-and-messi-is-above-everything-else/)

[Kevin-Prince Boateng](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-prince-boateng/)

> [I wasn't going to be an actor. I was going to be a lawyer. I came from a family just above working class, just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerard-butler/i-wasn-t-going-to-be-an-actor-i-was-going-to-be-a-lawyer-i-came-from/)

[Gerard Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerard-butler/)

> [I get up every morning and chop wood, and I pretty much do it seven days a week, and I like to do it.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-patterson/i-get-up-every-morning-and-chop-wood-and-i-pretty-much-do-it-seven/)

[James Patterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-patterson/)

> [We must commit ourselves to an 'all of the above' energy approach, with a major focus on increasing domestic production and expanding alternatives fuels,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-roskam/we-must-commit-ourselves-to-an-all-of-the-above-energy-approach-with/)

[Peter Roskam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-roskam/)

> [In Minnesota, we hold our leaders to a higher standard. We demand that the men and women we send to Washington stand above reproach…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-bills/in-minnesota-we-hold-our-leaders-to-a-higher-standard-we-demand-that/)

[Kurt Bills](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-bills/)

> [I've been lucky. I don't for a minute take for granted the good fortune I have had. You don't like to get ideas above…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-curran/i-ve-been-lucky-i-don-t-for-a-minute-take-for-granted-the-good/)

[Tony Curran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-curran/)

> [We lived above my father's launderette. Both my parents ran the launderette, but my father was also a factory supervisor, and my mum worked…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sanjeev-bhaskar/we-lived-above-my-father-s-launderette-both-my-parents-ran-the/)

[Sanjeev Bhaskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sanjeev-bhaskar/)

> [A good deed is not just a duty, but above all, a privilege.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shari-arison/a-good-deed-is-not-just-a-duty-but-above-all-a-privilege/)

[Shari Arison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shari-arison/)

> [The focus in the Western pictorial tradition is on the body of Christ, the bit you can paint, the Nativity and the infancy, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-macgregor/the-focus-in-the-western-pictorial-tradition-is-on-the-body-of-christ/)

[Neil MacGregor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-macgregor/)

> [If the world were an orange with 18 segments meeting at the top (the North Pole), roughly 8 of them would be in Russia,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-shoumatoff/if-the-world-were-an-orange-with-18-segments-meeting-at-the-top-the/)

[Alex Shoumatoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-shoumatoff/)

> [When I discovered acting, I decided that's what I wanted to do above everything else. It was the first time I was passionate about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-morrissey/when-i-discovered-acting-i-decided-that-s-what-i-wanted-to-do-above/)

[David Morrissey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-morrissey/)

> [It is important for the film industry to rise above ageism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dia-mirza/it-is-important-for-the-film-industry-to-rise-above-ageism/)

[Dia Mirza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dia-mirza/)

> [There's also the tradition of voodoo, the Haitian magic arts, in New Orleans. And because New Orleans is below sea level, when they bury…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-trammell/there-s-also-the-tradition-of-voodoo-the-haitian-magic-arts-in-new/)

[Sam Trammell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-trammell/)

Browse all 387 Above quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Japan is very cosmopolitan - it values its origins, but a world view hovers above this narrow perspective. The interest of the Japanese in their folk culture is transcendental.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "F. Sionil Jose"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-sionil-jos/japan-is-very-cosmopolitan-it-values-its-origins-but-a-world-view/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Above"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-sionil-jos/japan-is-very-cosmopolitan-it-values-its-origins-but-a-world-view/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/14f/f-sionil-jos-2399_above_japan-is-very-cosmopolitan-it-values-its_2318900.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/14f/f-sionil-jos-2399_above_japan-is-very-cosmopolitan-it-values-its_2318900.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/14f/f-sionil-jos-2399_above_japan-is-very-cosmopolitan-it-values-its_2318900.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Japan is very cosmopolitan - it values its origins, but a world view hovers above this narrow perspective…” — F. Sionil Jose",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "F. Sionil Jose",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-sionil-jos/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Japan is very cosmopolitan - it...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-sionil-jos/japan-is-very-cosmopolitan-it-values-its-origins-but-a-world-view/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-sionil-jos/japan-is-very-cosmopolitan-it-values-its-origins-but-a-world-view/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
