Nick Currie, a.k.a., Momus, has recorded 20 albums, written about culture for various publications and participated in The Whitney Biennial. He is the author of “The Book of Scotlands” and “The Book of Jokes,” both published this year. He lives in Berlin.
As a Scot who’s lived in the U.S., Europe and Japan, I’m convinced that Japan is far ahead when it comes to the aesthetics of everyday life. Of course, the cultural relativist in me balks at that, objecting that American, European and Japanese ways of doing things are simply “different.” And an alarm is also set off by my preference for the older cultures’ way of doing things; might I simply be a romantic conservative, preferring the traditional to the modern?
Do American culture value convenience over elegance?
Perhaps. But I see traits in American culture that mirror my Scottish culture: namely, the value placed on efficiency, thrift and convenience over beauty and elegance.
Where time is money, sandwiches are food — and of course, it was a British earl for whom the sandwich is named (he thought it was a faster food delivery system). In Japan they have the bento box, an ancient and elegant way to pack the maximum amount of food, all in a graceful, compact space.
Although the bento box is itself a fast food delivery system, aesthetics are important; an ekiben, for instance, is a bento sold in a train station, usually wrapped in a gorgeous traditional patterned paper cover somewhat akin to a summer kimono. It’s a far cry from a Burger King box, and the food inside leaves your body in better shape too.
