"I have never felt as though my identity were diminshed or needed replenishment or improvement in any way."

I think that one of the reasons why your identity doesn't need replenishment is because your national and cultural identity is part of what could be described as the majority. It's the paradigm through which everything else is assessed. The global standard, so to speak. As a result, why would you need to feel diminished?

This is NOT to imply that this 'global standard' is wrong or evil or anything like that at all. Far, far, far from it. But when one talks about equality, freedom etc, well, as they say, "We were all created equal, only some are more equal than others." Within a small grouping (for example Australia), this is quite obvious for all to see.

Within a larger grouping (re, the world) one has to ask what is considered mainstream? Perhaps there is a paradox at play here in that whoever controls the flow of information influences the reaction. In the face of a few trying to link the world in an ever decreasing number of connections and standardisations, it seems almost logical to me that the Japanese (or anyone else for that matter) would be reaffirming themselves, after all, everyone was created equal...

Of course, a much simpler theory as to why people would want to reaffirm their identities is joy. I recall a time when my father had tears of joy in his eyes for whatever reason and I mocked him about it. "What are your crying for?" My father replied, "Why shouldn't I cry? I'm a man." Well, that floored me and it opened my eyes to... well, I don't know but it just opened my eyes. From that day forth, even though I thought that I wasn't one, I knew that I could never go back to being a 'redneck' again.

Perhaps the reaffirmation of this kind of knowledge becomes more intense within the face of an increasing pressure to conform to global 'standards', I don't know.

I must add, however, that I do not think that very many people really understand their own cultures or the potential of their cultures. Unfortunately, in reacting, we often get a solidfying of thought, a crystallising of the heart that shatters too easily.

This is sad to see...

"...there is little mainstream acknowledgement of the original inhabitants of this country..."

If anyone were to want some words of wisdom, perhaps one could start by delving into the world's oldest, unbroken, CONTINUALLY practiced culture... (err, the aborigines of Australia)

Aussie, Aussie, Aussie - Oi, Oi, Oi...

pfft...


Sleiman