Japanese psychology in crisis: Thinking inside the (empty) box

In part because of the information revolution, Japan is experiencing a crisis in culture. Because it is more sensitive to culture than other approaches, humanistic psychology may have much to offer in this time of crisis, particularly because of the Japanese value of inner privacy. Tomoda has explored ways of translating Rogers's approach into a Japanese context of Zen, including the use of renku, a form of poetry collectively written by members of a group exploring their process in "a vague atmosphere of togetherness." Another approach to bridging the East/West gap is explored in Naikan therapy in which an empathic therapist visits the client who sits and meditates on the dynamics of his or her personal relationships during a week-long retreat. In the end, it is thinking inside the box, contrary to Western contemporary values, that seems to make humanistic psychology work for the Japanese, whose aesthetic values have persevered through the ages.