Between tradition and modernity: a Japan in transformation Yes, Tokyo and Kyoto offer the striking spectacle of temples nestled between towering skyscrapers. But reducing Japan to a mere “mixture of tradition and modernity” is simplistic. The reality is that Japan has modernized at breakneck speed, often at the expense of its local character. In Osaka, for example, some nagaya (long, terraced Japanese houses) are now unoccupied, and the oldest or best-located ones are gradual