Japan - traditional or modern?

We will be in Japan next week and now been reading books about Japan. My impression is Japananese keeping the tradition hard (i.e Sumo, kimono, observe the festivals, male-dominant society) but on the other hand the other aspect of societies are showing tremendous modernity (i.e Cosplay, active sexual industries etc). What causing the two extreme? Are there any tensions between the two ends?

I am delighted to inform you that you have devoted (wasted) to many hours researching bunch of old-men loony tales. Image projected by those info services appreciate your patronage.
Thus, when you arrive in Japan the reality will awaken you. Better to visit with a clearer head and unbiased thinking.

Frankly speaking, when I visited Malaysia it had diverse cultures too. Each to their own!

Japan has always been a culture of the mixed. I would say other cultures are as well. You are modern while keeping traditions a live.

Pretty much Japan is a country of contradictions (too many to name) all living one in one with each other.

Keep an open mind, don't expect everything to be as you think it might be.

Pool628,

I don't think that the things you wrote are as "extreme" as any other advanced country in the world.

For example, Britain has been keeping the tradition hard even more so than Japan (i.e cricket, kilts and bagpipes, observe the festivals) but on the other hand the other aspect of societies are showing tremendous modernity (i.e Mohawk, active sexual industries etc). And Japan is not actually keeping male-dominant society hard.

I can say the same thing for all G8 countries, and all of G8 have history as long as Japan, because history didn't wait until Columbus.

Hope it helps, and I truly hope you have fun here in Japan!

A few chapters of the book ''clash of civilisations'' by samuel huntington are related and try to explain the mix between modern civilisation and traditional culture in oriental countries, including Japan. It's quite technical, but it's told to be a serious book with historical references.

From my side, I visited Japan a few months ago, and discovered, that there are not so many cosplayers in the street. Even in Harajuku area.

I could be completely wrong. But I always saw it as the Japanese having a very traditional history. Once they were "westernized" so to speak, not all people had converted. Some people took western culture and put a Japanese spin on it. Where as some people kept to the old Japanese traditions. Two very clashing cultures indeed.