Photo/Illutration A man gazes at Piet Mondrian’s signature grid masterpiece “Composition No. II” before an auction in New York on Nov. 4. (REUTERS)

I awoke one morning and gazed at my familiar face in the mirror.

It caused me wonder why mirrors reverse right and left but not upside down.

I closed one eye and tilted my face, only to see right and left still flipped.

Could it be possibly because my eyes are positioned horizontally? Or is it because of Earth’s gravity?

I had heard this was a question that had perplexed thinkers since the time of Plato and that a definitive answer has yet been found.

But when seen from another perspective, it may not be a stretch to say that the up-down relationship has become so established that it is now an unwavering premise.

An intriguing news story recently surfaced concerning a painting by abstract Dutch artist Piet Mondrian that had been hanging upside down in an art gallery for at least 75 years. There was a tremendous buzz when people realized it had been vertically flipped all these years.

Art specialists must have lost face. The painting has been highly praised as the most New York-esque work even though it had been hanging the wrong way up.

I think it was Bertrand Russell who said, “Do not fear to be eccentric in opinion, for every opinion now accepted was once eccentric.”

When you can’t think outside the box, it is difficult to see the truth.

In his novel “Wagahai wa neko de aru” (I am a cat), writer Soseki Natsume (1867-1916) used the analogy of seeing things upside down to talk about the importance of changing one's mindset.

The feline narrator says, “Someone, once in a while, should take a good long look at Hamlet through his legs. Presented upside-down, that tragedy might earn the bald remark ‘Ye Gods, this play is bad.’ How else ... can the critics in our literary world make any progress?”

Today is New Year’s Eve.

As I look back on the tumultuous year of 2022, I am determined to do the following as my New Year's resolution: I won’t care what’s right or left, let alone what’s up or down.

“Ma-sa-ka sa-ka-sa-ma” (believe it or not, it’s upside down) can also be read the same backward.

I want to be as free-minded as I can to write this column.

--The Asahi Shimbun, Dec. 31

* * *

Vox Populi, Vox Dei is a popular daily column that takes up a wide range of topics, including culture, arts and social trends and developments. Written by veteran Asahi Shimbun writers, the column provides useful perspectives on and insights into contemporary Japan and its culture.

Related News