The wonder of Japan is that it sometimes meanders for years, decades, even centuries, and then erupts into a burst of creativity and reinvention.

• 日本的令人惊叹之处在于：有时它会毫无目标地走过数年、数十年、甚至数百年的岁月，之后却爆发出创造性与改良活动之狂潮。