Japanese Kanji 和洋折衷 'A Japanese/Western mix' Shirt

wayou setshuu refers to a mix of Japanese and Western culture, and aptly descries the lifestyle of many Japanese today. It also applies more and more to the habits and perspective of Westerners who have an interest in Japan, myself included! And perhaps you as well, if you're reading this. If you have an affinity for Japan, let people know it with this shirt. The shirt itself can be seen as an example of that sort of mix, with a classical idiom in kanji printed on a typically Western t-shirt. This is part of my collection of shirts and such that feature idioms that are made up of four kanji characters. These 'yoji jukugo' (四字熟語） compounds are required study for Japanese children and appear on school entrance exams, as well as in the conversation of well read people. They are linguistic gems, conveying meaning compactly, colorfully, and quite often, profoundly! Using them in speech shows that you have a feel for the culture as well as the language,as they are often infused with references to such things as classical Chinese and Japanese literature and history and Buddhist precepts. Japanese people are often surprised when foreigners know such expressions and can use them in the right context. Wearing this shirt and remembering how to read it is a great way to motivate yourself to go beyond the surface level of Japanese language and culture studies and explore the nuances that make Japan so endlessly interesting!