Walls are physical obstacles. They serve as boundaries that divide space, and whether inside a house, a building, or outdoors, walls provide security, protect privacy, and can even function as symbols of defense or, conversely, as symbols of division and conflict, preventing intrusion from the outside.
Beyond this, there are also psychological walls created by trauma or fear, which can cause obstacles or emotional blocks in relationships, making communication difficult and intensifying feelings of loneliness. Furthermore, social and cultural walls, based on racial, gender, religious, or economic prejudice and discrimination, have the potential to lead to social division and inequality.
In short, walls as symbols are used in many fields, representing countless concepts and emotions ranging from barriers and obstacles to protection, safety, and boundaries. They can also be combined with verbs like “to cross” or “to break,” prompting action, and can take on positive or negative meanings depending on the context.
According to the “Shuowen Jiezi (説文解字)”, one of the oldest Chinese dictionaries, the character for “壁 (wall)” originates from an oracle bone script depicting a silhouette of stacked stones or clay. It is described as “a fence, an outer wall,” signifying fortifications and defense, suggesting that the role and function of protecting and separating were inherently present from the beginning.
When it comes to architecture, such as residential spaces, Japan is known as a pillar (or floor) culture, while the West is known as a wall culture.
The pillar culture exudes flexibility and continuity with nature, while the wall culture exudes protection and spatial isolation. In addition, structural differences based on the primary materials influence the sense of space, the flow of air, the sense of time, the transmission and perception of sound and temperature, and even lifestyles.
Traditional Japanese architecture uses a framework construction method in which wooden posts and beams are first assembled to create the framework. Next, using a method called the Kendon method, wall panels are inserted into grooves in the latticework from above and then dropped into grooves below, so that walls and doors that are used as exterior walls or partitions inside the house are movable and can be attached or removed later as additional components.
In any case, there are many ingenious ideas that allow walls and doors to be attached or removed as needed, and spaces to be flexibly divided or connected, and because they are separated by a single door such as a shoji (paper screen), fusuma (sliding door), hikido (sliding door), or amado (storm shutter), the living space feels open, and at the same time, by opening and closing them according to the season or the presence of people, it is possible to adjust the ventilation and light, and even control the continuity of the space, so it can be said to be an architectural style that embraces nature and gives a sense of unity with the outside world.
For this reason, in Western wall culture, the interior of a house is divided into sections by walls, and rooms are called “rooms” according to their use and function, such as living rooms, dining rooms, bedrooms, and guest rooms, whereas in pillar culture, rooms are expressed by the word “ma (間),” which means space.
To add a little more about pillars, pillars in Japanese architecture are not simply structural members; they are deeply connected to culture, spirituality, and aesthetics.
For example,
* Divine spirits reside in pillars as yorishiro (依り代) and they are considered to symbolize sacred spaces.
* With their vertical support, they connect heaven and earth and are considered a symbol of humans living in harmony while utilizing the power of nature.
* The thick, sturdy “daikokubashira” pillar, which stands at the center of the boundary between the dirt floor and the tatami room and is the heart of the house, is dedicated to Daikokuten, the god who is said to govern the prosperity of the family.
* In tea rooms, the placement and design of pillars greatly influence the atmosphere of the space.
The walls between pillars in Japanese architecture surround the building, separating the interior from the outside world, and serve as partitions dividing the interior rooms. Exterior walls also play an important role in protecting people’s lives by blocking sound, heat, light, wind, rain, humidity, people’s gazes, and intruders.
Incidentally, the Golden Hall (金堂) of Horyu-ji Temple (法隆寺, 607), built west of Ikaruga Palace (斑鳩宮), the residence of Prince Shotoku (聖徳太子, 574-622), has columns that are very similar to the entasis style of the Parthenon (5th century BC) in ancient Greece, known as “dou-bari (胴張り),” in which the columns taper gradually from the bottom to the top. However, it is thought that the dou-bari style of the Horyuji Temple columns is a style that was introduced from the end of the Northern and Southern Dynasties period (南北朝時代, 439-589) in China.
The Parthenon’s perimeter is lined with 46 marble Doric-style columns, each slightly bulging in the center using the entasis technique while also featuring numerous vertical grooves known as fluting. One theory is that, because straight columns create the illusion of appearing tapered and concave in the center, the entasis technique was created to create a bulge that is visually beautiful and reassuring.
In any case, since in ancient Greece gods were enshrined indoors, it is said that although entasis columns are symbols of reason, harmony, order, and worldview, they are not pillars in which divine spirits reside as an embodiment of spiritual elements like those in Japanese pillar culture.
Let’s return to the topic of walls.
The exterior walls of the Shosoin Repository (正倉院) at Todaiji Temple (東大寺) and the Sutra Repository (経蔵) at Toshodaiji Temple (唐招提寺), both built between the Nara and Heian periods (710~1185), are constructed in the azekurazukuri architectural style (校倉造), in which triangular cross-section timbers are stacked in a grid pattern. These warehouses housed tax-collected food and treasures.
The Shosoin’s azekurazukuri and raised floors provided advantageous preservation properties, such as humidity control and protection from pests and insects, making this warehouse, at the eastern terminus of the Silk Road, possible for it to store treasures brought from Tang, the Western Regions, Persia, and other places.
Regarding housing, Yoshida Kenko (吉田兼好, 1283-1350), a famous poet and essayist, wrote the following passage in his Tsurezuregusa (徒然草, c. 1349) about the residences of the aristocrats of the time:
”家の作りは夏をむねとすべし。冬はいかなる所にも住まる。暑き比わろき住居は、堪へ難き事なり。”
Trans:
When building a house, one should keep in mind that while winter cold can be managed with heating, a hot house is unbearable, so it is best to prioritize livability in summer.
It can be inferred from this that the dwellings of the aristocrats were open structures without walls, with elevated floors to increase coolness, and lattices or blinds used to divide rooms.
On the other hand, the dwellings of commoners were designed with protection from the cold in winter in mind, and were covered with earthen walls and had minimal openings.
Earthen walls, a traditional Japanese construction method, are made by weaving a base made of bamboo, wood, straw rope, etc., followed by a thick layer of mixed rough wall clay, which is hammered in to create a wall core. Finishing clay is then applied to create a variety of textures, including wet-kneaded finishes, glued finishes, switch finishes, polished finishes, and rammed earth finishes.
The clay used is selected to best suit the climate and geography of each region, creating a rich range of colors, properties, and expressions that reflect the local character. Furthermore, earthen walls made from natural earth have a rich texture and soothing effects, as well as excellent moisture-regulating and fire-resistant properties.
In contrast, in wall cultures, buildings are constructed using masonry techniques, with stones and bricks piled up one on top of the other, and the walls do not function as pillars to support the building, but rather as structural walls that separate the building from the outside world, blocking out nature and clarifying individual privacy, and also as a defense against external enemies, cold, heat, wind, rain, etc.
Windows are openings that act as the “eyes of the wall” connecting the rooms inside a house to the outside, and are thought to have originated from wall culture. Furthermore, because houses are covered with solid exterior walls and each room is structured as a closed entity, interior design, such as decorations for rooms and walls, and furniture, has developed as a form of individual self-expression in daily life.
Let’s take a look at some of the walls that have appeared in history.
1. The Great Wall of China:
The construction of the Great Wall of China is generally believed to have spanned over 2,000 years, from the 3rd century BC to the 17th century AD.
Its origins can be traced back to defensive lines (walls) built during the Spring and Autumn period (春秋時代, 770-476 BC), and further developed as defensive walls in various locations during the Warring States period (戦国時代, 403-220 BC). It was during the Qin Dynasty (秦, 221-206 BC), which unified China, that these walls were connected and completed as a single Great Wall, and later rebuilt for defensive purposes during the Ming Dynasty (明, 1368-1644).
Qin Shi Huang (始皇帝), the first emperor of the Qin Dynasty, is considered the builder of the Great Wall of China because he connected and expanded existing fortifications to create a massive defensive wall system to protect against the Xiongnu (匈奴), a nomadic people based in the north.
According to official sources, the easternmost point of the main wall is Laolongtou (老龍頭), which extends from Shanhaiguan (山海関), and the westernmost point is Jiayuguan (嘉峪関). The total length is approximately 21,196 km, with an average height of about 7-8 meters and a width of about 5-6 meters (wide enough for horses and soldiers to travel side-by-side).
There are also theories that the eastern end is the Hushan Great Wall (虎山長城), built during the Ming Dynasty in the 15th century, and the western end is the Yumenguan Pass (玉門関), built during the Han Dynasty (漢, 206 BC–220 AD), so in any case, it is a magnificent structure.
The building materials used in the construction of the Great Wall varied depending on the region and era. Early sections of the wall were built with rammed earth, and in arid regions, the surface of the earthen ramparts was covered with sun-dried bricks made of clay mixed with straw. From the Ming Dynasty onward, fired bricks were used.
The Great Wall, not only for its immense length but also for its astonishing feat of engineering traversing diverse terrains such as mountain ranges, deserts, plateaus, and plains, symbolized the boundary with unknown territories and served as a symbol of authority, demonstrating the power and wisdom of the rulers.
The Great Wall is equipped with features such as parapets to prevent soldiers from falling, strategically placed openings for attack, and openings for dropping stones. It also played a role in protecting the Silk Road trade routes that connected China with other regions of Asia, Europe, and the Middle East. Checkpoints were established to regulate and control the flow of people and goods, with China exporting silk, tea, gold, and silver, while nomadic peoples exported horses.
2. Hadrian’s Wall:
This is a defensive wall built to protect the border of the Roman Empire near the border between northern England and Scotland. Built by Emperor Hadrian, the 14th Roman Emperor, between 122 and 126 AD, Hadrian’s Wall was constructed to prevent invasions by northern tribes such as the Picts and Scots into Britannia, which was under Roman rule. It stretches approximately 117 km from the mouth of the Tyne River to the Solway Firth on the east coast, with an average height of 6-7 meters.
3. Walls of Constantinople:
The walls surrounding Constantinople (present-day Istanbul) are a defensive structure of unparalleled scale and complexity, built from antiquity to the Middle Ages. Beginning with the city construction initiated by Constantine I in 330 AD to make Byzantium a second Rome, the existing walls were extended westward to create Constantine’s Wall. As the city expanded, in the 5th century, Theodosius II built Theodosius’s Wall further to the west, utilizing cutting-edge technology of the time. This wall featured a double inner and outer structure, robust stone construction, high and thick walls, numerous towers, and a moat, creating an impregnable defense system that repelled attacks from many enemies, including the Avars, Sasanian Empire, Arabs, and Rus’. Although Constantinople was conquered by Mehmed II of the Ottoman Empire in 1453, the fall is not considered to have been directly caused by any inherent weakness in the walls themselves.
4. India-Pakistan Border:
This border separates India and Pakistan, extending approximately 3,323 kilometers from the Line of Control (LOC) in the Kashmir region in the north to the Zero Point Railway Station in the south. Its original form is the Radcliffe Line, established during the partition of India and Pakistan in 1947. The orange line of security lights that runs along the border between the two countries, winding and curving, is visible from the International Space Station (ISS).
5. The Berlin Wall:
The Berlin Wall during the Cold War is a symbol of a wall of division resulting from ideological conflict.
After its defeat in World War II, Germany was divided and governed by the United States, Great Britain, France, and the Soviet Union. Initially, a permanent division was not intended, but the conflict between the liberal United States and the communist Soviet Union intensified over German policy. In 1949, the Federal Republic of Germany (West Germany), comprising the territories under American, British, and French control, and the German Democratic Republic (East Germany), comprising the territory under Soviet control, were established. Consequently, the capital city of Berlin was divided into West Berlin, belonging to the liberal bloc, and East Berlin, belonging to the communist bloc.
Even after the establishment of East and West Germany, movement between East and West Berlin was relatively free. However, due to the strict controls in East Germany, a continuous stream of people fled to West Germany via West Berlin. In 1961, to prevent a national crisis caused by the outflow of labor, the East German government built a wall surrounding West Berlin – the Berlin Wall. In 1989, the East German authorities accidentally and mistakenly announced a de facto liberalization of travel, and upon hearing this, East Berlin citizens began to tear down the wall, leading to the collapse of the Berlin Wall, which had been thought to be permanent. The following year, in 1990, Germany was reunified with West Germany absorbing East Germany.
6. The 38th parallel on the Korean Peninsula:
In 1989, the year the Berlin Wall fell, there were reportedly 16 walls serving as borders or boundaries, and the 38th parallel on the Korean Peninsula is a classic example of a divisive boundary created by ideological conflict.
7. Hungary-Serbia Wall:
Due to the increase in asylum applications, the Hungarian government began construction of a 177-kilometer-long wall on its border with Serbia.
8. Moroccan Western Sahara Wall:
This is an approximately 2,700 km military boundary line, also known as the “Wall of Sand,” which Morocco, claiming sovereignty over Western Sahara, began constructing in 1980 as a security barrier to defend major coastal cities from guerrilla attacks by the Polisario Front, which advocates for the independence of the region.
9. Belfast Peace Lines, Northern Ireland:
These are “peace walls” in Belfast, the capital of Northern Ireland, separating the residential areas of working-class Protestant and Catholic residents. The oldest date back to 1969, and their size and number are said to have increased even after the comprehensive peace agreement, the Good Friday Agreement, in 1998.
10. Israel-Palestinian West Bank Separation Wall:
Israel began constructing a separation wall in the West Bank of the Palestinian territories in 2002, claiming it was to prevent attacks by Palestinian armed groups.
11. The US-Mexico Border Wall:
In the 1990s, under US President Bill Clinton, serious efforts began to strengthen border security with Mexico. In the 2016 US presidential election, Donald Trump pledged to strengthen the border wall, also known as Trump’s Wall, to crack down on illegal immigration. After his inauguration, in 2018, he announced the construction of a reinforced border wall and the implementation of policies such as the zero-tolerance policy.
In addition to this, there are walls to prevent the influx of refugees in Hungary, walls separating the wealthy and the poor in Mexico City, and a wall along the border with Russia in Finland. In any case, these walls exist throughout history as physical and psychological symbols of separation based on conflict and economic disparity.
In recent years, the number of walls built to demonstrate a hardline stance in response to issues such as refugee influx and national security has continued to increase, and it is said that the number has now risen to 65, including those under construction.
12. Digital Surveillance Systems:
While they may not be physical walls like the Berlin Wall, digital surveillance systems can in some sense be considered walls that divide social space and restrict and regulate movement.
The “15-Minute City” concept was re-proposed at the 21st Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP21) in 2015, and is based on the concept of being able to access work, housing, food, health, education, culture, and leisure within a 15-minute walking or cycling distance. Since 2016, various development plans have been trialed around the world as part of plans to optimize urban life based on walkability and accessibility, including the creation of pedestrian-only zones in urban areas, strengthening bicycle lanes, and planning low-traffic zones (LTN).
Meanwhile, many countries seem to be moving toward emulating China’s social surveillance system and realizing the concept of a digital surveillance society, by installing surveillance cameras and biometric authentication systems on street corners, collecting, analyzing, and managing personal information about behavior, movements, and spending, and linking digital IDs with AI-based social credit score systems to rank individuals and regulate or restrict access to goods and services.
Given the current situation in China, the transition to a digital surveillance society may lead to the following situations, and the concept of a wall as a symbolic metaphor would also apply here:
1. Surveillance based on the exercise of power over each individual.
2. Surveillance that impedes privacy.
3. Surveillance that leads to violent regulation or restriction of access to the public sphere.
The concept of surveillance can be traced back to the Panopticon (1791), a panoramic surveillance system proposed by the British philosopher and utilitarian Jeremy Bentham (1748-1832), and can be seen as an obstruction or deprivation of freedom.
In essence, freedom, equality, and security cancel each other out, so tolerance and overcoming difficulties are essential elements to maintain that balance, but the Panopticon can be said to be a response that aims to be a mechanism of exclusion rather than inclusion.
In other words, the structure of a surveillance society is based on separation and division through zoning and armed security as a way to deal with risks before they occur, and uses digital technology that makes it possible to invade private spheres to collect, classify, and organize personal information, which is then used as a database to control each person who is the target of surveillance as part of the exercise of hegemonic power.
According to Michel Foucault (1926-1984), governmentality in a surveillance society differs from disciplinary power in that it is a governing technique that does not concern itself with the inner lives or souls of those it targets, and does not even consider individuals themselves to be appropriate targets.
In other words, while disciplinary/training power has a perspective on the individual, such as training the soul, governmental power does not focus on individuals, but on the management and socialization of the population as a classified and quantified mass.
Furthermore, dualistic existences such as the herd and the individual no longer exist, and each person is classified into numerically determined attributes through the division of personal evaluations extracted and analyzed by digital surveillance systems.
In short, it seems likely that the future will involve a strict surveillance society in which our innate human identity and dignity are erased, replaced with efficient numbers, and controlled and managed by AI.
Let’s move on to the next topic.
Walls, which appear in myths, stories, and art, are often used as psychological symbols deeply rooted in cognition.
They can represent feelings of confinement and isolation when facing difficulties and trials that must be overcome, or conversely, they can represent feelings and sensations of safety and refuge, or they can be used to create a creative effect that adds layers of meaning and depth.
Therefore, symbolism can be understood as the expression of ideas and concepts beyond their literal meaning through objects, images, sounds, and words, guided by associations, similarities, and conventions shaped by culture, history, and psychology. It can be said that this likely functions empirically as an inherent element of human nature, reflected in artistic expression and communication, enriching our lives.
In fact, as seen in the paintings of animals, humans, and abstract symbols in the Lascaux (France) and Altamira (Spain) caves, dating back 30,000 to 40,000 years, and in small figurines and ornaments that likely held some kind of wish or meaning related to fertility, survival, and the prosperity of offspring, symbolic signs have been used in communication since prehistoric times. It is possible that humanity has developed culture and civilization by possessing the cognitive ability to create and understand symbols—the ability to represent one thing with another.
Incidentally, around 40,000 to 50,000 years ago, a creative explosion or cognitive revolution is believed to have occurred, suddenly bringing about abstract and symbolic thinking, and simultaneously leading to an abundance of symbolic artifacts. This is also attributed to the fact that symbolism became associated with survival and social cohesion.
It can be inferred that this led to the emergence of shared understanding within groups through various forms of artistic expression involving symbolic signs, allowing for the expression and transmission of thoughts, values, and beliefs, the preservation and sharing of knowledge, and the confirmation and strengthening of identity.
The evolution of hieroglyphs, which are stylized symbols of objects, into writing systems capable of directly representing spoken language, allowing for the preservation and transmission of information across time and space, is one example of this. Moreover, language is perhaps the most powerful symbolic system, in that it allows for the infinite transmission of ideas based on symbolic meanings agreed upon within a linguistic community.
In any case, since thinking involves forming representations such as images, words, and sounds within the mind and manipulating these symbols internally to reason, generate ideas, and draw conclusions, it can be inferred that the human mind is inherently symbolic. Furthermore, social perceptions and realities shaped through social symbols such as gestures and roles may even contribute to tolerance, mutual understanding, and the support of social functions.
As seen in practices like “tilting the umbrella (kasa kashige, 傘傾げ)” or “pay it forward (on okuri, 恩送り)” during the Edo period, even seemingly trivial gestures or actions, through their social symbolism, can shape perceptions and reality, potentially leading to tolerance, mutual understanding, and even the reinforcement of social norms. (ref., Cultural Inheritance Through An Ecological Perspective, The Magic Of Suppressing Intolerance)
Symbolism, which uses concrete things to suggest or visualize abstract concepts or evoke certain ideas, is an indispensable element, especially as a method of expression and motif in artistic forms. This is because it actively draws viewers, readers, and audiences into the narrative, prompting them to search for meaning and creating an interactive mental exchange with the work.
For example, the blood on Macbeth’s hands, repeatedly used by Shakespeare, serves as a symbol of murder and the guilt associated with all the crimes committed, reinforcing the play’s themes and conveying that suffering to the audience or readers beyond the fourth wall separating the stage from the audience.
Incidentally, the fourth wall is a concept that emerged in the 19th century with the rise of realism in theater. The first three walls physically enclose the stage (the back and sides), while the fourth wall is the conceptual, invisible barrier between the audience (reality) and the stage (fiction).
In visual media arts, symbolic meanings are woven into the story through scripts, scenes, framing, motifs, lighting, props, costumes, and colors, and are used to create visual effects that appeal to and stimulate the viewer’s subconscious and emotions.
In Kobo Abe’s (安倍公房, 1924-1933) collection of short stories, “The Wall” (1951), the wall is not merely a physical barrier, but is suggested as a concept deeply intertwined with human thought and existence itself. Through surreal settings, the work skillfully incorporates universal lessons and existential questions about human existence, reflecting a worldview of absurdity in modern society, encompassing multifaceted meanings such as personal alienation, emotional barriers separating individuals, and the limitations of social symbols, perceptions, and thought that define identity.
Within the absurdity of a “growing wall,” the protagonist’s integration with and growth alongside the wall depicts resignation, a spirit of inquiry, and resistance in an attempt to recover lost subjectivity, resulting in a multilayered meaning that transcends mere despair. (ref., Awakening From Absurdity And Collective Illusion To Pursue Individuality)
In any case, the symbolic wall may bridge the gap between the conscious and unconscious, helping us to confront our deepest emotions and instincts.
In fact, the wall of the heart is a psychological boundary that separates oneself from others, and is often depicted in absurdist literature, such as in Camus’s (1913-1960) The Stranger (1942), as an individual’s conflict within the masses.
The wall of the heart exists as an essential function for instinctive self-protection and self-defense, and each person likely communicates by unconsciously adjusting the thickness and distance of the wall depending on their relationship with the other person and the situation. However, if for some reason the wall becomes excessively thick, if unnecessary distance is created, or if it becomes too high to be overcome, it can lead to increased feelings of alienation, rejection, and conflict.
On the other hand, a mental wall may also manifest as a complex inner thought process that considers the circumstances and feelings of those around us without being swayed by emotion, and always tries to calmly analyze things using logical thinking and reach appropriate decisions. In such situations, it is essential to increase self-efficacy, such as having confidence in one’s own abilities to carry out actions, and to overcome internal barriers and limitations.
In any case, in any social situation, it is essential to improve our awareness, expressiveness, mindfulness, etc., to focus our attention in the moment and objectively observe our emotions and thoughts, and to cultivate empathy and a spirit of harmony as effective means and elements for each individual to overcome their mental walls and limitations.
Discovering the symbolic essence of each wall may transform the physical into the meaningful, the universal into the personal, the everyday into the extraordinary, inspiring shared values, empathy, tolerance, and harmony, and may lead to liberating each individual towards an ideal society where they can live a more well-being life, not trapped within walls.
Sincerely grateful for your financial support.
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