Awase(Matching)・Kasane(Layering)・Kisoi(Competition)・Soroi(Arrangement)

　The archetype of “play” in Japan can be traced back to awase, the act of “matching’’―of placing differing objects with or against each other to bring about pleasing results. In ancient times, players on opposing sides would each present an object and then, together, compare and contrast the objects to find their similarities and differences. The goal of awase was not to merge two objects into one, but rather to enjoy the change in perception that happens when two objects are put together.
　The real boom of awase started when the nobility of the Heian period began matching poems and songs, calling it uta-awase (song matching). Other adaptations of this game followed, such as kai-awase (shell matching) and ogi-awase (fan matching). This led to the development of an array of utensils and settings designed to enhance the players’ delight.
　New concepts eventually emerged from the play of awase. One such concept was kasane, which means “to layer.” It refers to the technique of layering different qualities co create new value. Players also began comparing each other’s combinations, which resulted in kisoi, or competition. This in turn led to the establishment of new rules as well as the need for a judge to decide wins and losses. Lastly, soroi was the final “arrangement,” where all objects that had been put through the processes of awase, kasane and kisoi were assembled and arranged in an artful manner. In this final stage, the results of competition cease to be an issue. The objects of both the winner and loser are re-edited into something entirely new.
　The crucial key to this gaming process can be found in the first step of awase―the matching of differences and contradictions before competition. Doing so enabled the comparison and competition of art and
technique rather than objects, and inspired further evolution of
various methodologies.
　The complex art of renga (linked poems) is a perfect example of  a discipline that incorporates this systematic process. Participants in renga parties use techniques of awase and kasane to create poetic lines, each of which effectively harmonizes or contrasts with the line written by the previous person. In the spirit of kisoi, players pit their skills against each other in a game of countless words and rhyme, until in the end stage of
soroi, all lines are arranged to complete the final poem. Refined through time, the process and settings of renga eventually led to the emergence of new cultural expressions, such as the Way of Tea and haiku poetry. In this way, awase, kasane, kisoi, and soroi functioned as a cultural game-processor, giving birth to a wide range of playful creativity unique to Japan.
　Witness the craze of today’s children playing with Pokemon cards, or high school girls showing off their latest album of purikura photo stickers, or AKB48, or the Nadeshiko Japan women’s soccer team. In each, hidden below the surface, the principles of awase, kasane, kisoi, and soroi are at work.