Abstract
Japanese people in ancient or middle times, unable to distinguish mind from flesh, sought "mind" (Kokoro) in everything expressed. Regarding "mind" as superior contents of an expressed work, they had a competitive spirit to try to elucidate "mind" within the limit of expressional media. Such a competitive spirit played as a motive power in a creative process. In the course of time, they found "mind" not only very much complicated in meaning, but available to act as a core in a work. According to a principle fromed from long Japanese tradition of poetry, "mind" is a core which unifies all phenomena and which is capable to express maximum meaning by minimum device of expression. This principle was also derived from deep-hearted contemplation or observation on delicate changes or progresses of nature, and it is a theoretical support to some special artistic ideas of Japan, for example "Yugen", "Yojyo", which contain more than expressed meaning. And it formed a back-bone in "Noh", too ; it is the result of competitive spirits of Japanese poets, artists more than sentimentality of the nation.
