Our Japanese culture is often characterized by its secretiveness and non-expression in various social contexts. We tend to avoid direct expression of our feelings as well as confrontation with others. Culturally, it is regarded as a virtue not to reveal our capacity and strength. The essence and knowledge of traditional art and craftsmanship at the highest levels is kept esoteric and should not be propagated to the general public. It was considered that truly essential and valuable points could not be verbally expressed or revealed. Some psychoanalysts have dealt with the issue of secretiveness and non-expression in the past. Takeo Doi suggested that this belief has a long history in Japanese culture. He quoted a statement by Zeami, a Japanese aesthetician, actor, and playwright in the 15th century, which goes “What is concealed is the flower. What is not concealed cannot be the flower.” Osamu Kitayama (1985, 1987) looked at an old taboo often found in Japanese folklore against seeing and then revealing, in the notion of the “prohibition of ‘don't look’.” In another contribution (1987), he pointed out that the Japanese language is generally used loosely and is grammatically ill-structured. It appears that this secretiveness and non-expression have some merits and even a social role. First, it inhibits envy and competitiveness that a show of one's capacity and strength would elicit in others. Second, they protect both one's strength and vulnerability by keeping these invisible to others as well as to oneself, so that they remain unchallenged and unharmed by others. This begs an important question about the Japanese Oedipus. Is our secretiveness a way of avoiding Oedipal confrontations with others? Is it defeat or a higher tactic? This issue is of cultural and political significance as long as Japanese are not often looked at as weak and subservient, but rather as ambitious and secretively aggressive, especially in international relationships.