According to the theory of geographer Hideo Suzuki, there are two major ways of thinking in the world. One is the concept of desert and the other is the concept of forest.
The concept of desert in the West is having the insight to detect the location of an oasis and survive in the desert. To do that we have to see things in simpler ways, which is the element reduction method, that forms the basis of the current natural science. In the desert we have to make decisions about which way we are going to head. This way of thinking is developed in the countries around Israel. In this thinking, history progresses according to god's schedule. If there are obstacles, we must remove them. This leads to the beliefs in monotheism.
The concept of forest in the East is the thought that we live in the center of the world and are interested in the immediate surroundings we can see. Because the forest in the East is very complex and at the same time very simple, we are liable to live as we are, see as we see, and rarely need to see things in further simplified ways. Even if there are obstacles, we need not remove them. This leads to the beliefs in harmonious coexistence with nature and polytheism.
At a glance there is a big difference between the East and West. When we go into the origins of Western, cultures, however, there was a world of many gods like the East. In Dumezil's theory, gods have three major roles: priest, warrior, reproduction god. In Northern Europe mythology, Odin is a priest, Tyr is a warrior, and Frey is a god of reproduction. In Greek mythology, Hera is a priest, Athena is a warrior, and Aphrodite is a god of reproduction. Professors Ohbayashi and Yoshida, however, said Dumezil's theory can also be applied to Japanese mythology. Amaterasu -Ohmikami is a priest, Susanoo is a warrior, Ohkuninushi is a god of reproduction. These mythologies of the East and West have something in common. After all, the concept of the forest is the basis of the concept of the desert. When we go back into the distant history, the barriers between the East and West are diminished greatly. On the basis of the two cultures we can understand each other. Toward the 21st century, we need to more fully integrate these two cultures.