This world, he thinks, contains just one masterpiece, and that is itself.
In this passage, Magistrate Shiroyama is standing and observing the world around him, because his ritual execution for governmental failure is coming soon. As he contemplates the flurry of activity that characterizes the natural world, he is overwhelmed by its beauty; creation itself is a wonder that cannot be replicated, even by the greatest poets and artists, and it is therefore the definitive artistic masterpiece. The clarity given by Shiroyama's impending death allows for the intrusion of this wondrous truth into a normally hectic and anxious life, a truth that all readers should take to heart.
"How gleefully life shreds our well-crafted plans."
In this scene, Ogawa Mimasaku, father of Ogawa Uzaemon, is speaking to his son and expressing disappointment in him for not producing any heirs. He implies that another family will come to dominate on account of their five grandsons, highlighting the fact that Uzaemon hasn't yet become a father despite having been married for a while. This pithy expression, uttered in disappointment, can be seen to apply to much of this novel, as well as to life in general. The shredding of well-crafted plans is evident throughout the novel's plot, from Jacob's three-year plan ending more than a decade later than he anticipated, to Orito's plans to become a doctor falling apart after her abduction, to even Enomoto's plan for eternal life being foiled by the bravery of one disgraced magistrate.
He extends his hand for a European handshake just as Jacob delivers an Asian bow: Ogawa Uzaemon reciprocates with an Asian bow as Jacob offers his hand. The vignette amuses the room.
This quote, seemingly unimportant at first glance, accurately encapsulates the novel's theme of cultural boundaries. The Dutch and the Japanese, attempting peaceful trade, have difficulty even communicating their desires, which makes everything significantly harder than it would be otherwise. In this scene, Jacob and Uzaemon meet, and their lack of ability to agree on a traditional customary greeting humorously embodies the dramatic difference in their cultures as well as the obstacles lying in the path of complete understanding.
