Ahhh, yes. I wasn't aware of the difference between the two concepts (western and modern) before you mentioned them. I actually was kinda tired of the modernness that I could feel in big cities, and that's why I planned a trip to visit small towns. and after the trip I was deeply impressed with the traditional feeling. But I heard that even the older in Japan are worrying about losing the cultural identity. It's a shame that many people don't really care about preserving their own culture these days... :(