I think you're being unfair to the quote you provided, that it's about "go is a game that exists on a metaphysical plane and that there is something uniquely Japanese about its spirit." (Kawabata may well have believed this, and wrote it elsewhere in the book, but it's not in that specific quote.) He's saying that all the Japanese players had had a competitive drive, even if they sucked, while the American player was decent but had no desire to win. It doesn't necessarily have anything to do with the metaphysical spirit of go.
In addition, I think it's an interesting point to make, since stereotypes would have it be the opposite--that Americans are more competitive because of capitalism, etc.
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In addition, I think it's an interesting point to make, since stereotypes would have it be the opposite--that Americans are more competitive because of capitalism, etc.
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