Often, when two cultures meet, it can be very messy and lead to a lot of unpleasantness. The continuing inability of the West and Islam to understand each other suggests itself as a convenient example. This kind of conflict often boils down to a question of who will be master and who will be man, with the benefits of synergy and learning from each other lost or reduced.

While cultures have often clashed in the past, there are also notable cases where two distinct cultures have come together and got on rather well. Perhaps one of the best examples of such an intercultural "love story" is that between the West and Japan during the Meiji Period (1867-1912).

This cultural affair is the subject of "Double Impact: The Art of Meiji Japan," an exhibition at the Tokyo University Art Museum, which is sourced from the university's own collection and that of the Museum of Fine Arts Boston.