Symbiosis, as defined by Kisho Kurokawa, one of Japan's leading architects, is a new way of interpreting today's culture. A philosophy which takes its name from ecological and biological concepts, it puts forward ideals developed from traditional Japanese philosophy and culture, while continually acknowledging the presence of the multivalent, contemporary world. It is a philosophy of "both-and" rather than "either-or", a practice of mix-and-match rather than creation from scratch, an ethic of inclusion rather than exclusion. As such, it is thought to be one of the most essential statements of post-modern culture to date. Kurokawa feels that we will recognize each other's differing personalities while competing and will co-operate while we oppose and criticize each other.

日本著名建筑师黑川纪夫（Kisho Kurokawa）定义的共生是解读当今文化的一种新方式。这是一种以生态和生物概念命名的哲学，它提出了从日本传统哲学和文化发展而来的理想，同时不断承认多价的当代世界的存在。它是一种“二者并用”而不是“非此即彼”的哲学，是一种混搭而不是从头开始创造的实践，是一种包容而不是排斥的伦理。因此，它被认为是迄今为止后现代文化最基本的表述之一。黑川认为，我们在竞争时会认识到彼此不同的个性，在反对和批评对方时会合作。