Murasaki Shikibu and the Inheritance of Tranquility
Murasaki Shikibu and the Inheritance of Tranquility | Words of WABISUKE
Even after a thousand years, Murasaki Shikibu still speaks to the depths of our hearts. The moon she gazed at, the sound of the bells she heard, the lingering memories of the love she wrote down—these remain as "words of tranquility" that resonate with us today.
Murasaki Shikibu was a woman who lived her life with deep sensitivity and intelligence as a woman, writer, mother, and human being amidst the court culture of the Heian period. The Tale of Genji, which she left behind, is not simply a romance novel; it is the pinnacle of literature, depicting the "mono no aware" (pathos) that lies deep within the human heart.
WABISUKE hopes to gently bring Murasaki Shikibu's gaze into modern life. The serenity, space, and emotion that reside in her words can quietly serve as a guide for the words we weave, the design of spaces, and even our daily lives.
The Moon of Uji and Genji's Dream
Uji is the setting Murasaki Shikibu chose for the final chapter of The Tale of Genji. After the death of the protagonist, Hikaru Genji, a new story unfolds there, woven by his sons. Uji is a tranquil place, far from the hustle and bustle of the capital. With the murmuring of a river, the green of the mountains, and the moon floating in the night sky, Murasaki Shikibu entrusted this place with the transience of life and the hope of rebirth.
"My mind was not distracted by the dreams of this world, and I lay down listening intently to the sound of the bells reciting sutras carried by the wind."
This passage, which appears in the Ukifune chapter of The Tale of Genji, quietly yet profoundly depicts the human heart wavering on the boundary between reality and dreams. Murasaki Shikibu put universal themes such as love, separation, death, and rebirth into words, overlaying them with natural landscapes.
For her, the moon of Uji may have been "light to see the invisible." We too can sense that light at unexpected moments in our daily lives. At WABISUKE, we treasure this feeling as we arrange our words, composition, colors, and atmosphere.
Silent speech and memory of color
The wisteria color, which Murasaki Shikibu is said to have favored, is a color that evokes the lingering feeling of love, the premonition of separation, and prayers for reunion. The sight of wisteria flowers swaying in the wind seems to reflect the fluctuations of people's hearts.
At WABISUKE, we place great importance on expressing the emotions and memories contained within these colors through words, composition, or the white space in space. For example, the color chosen for the background of an article, the tone of a photograph, the use of white space, and the softness of sentence endings. We hope that these details will convey the "silent narrative" of Murasaki Shikibu.
She doesn't say too much, but she conveys her message clearly. This attitude is one of the aesthetic values we can learn from Murasaki Shikibu's writing.
To the young you
Murasaki Shikibu is by no means a distant figure. She too was troubled by love, lost in her future, and saved by words. Her determination to believe in her own sensibilities and continue to pick up her brush in the closed world of the imperial court offers many insights for us living in the modern era.
Just like in The Tale of Genji, a "shining prince" may appear in your life. When that happens, Murasaki Shikibu's words will surely give you a gentle nudge.
For example, one night when you feel like you can't express your feelings to anyone, you turn the page and find words that speak for your heart. Have you ever had such an experience? Murasaki Shikibu's writings have the power to connect with people's hearts across the ages.
I hope that WABISUKE's words will also have this kind of power. Cute, gentle, and profound. So that they can reach young people, but never be too light. Like Murasaki Shikibu, I aim for expressions that contain emotion in the blank spaces.
Abundance in silence
Murasaki Shikibu's legacy is not just colorful stories: her writings contain a richness in stillness, a narrative in silence.
In today's world, where information is overflowing and words are consumed, Murasaki Shikibu's "narratives of silence" serve as an important guide for us.
WABISUKE continues to explore expressions that fit into modern life while learning from the sensibilities of Murasaki Shikibu. We aim to create works that resonate with the gaze of people from a thousand years ago, not only through fabrics and colors, but also through words, composition, space, and even the flow of time.
I hope that the serenity of Murasaki Shikibu will gently breathe life into your life.