What questions does wabi-sabi continue to ask?
What questions does wabi-sabi continue to ask?
The "questions" of Japanese culture that reside in imperfection
When talking about Japanese culture, there is one word that almost always comes up.
That is "wabi-sabi."
However, I feel that this term is not simply an aesthetic style, but rather a "sensibility to question" itself.
Wabi-sabi refers to the ability to find beauty in imperfection, lack, and change over time.
Rather than striving for perfection, it is precisely because of imperfections and age that a deep flavor is born.
So, what questions does wabi-sabi pose to us?
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1. The question, "What is perfection?"
The word "wabi," which is the origin of wabi-sabi, originally meant lack or misfortune, but it eventually evolved into a perspective that found richness in imperfection.
In other words, wabi-sabi asks us this question:
Does it really need to be perfect?
I'm more moved by well-used vessels than by new ones.
A slightly distorted tea bowl gives a sense of warmth rather than a perfectly symmetrical shape.
At that moment, we are faced with the question, "What is perfection?"
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2. The question, "Does time give or take away value?"
The "sabi" in wabi-sabi refers to the ability to find beauty in things that age.
The idea that something becomes more valuable over time is in stark contrast to the modern belief in new products.
Does time make things deteriorate?
Or will it deepen?
Crazing on the tea utensils, the luster of the wood, and traces of gold repair.
These are "stories" given to us by time, and wabi-sabi is a culture that allows us to appreciate those stories.
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3. The question, "What does it mean to embrace change?"
At the root of wabi-sabi is the Zen concept of impermanence.
Everything keeps changing.
With that premise in mind, the question naturally becomes:
How do we accept things that are changing?
The reason we feel beauty in cherry blossoms as they fall is because they are not eternal.
The charm of withered grass comes from accepting change.
Wabi-sabi is not afraid of change, but rather a questioning attitude that seeks to find beauty in it.
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4. The question, "Where is the essence?"
Wabi-sabi finds the essence in simplicity and quiet, rather than in flashiness or decoration.
This is why Sen no Rikyu rejected the luxurious tea room and chose a simple space.
Where does the essence lie?
In the margins?
In the silence?
Wabi-sabi is a culture that questions what cannot be seen rather than what can be seen.
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5. Wabi-sabi is a "culture that cultivates questions"
Wabi-sabi does not provide an answer.
Rather, it is a sensibility that deepens questions.
When you come into contact with imperfection,
When my heart is moved by something old,
When you feel the abundance in the silence,
We naturally have questions.
Why is this beautiful?
This question is the essence of wabi-sabi, the "invisible value" that Japanese culture has cultivated.
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Conclusion: Only those who have questions can appreciate wabi-sabi
Wabi-sabi cannot be understood simply by explaining it.
Rather, it is an aesthetic sense that can only be appreciated by those who have questions.
And that attitude is reflected in the products that WABISUKE deals with every day.
"Invisible Value"
"Cultivating culture"
This theme resonates deeply with me.
What is Wabi-Sabi?
The courage to love imperfection,
The flexibility to accept change,
A culture of questioning that continues to seek the essence.
How can we develop this question in the future?
That is the new cultural task that has been entrusted to us.