Editing Wabi-sabi

{{Short description|Japanese aesthetic about beauty in imperfection}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2025}}
{{Distinguish|wasabi}}
{{Italic title}}

[[File:250201 Ryoan-ji Kyoto Japan06s3.jpg|thumb|alt=Rock garden with aged clay wall in the background|[[Zen garden]] of [[Ryōan-ji]], built during the [[Higashiyama period]]. The clay wall, stained with subtle brown and orange tones, reflects {{transliteration|ja|sabi}} principles, while the rock garden reflects {{transliteration|ja|wabi}} principles.<ref>森神逍遥 『侘び然び幽玄のこころ』桜の花出版、2015 Morigami Shouyo, ''Wabi sabi yugen no kokoro: Seiyo tetsugaku o koeru joi ishiki'' (Japanese). {{ISBN|978-4-434-20142-4}}</ref>]]
[[File:2002 kenrokuen hanami 0123.jpg|thumb|alt=Traditional tea house in a garden|A Japanese tea house reflecting the {{transliteration|ja|wabi-sabi}} aesthetic in {{nihongo|[[Kenroku-en]]|兼六園}} Garden]]
[[File:Black Raku tea bowl Amadera.jpg|thumb|alt=Black raku ware tea bowl with rough texture|{{transliteration|ja|Wabi-sabi}} tea bowl, [[Azuchi–Momoyama period]], 16th century]]

In traditional [[Japanese aesthetics]], {{nihongo||侘び寂び|'''wabi-sabi'''}} centers on the acceptance of [[wiktionary:transience|transience]] and imperfection.<ref>{{cite web |title=What Is Wabi-Sabi? |url=https://nobleharbor.com/tea/chado/WhatIsWabi-Sabi.htm |access-date=2017-07-13 |website=nobleharbor.com}}</ref> It is often described as the appreciation of beauty that is "imperfect, impermanent, and incomplete".{{sfn|Koren|1994}} It is prevalent in many forms of Japanese art.<ref>{{cite book |editor-last=Arp |editor-first=Robert |url=https://archive.org/details/isbn_9781788400886/ |title=1001 Ideas That Changed the Way We Think |date=2018 |publisher=Cassell Illustrated |isbn=978-1-78840-088-6 |location=London |oclc=1032029879}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Zia |first=East Liberty |title=Wabi-Sabi: The Japanese Art of Finding the Beauty in Imperfections |url=https://www.carnegielibrary.org/staff-picks/wabi-sabi-the-japanese-art-of-finding-the-beauty-in-imperfections/ |access-date=2024-01-07 |website=Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh}}</ref>

{{transliteration|ja|Wabi-sabi}} combines two interrelated concepts: {{nihongo||[[wikt:侘|侘]]|wabi}} and {{nihongo||[[wikt:寂|寂]]|sabi}}. According to the [[Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy]], {{transliteration|ja|wabi}} may be translated as "subdued, austere beauty", and {{transliteration|ja|sabi}} as "rustic [[patina]]".<ref>{{cite web |title=Japanese Aesthetics |url=https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/japanese-aesthetics/ |access-date=2022-10-31 |website=Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy}}</ref> {{transliteration|ja|Wabi-sabi}} derives from the [[Buddhist]] teaching of the {{nihongo|[[three marks of existence]]|三法印|sanbōin}}, which include {{nihongo|[[impermanence]]|無常|mujō}}, {{nihongo|[[dukkha|suffering]]|苦|ku}}, and {{nihongo|[[śūnyatā|emptiness or absence of self-nature]]|空|kū}}.{{sfn|Suzuki|1959|pp=19–38}}

Characteristics of {{transliteration|ja|wabi-sabi}} aesthetics and principles include [[asymmetry]], roughness, [[simplicity]], economy, austerity, modesty, [[intimacy]], and the appreciation of both natural objects and the forces of nature.

==Description==
{{transliteration|ja|Wabi-sabi}} has been described as "the most conspicuous and characteristic feature of what we think of as traditional Japanese beauty. It occupies roughly the same position in the Japanese [[wiktionary:pantheon|pantheon]] of aesthetic values as do the [[Ancient Greece|Greek]] ideals of [[beauty]] and perfection in the West."{{sfn|Koren|1994}} Andrew Juniper writes that, "If an object or expression can bring about, within us, a sense of serene melancholy and a spiritual longing, then that object could be said to be {{transliteration|ja|wabi-sabi}}."{{sfn|Juniper|2003}} According to Richard Powell, "{{transliteration|ja|Wabi-sabi}} nurtures all that is authentic by acknowledging three simple realities: nothing lasts, nothing is finished, and nothing is perfect."<ref name="Powell2">{{cite book |last=Powell |first=Richard R. |title=Wabi Sabi Simple |publisher=Adams Media |year=2004 |isbn=1-59337-178-0}}</ref>

When considering an English translation of the words ''wabi'' and ''sabi'', Juniper explains that "they have been used to express a vast range of ideas and emotions, and so their meanings are more open to personal interpretation than almost any other word in the Japanese vocabulary." As a result, attempts to translate ''wabi-sabi'' directly may obscure the ambiguity essential to its meaning.{{sfn|Juniper|2003}}

After centuries of incorporating artistic and Buddhist influences from China, {{transliteration|ja|wabi-sabi}} evolved into a distinctly Japanese ideal. Over time, the meanings of {{transliteration|ja|wabi}} and {{transliteration|ja|sabi}} became more lighthearted and hopeful. Around 700 years ago, particularly among the Japanese nobility, understanding emptiness and imperfection came to be regarded as a first step toward {{transliteration|ja|[[satori]]}} or [[Enlightenment in Buddhism|enlightenment]]. In contemporary Japan, {{transliteration|ja|wabi-sabi}} is often summarized as "wisdom in natural simplicity". In art books, it is typically defined as "flawed beauty".<ref>{{cite book |last=Gold |first=Taro |title=Living Wabi Sabi |publisher=Andrews McMeel Publishing |location=Kansas City |year=2004 |isbn=0-7407-3960-3 |pages=20–21}}</ref> Works in the {{transliteration|ja|wabi-sabi}} style often emphasize process, with the piece understood as ultimately incomplete.<ref name=":022">{{cite journal |last=John |first=Joseph D. |date=2007 |title=Experience as Medium: John Dewey and a Traditional Japanese Aesthetic |url=https://muse.jhu.edu/article/224026 |journal=The Journal of Speculative Philosophy |volume=21 |issue=2 |pages=83–90 |doi=10.2307/25670649 |issn=1527-9383 |jstor=25670649}}</ref>

From a design or engineering perspective, {{transliteration|ja|wabi}} may refer to the imperfect quality of an object resulting from inherent limitations in design and manufacture, especially under changing or unpredictable conditions. In this context, {{transliteration|ja|sabi}} could relate to impermanent reliability or the object's finite lifespan. This interpretation is further reflected in a phonological and etymological connection with the Japanese word {{nihongo3|{{lit|to rust}}|錆|sabi}}. Although the [[kanji]] for "rust" differ from {{nihongo||寂|sabi}} in {{transliteration|ja|wabi-sabi}}, the original spoken term (from pre-kanji {{transliteration|ja|[[yamato-kotoba]]}}) is believed to have been the same.<ref>錆びをめぐる話題, 井上勝也, 裳華房, 1994</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=さびの文字 |url=http://www2.memenet.or.jp/kinugawa/sabi/00121.htm |website=Kinugawa Chain Mfg. Co. Ltd |access-date=14 May 2025}}</ref>
[[File:Contemporary_wabi-sabi_tea_bowl.jpg|left|thumb|alt=Handmade ceramic tea bowl with rough texture and asymmetry|Modern tea vessel made in the {{transliteration|ja|wabi-sabi}} style]]
{{transliteration|ja|Wabi}} and {{transliteration|ja|sabi}} both convey feelings of desolation and solitude. Within [[Mahayana Buddhism]], these can be considered positive traits, representing release from the material world and the possibility of [[Transcendence (philosophy)|transcendence]] to a simpler life. As Mahayana philosophy emphasizes direct experience over verbal explanation, {{transliteration|ja|wabi-sabi}} may be best understood in a non-verbal, experiential way.

Although {{transliteration|ja|wabi}} and {{transliteration|ja|sabi}} have religious origins, their usage in contemporary Japanese language is often informal, consistent with the [[syncretic]] nature of [[Religion in Japan|Japanese spiritual practice]].

==Education==
{{Essay-like|section|date=March 2024}}
[[File:Meimeian08n4592.jpg|thumb|alt=Small entranceway to a traditional tea house, with weathered wood and earthen walls|Nijiriguchi entrance of a tea house]]
In one sense, {{transliteration|ja|wabi-sabi}} can be seen as a form of training. The student learns to observe and appreciate the simplest, most natural elements, such as fading autumn leaves. Over time, {{transliteration|ja|wabi-sabi}} reshapes perception so that even a chipped vase or a cracked bowl becomes meaningful and beautiful, not despite the flaw but because of it. These imperfections offer space for reflection. The same applies to materials like unfinished wood, paper, or fabric: as they age and change, those transformations can become quietly captivating.<ref>{{cite book |last=Lobo |first=Yury |title=In the Wake of Basho: Bestiary in the Rock Garden |publisher=Xlibris |date=2017 |page=23 |isbn=978-1-5245-4748-6}}</ref>

==History==
{{transliteration|ja|Wabi-sabi}} has roots in [[Zen]] Buddhism. It began to shape Japanese culture when the Zen priest [[Murata Jukō]] (村田珠光, 1423–1502) modified the [[Japanese tea ceremony|tea ceremony]].<ref name=":1">{{cite book |last=Reibstein |first=Mark |title=Wabi Sabi |publisher=Little, Brown |year=2008 |isbn=978-0-316-11825-5 |language=English}}</ref> He introduced simple, rough wooden and clay instruments in place of the gold, jade, and porcelain then popular in the Chinese-style tea service. About one hundred years later, the tea master [[Sen no Rikyū]] (千利休, 1522 to 21 April 1591) introduced {{transliteration|ja|wabi-sabi}} to the nobility through his design of the [[Chashitsu|teahouse]]. "He constructed a teahouse with a door so low that even the emperor would have to bow in order to enter, reminding everyone of the importance of humility before tradition, mystery, and spirit."<ref name=":1" />

==In Japanese arts==
At first, something that exhibited {{transliteration|ja|wabi-sabi}} qualities could only be discovered. It could be "found in the simple dwellings of the farmers that dotted the landscape, epitomized in neglected stone lanterns overgrown with moss or in simple bowls and other household utensils used by the common folk."<ref name=":2">{{cite book |last=Teiji |first=Itoh |title=Wabi Sabi Suki: The Essence of Japanese Beauty |publisher=Mazda Motor Corporation |year=1993}}</ref> However, toward the end of the late medieval period, the ruling class began using these aesthetic values to intentionally create "tea ceremony utensils, handicrafts, tea ceremony rooms and cottages, homes, gardens, even food and sweets, and above all manners and etiquette."<ref name=":2" />

Many forms of [[Japanese art]] have been influenced by Zen and Mahayana philosophy over the past thousand years. The contemplation and acceptance of imperfection, as well as the awareness of constant [[flux]] and [[impermanence]], have been particularly important to Japanese arts and [[Culture of Japan|culture]].{{sfn|Juniper|2003}} Accordingly, many Japanese art forms can be seen to encapsulate and exemplify the ideals of {{transliteration|ja|wabi-sabi}}.{{sfn|Juniper|2003}}

===Garden design===
[[File:Kare-sansui zen garden, Ryōan-ji, Kyoto 20190416 1.jpg|thumb|alt=Rock garden with raked gravel and arranged stones at a Zen temple|Ryōan-ji (late 16th century) in Kyoto, Japan, a well-known example of a Zen garden]]
[[Japanese garden]]s began as simple open spaces intended to attract kami, or spirits. During the Kamakura period, Zen ideals began to influence Japanese garden design.{{sfn|Juniper|2003}} Temple gardens were arranged with large rocks and other natural materials to form [[Japanese dry garden|Karesansui]], or Zen rock gardens. "Their designs imbued the gardens with a sense of the surreal and beckoned viewers to forget themselves and become immersed in the seas of gravel and the forests of moss. By loosening the rigid sense of perception, the actual scales of the garden became irrelevant and the viewers were able to then perceive the huge landscapes deep within themselves."{{sfn|Juniper|2003}}

====Tea gardens====
Due to the tea garden's close relationship with the tea ceremony, "the tea garden became one of the richest expressions of wabi sabi."{{sfn|Juniper|2003}} These small gardens typically incorporated elements of {{transliteration|ja|wabi-sabi}} design. They were meant to invite interpretation and place the visitor in a contemplative state, preparing them to take part in the tea ceremony.{{sfn|Juniper|2003}}

===Poetry===
Japanese poetry such as [[tanka]] and [[haiku]] is typically very short and focuses on the defining attributes of a scene. "By withholding verbose descriptions, the poem entices the reader to actively participate in the fulfillment of its meaning and, as with the Zen gardens, to become an active participant in the creative process."{{sfn|Juniper|2003}} One of the most famous Japanese poets, [[Matsuo Bashō|Bashō]], was credited with establishing {{transliteration|ja|sabi}} as a definitive emotive force in haiku. Many of his works, like other {{transliteration|ja|wabi-sabi}} expressions, avoid sentimentality or superfluous adjectives, instead presenting the "devastating imagery of solitude."{{sfn|Juniper|2003}}

===Ceramics===
[[File:Hon'ami_Koetsu_Fujisan_1.jpg|thumb|alt=Ceramic tea bowl with rough glaze and asymmetrical shape|''Mount Fuji'' tea bowl by Hon'ami Kōetsu, designated a national treasure]]
As the preference for simplicity and modesty grew, Zen masters came to view ornate Chinese ceramics as overly decorative and ostentatious.<ref name=":3">{{cite book |last=Suzuki |first=Nobuo |title=Wabi Sabi: The Wisdom in Imperfection |publisher=Tuttle Publishing |year=2021 |isbn=978-4805316313}}</ref> Japanese potters began to explore freer expressions of beauty, moving away from uniformity and symmetry. New kiln technologies introduced varied colors, forms, and textures, allowing the creation of pieces that were unique and nonuniform. A particular type of firing was favored for its natural, unpredictable effects and its contribution to organic [[ash glaze]]s—considered a clear embodiment of {{transliteration|ja|wabi-sabi}}.<ref name=":3" />

One example is the white raku bowl ''Mount Fuji'' (Shiroraku-Chawan, Fujisan), made by [[Hon'ami Kōetsu]] (本阿弥 光悦; 1558 – 27 February 1637), which has been designated a national treasure by the Japanese government.<ref name=":3" />

[[Kintsugi]], a technique that uses gold lacquer to repair broken pottery, is also regarded as an expression of {{transliteration|ja|wabi-sabi}}.{{sfn|Juniper|2003}}

===Flower arrangement===
[[Sen no Rikyū]] rejected the ornate [[rikka]] style popular at the time, disliking its rigid formalism and elaborate Chinese vases. Instead, he used simple vessels to display flowers, known as [[chabana]], in his tea ceremonies.{{sfn|Juniper|2003}} Rather than selecting impressive or cultivated blooms, he preferred wildflowers. "{{transliteration|ja|Ikebana}}, like the gardens, uses a living medium in the creative process, and it is this ingredient of life that brings a unique feel to flower arrangements."{{sfn|Juniper|2003}}

{{transliteration|ja|Ikebana}} then became an important part of the tea ceremony, and the flowers were treated with great respect.{{sfn|Juniper|2003}} "When a tea-master has arranged a flower to his satisfaction he will place it on the [[tokonoma]], the place of honour in a Japanese room. It rests there like an enthroned prince, and the guests or disciples on entering the room will salute it with a profound bow before making their addresses to the host."<ref>{{cite book |last=Okakura |first=Kakuzo |title=The Book of Tea |publisher=Applewood Books |year=2008 |isbn=978-0-9836106-0-1}}</ref>

===Other examples===
Other traditional expressions of {{transliteration|ja|wabi-sabi}} include:
* {{transliteration|ja|[[Honkyoku]]}} — the traditional {{transliteration|ja|[[shakuhachi]]}} (bamboo flute) music of wandering Zen monks.
* The essay ''[[In Praise of Shadows]]'' by [[Jun'ichirō Tanizaki]], which offers a modern Japanese perspective on {{transliteration|ja|wabi-sabi}}.
* The cultivation of [[bonsai]] (miniature trees). A typical bonsai design features rough-textured wood, deadwood sections, or hollow trunks, all intended to highlight the passage of time and natural imperfection. Bonsai are often displayed in autumn or winter after shedding their leaves, revealing the bare branches.
* The [[tea ceremony]].<ref name=":022"/>

==Influence upon the West==
{{transliteration|ja|Wabi-sabi}} has been employed in the Western world across a variety of contexts, including the arts, technology, media, and mental health.

===The arts===
Many Western designers, writers, poets, and artists have incorporated {{transliteration|ja|wabi-sabi}} ideals into their work to varying degrees. Some treat the concept as central to their practice, while others use it more selectively.
* Designer [[Leonard Koren]] (born 1948) published ''{{transliteration|ja|Wabi-Sabi}} for Artists, Designers, Poets & Philosophers'' (1994),{{sfn|Koren|1994}} a study of {{transliteration|ja|wabi-sabi}} that contrasts it with Western ideals of beauty. According to Penelope Green, the book "became a talking point for a wasteful culture intent on penitence and a touchstone for designers of all stripes."<ref name=Green>{{cite news |last=Green |first=Penelope |title=An Idiosyncratic Designer, a Serene New Home |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/23/garden/23leonard.html |work=The New York Times |date=22 September 2010 |access-date=25 September 2012}}</ref> It is credited with introducing the term "wabi-sabi" into Western aesthetic discourse.
* {{transliteration|ja|Wabi-sabi}} played a significant role in the development of Western [[studio pottery]]. [[Bernard Leach]] (1887–1979) was deeply influenced by Japanese aesthetics and techniques, particularly as reflected in his foundational book, ''A Potter's Book''.
* The work of American artist [[John Connell (artist)|John Connell]] (1940–2009) is also considered to be centered on {{transliteration|ja|wabi-sabi}}.<ref>{{cite book |title=The Hess Art Collection |publisher=Hatje Cantz |year=2010}}</ref> Other artists influenced by the idea include former [[Stuckist]] and [[remodernist film]]maker [[Jesse Richards]] (born 1975), who incorporates {{transliteration|ja|wabi-sabi}} and {{transliteration|ja|[[mono no aware]]}} into much of his work.
* Some [[haiku in English]] adopt {{transliteration|ja|wabi-sabi}} aesthetics through minimalist structure and themes of loneliness and transience.{{Citation needed|date=June 2013}} An example is [[Nick Virgilio]]'s poem:<ref>{{cite book |editor-last=Van den Heuvel |editor-first=Cor |title=The Haiku Anthology: Haiku and Senryu in English |edition=2nd |publisher=Fireside |year=1986 |isbn=978-0-671-62837-6 |page=285}}</ref>{{blockquote|autumn twilight:<br />the wreath on the door<br />lifts in the wind}}

===Technology===
During the 1990s, the concept was adopted by computer software developers and used in contexts such as [[agile programming]] and [[wiki]] platforms. It described the acceptance of ongoing imperfection in software development produced through iterative methods.<ref>{{cite web |title=Wabi Sabi |url=http://c2.com/cgi/wiki?WabiSabi |access-date=19 November 2006 |website=Ward's Wiki}}</ref>

===Mental health===
{{transliteration|ja|Wabi-sabi}} has also been cited in mental health contexts as a helpful concept for reducing [[Perfectionism (psychology)|perfectionist thinking]].<ref>{{cite web |last=Mathews |first=John |title=Wabi Sabi: The Simple Beauty of Serene Melancholy |url=https://www.vacounseling.com/wabi-sabi/ |website=Virginia Counseling |date=23 February 2016 |access-date=7 July 2022}}</ref>

===In media===
In 2009, [[Marcel Theroux]] presented ''In Search of Wabi Sabi'' on [[BBC Four]] as part of its ''Hidden Japan'' programming season. He traveled throughout Japan attempting to understand the aesthetic preferences of its people. Theroux began by humorously enacting a challenge from the book ''Living {{transliteration|ja|Wabi Sabi}}'' by [[Taro Gold]], asking passersby on a Tokyo street to describe {{transliteration|ja|wabi-sabi}}. As Gold predicted, "they will likely give you a polite shrug and explain that Wabi Sabi is simply unexplainable."<ref>{{cite book |last=Gold |first=Taro |author-link=Taro Gold |title=Living Wabi Sabi |publisher=[[Andrews McMeel Publishing]] |location=Kansas City |year=2004 |isbn=978-0-7407-3960-6 |page=6}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[Clinamen]]
* [[Higashiyama Bunka]] in the [[Muromachi period]]
* {{transliteration|ja|[[iki (aesthetic ideal)|Iki]]}} (a Japanese aesthetic ideal)
* {{transliteration|ja|[[Mono no aware]]}}
* {{transliteration|ja|[[Shibui]]}}
* [[Teaism]]
* {{transliteration|ja|[[Wabi-cha]]}}
* {{transliteration|ja|[[Kintsugi]]}} (also known as {{transliteration|ja|kintsukuroi}})
* [[Tao Te Ching]]
* [[I Ching]]
* [[Perfect is the enemy of good]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Bibliography==
* {{cite book |last=Burnham |first=Robert Jr. |title=Burnham's Celestial Handbook: An Observer's Guide to the Universe Beyond the Solar System, Volume III: Pavo through Vulpecula |date=1978 |publisher=Dover Books |pages=1625–1626 |isbn=978-0-486-23673-5}}
* {{cite book |last1=Crowley |first1=James |last2=Crowley |first2=Sandra |last3=Putnam |first3=Joseph |title=Wabi Sabi Style |date=2001 |publisher=Gibbs Smith |location=Layton, Utah |isbn=978-1-58685-753-0}}
* {{cite book |editor1-last=Davies |editor1-first=Roger |editor2-last=Ikeno |editor2-first=Osamu |title=The Japanese Mind: Understanding Contemporary Japanese Culture |date=2002 |publisher=Tuttle Publishing |location=Boston |pages=223–231 |isbn=978-0-8048-3295-3}}
* {{cite book |last=Koren |first=Leonard |author-link=Leonard Koren |title=Wabi Sabi for Artists, Designers, Poets & Philosophers |date=2008 |publisher=Imperfect Publishing |location=Point Reyes, California |isbn=978-0-9814846-0-0}}
* {{cite book |last=Juniper |first=Andrew |url=https://archive.org/details/andrew-juniper-wabi-sabi-the-japanese-art-of-impermanence-tuttle-publishing-2003-1/ |title=Wabi Sabi: The Japanese Art of Impermanence |publisher=Tuttle Publishing |year=2003 |isbn=978-1-4629-0161-6 |url-access=registration}}
* {{cite book |last=Suzuki |first=Daisetz Teitarō |title=Zen and Japanese Culture |date=1959 |publisher=Pantheon Books |location=New York |oclc=716149205 |pages=19–38 |chapter=General Remarks on Japanese Art Culture}}
* {{cite book |last=Tierney |first=Lennox |title=Wabi Sabi: A New Look at Japanese Design |date=1999 |publisher=Gibbs Smith |location=Layton, Utah |isbn=978-0-87905-849-4}}

==External links==
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z2P8z7kYJW0 In Search of Wabi Sabi] with [[Marcel Theroux]]

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