Japanese Aesthetics
What Is Wabi-Sabi?
Wabi-Sabi is the Japanese art of finding beauty in imperfection and impermanence. It is not minimalism, it is not sad, and it has nothing to do with the green condiment. Here is what it actually means and why it might be the most relevant philosophy of our time.
The art that turns scars into gold
What Is Kintsugi?
Kintsugi is the Japanese art of mending broken pottery with gold lacquer. The philosophy says your breaks make you more valuable, not less. Here is how it works and what it teaches about life.
The feeling that has no English name
What Is Mono no Aware?
Mono no Aware is a Japanese concept describing the bittersweet awareness of impermanence. It is not sadness. It is not nostalgia. It is something else entirely, and it might be the most useful feeling you have never had a word for.