A U.S. University Professor Explains the Japanese Aesthetic of "Wabi-Sabi"

While "wabi-sabi" is now known internationally by that very name, defining this uniquely Japanese concept is a challenge even for the Japanese themselves. Professor Paul Atkins, who teaches Japanese language and literature at the University of Washington, explains how "wabi-sabi" spread beyond Japan and why the aesthetic appeals to people from other countries.

During a recent visit to New York, I stopped by a Japanese bookstore in Manhattan. Amidst the English-language books about Japan, there was a dedicated "Wabi-Sabi" shelf displaying titles such as *The Art of Wabi-Sabi Love*, *The Way of Wabi-Sabi*, and *A Wabi-Sabi Course for Artists, Designers, Poets, and Philosophers*.

What exactly is "wabi-sabi," and why is it accorded enough importance to warrant its own section alongside categories like "sushi" and "karate"?

"Wabi-sabi" is generally described as a traditional Japanese aesthetic sensibility. It is a beauty of "perfect imperfection"—characterized by qualities such as being "flawed" or "incomplete." In reality, "wabi" and "sabi" are distinct concepts, though outside Japan they are often lumped together.

Even for those raised in Japan, accurately defining "wabi" and "sabi" can be difficult; yet, both are undoubtedly concepts unique to Japan, and neither is particularly obscure or complex.

As someone who studies archaic Japanese, classical literature, and traditional culture, I maintain a professional interest in "wabi-sabi" and the history of how these concepts came to be understood outside Japan.

A quick search on Google Books reveals that these terms began appearing in English-language literature around 1980. This likely reflects a delayed response to the 1972 English publication of *The Unknown Craftsman*, a collection of essays by the Japanese art critic Soetsu Yanagi.

In an essay within that volume titled "The Beauty of Irregularity," Yanagi discusses the tea ceremony and its simple elegance. Yet, as the book's title suggests, his fascination extended beyond the tea ceremony; he was captivated by an aesthetic sensibility distinct from traditional ideals such as perfection, refinement, and symmetry.

"A hidden beauty lies behind 'simplicity,'" Yanagi writes, "and we refer to it using unique terms such as *shibui*, *wabi*, and *sabi*."

While *shibui* conveys a sense of simplicity or understated elegance, it was the concepts of *wabi* and *sabi* that gained widespread recognition outside Japan—likely because the two words rhyme.

After becoming popular in the United States and elsewhere, the term "wabi-sabi" was reimported into Japan as a compound word.

In the Japanese-language sources I found online, topics such as "how to explain *wabi-sabi* to foreigners" were common. It is worth noting, however, that "wabi-sabi" does not appear in standard Japanese dictionaries.

A Wistful Waka Poem

The word *wabi* is the noun form of the classical Japanese verb *wabu* and is related to the modern verb *wabiru* (to apologize) and the adjective *wabishii* (wistful or desolate). *Wabu* carries meanings such as "to be troubled" or "to feel despondent."

Here, I introduce a famous *waka* poem composed in the 9th century. *Waka* are short, 31-syllable poems that hold a central place in classical Japanese poetry. This poem was composed by the nobleman Ariwara no Yukihira while he was living in exile at Suma—a scenic coastal area in western Japan—after having been banished for some offense.

If, by chance,
someone should ask of me,
tell them that here
on the shores of Suma,
I live in sorrow,
letting tears fall like
the brine dripping from seaweed.

(If someone happens to ask, please tell them that I am here in Suma, consumed by grief and shedding tears.)

That said, Suma was not actually such a wretched place for Yukihira. Legend has it that he fell into a mutual romance with two sisters there. Nevertheless, his *waka* poetry vividly captures the sorrow of his solitary life—the anguish of being banished from the familiar world of the imperial court and forced to live in quiet seclusion.

The Art of Wabi-cha

Subsequently, the aesthetic of *wabi* permeated the world of tea—one of Japan's quintessential traditions.

The custom of drinking *matcha* (powdered green tea) was introduced to Japan around the year 1200. It began when Zen monks brought the tea back from China—where they had been studying—and used it for purposes such as medicine. In time, tea spread to the general public, and by the mid-16th century, it had become an integral part of daily life as a common beverage.

It was during this period that the act of preparing and serving tea to guests was elevated into a sublime art form known as *Chadō*—the "Way of Tea."

As the Way of Tea gained popularity, powerful warlords vied to acquire highly coveted tea utensils, such as braziers, kettles, tea scoops (*chashaku*), bamboo whisks (*chasen*), and tea bowls. Tea rooms themselves were often adorned with precious works of art, including hanging scrolls featuring paintings or calligraphy, as well as exquisitely crafted vases and incense burners.

Eventually, tea masters and practitioners emerged who advocated for a more austere and simple style. This style came to be known as "Wabi-cha." Literally meaning "austere tea," it stood in contrast to the practice of up-and-coming samurai and merchants who used tea gatherings to flaunt their wealth; instead, Wabi-cha placed importance on subtlety, simplicity, and restraint.

Traces of *wabi*—an aesthetic of rustic simplicity—are readily apparent in old tea rooms. This beauty manifests not only in the furnishings—refined yet understated pieces bearing the patina of age—but also in the tea utensils themselves, particularly in tea bowls characterized by muted tones, slight irregularities, or cracks.

The *wabi-cha* style reached its zenith in the 16th century through the innovations of the tea master Sen no Rikyū. His approach endures to this day, exemplified by elements such as bamboo tea scoops, black Raku tea bowls, and the *nijiriguchi*—a small, roughly 60-centimeter-square entrance to the tea room. By stooping low to crawl through this opening, guests enter a cozy, womb-like space.

An Elegant Loneliness

Like *wabi*, *sabi* is a noun; it derives from the archaic verb *sabu*. The modern verb *sabiru* (to rust) carries connotations of aging or decline, while the modern adjective *sabishii* signifies loneliness.

Although *sabi* appears frequently in classical poetry, it was not established as an "artistic ideal" until around the 17th century. Within the 17-syllable poetic form known as haiku, poets sought to express the unique sense of solitude inherent in *sabi*.

The late Makoto Ueda, Professor Emeritus of Japanese Literature at Stanford University, described *sabi* as follows: "It is not the loneliness of a man who has lost a loved one; rather, it is the loneliness found in the sound of rain falling upon a large taro leaf at night, or in the call of a cicada echoing from amidst dry, white rocks; it is the loneliness felt gazing at the Milky Way stretched across a rough sea, or watching a great river flow endlessly during the rainy season."