Japanese Aesthetic Concepts Flashcards
Honshitsu / Seizui
(Hoan-sheet-sue / Say-we-zwee)
(The essence of Japanese design).
Honshitsu can be translated as the “real essence,” or the “essential qualities” of an object. It refers to the form of an object. Seizu has similar meanings, and is translated as “the pure, highly concentrated, essence” of a thing.
Shizen
(She-zane)
(Imitating Mother Nature).
Shizen by itself means “nature” or “natural.” When the term is applied to arts and crafts, including modern designs, it also encompasses things that are made to look like they were made by nature.
Shizenbi
(She-zane-bee)
(Nature’s standard of beauty).
Natural beauty.
Wa
(Wah)
(Harmony in all things).
Harmony.
Heisei
(Hay-ee-say-ee)
(The peaceful mind).
Tranquility.
Ki
(Kee)
(Humility in wood).
Wood.
Ishi
(Ee-she)
(The use of sabi stones).
Stone.
Wara / Tatami
(Wah-rah / Tah-tah-me)
(The Sabi-ness of straw).
Wara = straw
Tatami = straw flooring/mat
Take
(Tah-kay)
(The incredible bamboo).
Bamboo.
Bukkyo
(Boo-k’yoh)
The impact of Buddhism.
Buddhism.
Meisho / Deshi
(May-ee-shoh / Deh-she)
(The Master / Apprentice approach).
Meisho = Master
Deshi = Apprentice
Kaizen
(Kigh-zane)
(Striving for perfection).
Continuous improvement.
Kessaku
(Kase-sah-koo)
(Creating masterpieces).
- ) One’s best or
- ) A masterpiece.
Kyubo
(Cue-boh)
(The poverty principle).
Poverty. Kyubo means poverty and refers to a lifestyle that was once help up by Buddhist philosophy and the Japanese government as the ideal for all people, including the ruling samurai class.
Sabi
(Sah-bee)
(Savoring the “rust” of age).
Rust.
Wabi
(Wah-bee)
(Desolate beauty).
A taste for the simple and the quiet.
Shibui
(She-boo-ee)
(Eliminating the unessential).
Astringent, simple, conservative, rough, elegant, unaffected.
In it’s traditional sense, shibui beauty is beauty that is in perfect harmony with nature and has a tranquil effect upon the viewer. It suggests serenity and quiet luxury.
In modern-day electronics, shibui beauty is the result of products being reduced to their essence, having a surface color and texture that is serene, soothing, elegant, and sensual.
Bigaku
(Bee-gah-koo)
(The growth of aestheticism).
Aesthetics.
Kukan / Supesu
(Koo-kahn / Soo-pay-soo)
(Space is not empty).
Space (as in open space).
Unlike Westerners’, the Japanese don’t regard space as empty. In the Buddhist mind, space is an entity with four dimensions - height, length, width, and time. It does not need to be filled up to be functional or useful.
Ma
(Mah)
(Mixing space and time).
Ma means space as well as time and refers to the space of time between events.
