Japanese Aesthetics

1 Mono no aware

1.1 The original role, meaning and brief history of mono no aware

Prunus serrulata or Japanese Cherry objectifies the concept of mono no aware after Motoori Norinaga. According to Motoori, mono no aware is the decisive factor that stirs deep inside readers of The Tale of Genji and suggestive of Japanese cultural tradition, such as something about the transience of things.

The symbolic metaphor for the transience of the blossoms compares the breathtaking beauty to the quick death while mono no aware, the awareness of the transience of things, evokes gentle sadness at their passing.

The sensitiveness to beauty recognized in the 18th century by Motoori stands the test of time and joins hands with remodernism in the 21st century, which introduces a renewal of the sense of beauty, culture and society to replace postmodernism or relativism.


1.2 Another role of mono no aware for remodernism after postmodernism

Postmodernism discusses the issues from the proposition against the absolute authority and seems to be cynical. Mono no aware awakens the sense of beauty with bittersweet feelings which has the implication that it doesn't confirm the absolute authority but advocates the values of aesthetics with genuine emotion. So does remodernism.

The recurrent theme for post-postmodernism is that faith or sincerity can perform a function to transcend postmodern irony. Although pseudo-modernism is described as inducing shallowness and superficial participation in trivial events, metamodernism asserts that the postmodern culture of irony or confusion is over and that we live in a post-ideological age that focuses on engagement or storytelling.

In the circumstances mono no aware has the capacity to bring about the truth of existence. As the sense of beauty with bittersweet feelings establishes the truth of existence in that the awareness of the transience of things evokes gentle sadness at their passing, the faith in the truth goes all right to get over postmodern irony.


1.2.1 The application of mono no aware to the works of Utagawa Hiroshige in post-postmodernism

1.2.1.1 "Plum Park in Kameido" and "Flowering Plum Tree"

The transience of the blossoms also applies to Japanese apricot or plum blossoms. While Utagawa Hiroshige created several works, for example, "Plum Park in Kameido" in "One Hundred Famous Views of Edo" from his imagination for the transience of things, such as mono no aware, in the 19th century, Vincent Van Gogh made some remarks about the influence of Japanese art in 1888. The artistic spirit found interpretation in his works which suggested small modifications in Van Gogh's design.

"Plum Park in Kameido" by Hiroshige is on the left and "Flowering Plum Tree" by Van Gogh is on the right.

Plum_Park_in_KameidoFlowering_Plum_Tree

If the connotation of blue represents gentle sadness or bittersweet feelings and a smaller number of the plum blossoms contains the implication of their feelings, "Plum Park in Kameido" has a closer relation to the awareness of the transience of things or mono no aware than "Flowering Plum Tree."

Although "Flowering Plum Tree" is painted in various brighter colors than "Plum Park in Kameido", "Plum Park in Kameido" supports the truth of existence after postmodernism more strongly than "Flowering Plum Tree" on the grounds that the awareness of the transience of things evokes gentle sadness at their passing.


1.2.1.2 "Sudden Shower over Shin-Ohashi bridge and Atake" and "The Bridge in the Rain."

The landscape at the left is also a woodblock print by Hiroshige; that at the right, a painting by Van Gogh.

Sudden_Shower_over_Shin-Ohashi_bridge_and_AtakeThe_Bridge_in_the_Rain

The woodblock print in 1857 by Hiroshige bore the caption, "Sudden Shower over Shin-Ohashi bridge and Atake"; the painting in 1887 by Van Gogh, "The Bridge in the Rain."

"Sudden Shower over Shin-Ohashi bridge and Atake" has a closer relation to the awareness of the transience of things or mono no aware than "The Bridge in the Rain" in a similar way. More detailed mention is made of a lucid explanation. The landscape in deeper blue carries a stronger connotation of gentle sadness which the awareness of the transience of a sudden shower evokes at their passing and the sense of beauty with bittersweet feelings attests the truth of existence abundantly. Although "The Bridge in the Rain" is indeed painted in brighter colors with greater contrast than "Sudden Shower over Shin-Ohashi bridge and Atake", "Sudden Shower over Shin-Ohashi bridge and Atake" supports the truth of existence after postmodernism more strongly than "The Bridge in the Rain" in the same way.


2 Wabi-sabi

2.1 The traditional role, original meaning and brief history of Wabi-sabi

Wabi-sabi is associated with the Japanese Weltanschauung or an aesthetic appreciation of the transience described as the beauty of imperfection in contrast to Greek ideals of beauty and perfection in Europe and North America.

Wabi originally indicated the loneliness of living in nature; sabi stood for "chill" or "withered."

After making gradual changes in the aspects of these meanings around the 14th century or the Muromachi period, wabi presently implies rustic simplicity or quietness and sabi means the beauty of imperfection that comes with age.

Wabi also approves of imperfections in an unadorned object out of manageable bounds in contrast to a gaudy ornamant at that time and the aesthetic point of view imparts the mellow beauty to it.


2.1.1 The application of Wabi-sabi to the Japanese garden in post-postmodernism

The Japanese garden in the photograph is a Zen Garden of Ryoan-ji.

Ryoan-Ji

The moldering wall with russet brown is associated with wabi or the mellow beauty of imperfection. The rocks weathered by exposure and some brownish green moss around them are closely related to sabi or the beauty of imperfection that comes with age.

As the moldering russet brown wall in a Zen Garden of Ryoan-ji or both the rocks weathered by exposure and some brownish green moss around them on the site bring out the mellow beauty of imperfection based on wabi or the beauty of imperfection that comes with age based on sabi respectively, they corroborate the truth of existence after postmodernism more strongly than the distinct contrast between the rocks and the sand or the tasteful disposition of the rocks.


2.1.2 The application of Wabi to the Japanese tea house in post-postmodernism

The photograph shows Shokin-tei or one of the Japanese-style tea houses at Katsura Rikyu Garden.

Shokin-tei

The essential feature of Katsura Rikyu is that it adopted a style of traditional Japanese garden with a path around a central artificial pond and Shokin-tei at Katsura Rikyu was such a bower to attract a mate in a corner of the garden that the Japanese tea ceremony was performed at the pavillion.

As Shokin-tei with a russet brown roof made of thatch in the quiet solitude is described as rustic simplicity, the bower or the tea house is intimately connected to wabi or the mellow beauty of imperfection. Although the water garden heightens the awareness of the proper harmony between the deep green foliage and the reflecting pond, Shokin-tei with a russet brown roof made of thatch accents the symbolic meaning of the landscape, corroborating the truth of existence after postmodernism more strongly than the harmony between them.


2.1.3 The application of Sabi to the concept of the true Flower of Noh dramas in post-postmodernism

"Kadensho" or "Fushikaden" by Zeami is translated as "The Spirit of Noh: A New Translation of the Classic Noh Treatise the Fushikaden" by William Scott Wilson. The following are two quotes from Beyond the Age of Fifty in Fushikaden.

"Thus, even for a true master of Noh, there will be fewer and fewer roles that he can perform, and his merits in those roles will decline. Nevertheless, his Flower should remain."

"Generally speaking, most of the roles were given to the young actors, and my father performed the easy parts with restraint and understatement. His performance was charged with such hues, however, that his Flower seemed to have expanded. This is because in Noh, if an actor has truly mastered the Flower, the tree may be old and its branches and leaves few, yet the flowers will remain without falling. This was proof, before my very eyes, of the phrase, 'The Flower remaining on a bag of bones.'"

According to Zeami, the symbolic meaning of the Flower can be described as an attractive aspect of the artistic performance that gives a deep impression to the audience. The Flower is likely to emerge as a singular opportunity in the actor's prime and as another aspect of the beauty created through performance and the latter is in particular called the true Flower.

When the aspect of the beauty created through performance gets better with age, sabi or the beauty of imperfection that comes with age can be reflected in it or the conception of the true Flower of Noh dramas, and then the aesthetic conception corroborates the truth of existence after postmodernism strongly.


2.1.4 The application of Sabi to Basho's text in post-postmodernism

Matsuo Basho described a haiku or a verse form based on syllabication in his travel sketch in Nara on September 9 in 1694. The following is a translation from the Japanese original.

Scent of chrysanthemums
And in Nara
All the ancient Buddhas

As the fresh scent of chrysanthemums enhances the serene beauty of the ancient statues of the Buddha in Nara, the impressive combination of the fresh scent and the ancient statues brings out sabi or the beauty of imperfection that comes with age.

The ninth day of the ninth month in East Asia is known as Double Ninth that goes with chrysanthemums that symbolically represent the ability to overcome an infectious disease or make some conditions last a long time.

The symbolic metaphor for the ability to make some conditions last a long time reminds those present of the history of the ancient statues. In other words, the fresh scent of chrysanthemums has a role in reconstructing the past in the present, which introduces sabi or the beauty of imperfection that comes with age into the symbolic recognition of the ancient statues and corroborates the truth of existence after postmodernism strongly.


3 Yugen

3.1 The generally accepted meaning of yugen

The generally accepted meaning of yugen corresponds roughly with such an aesthetic conception as a subtle and profound beauty deeply rooted in Japanese culture. The contextual meaning has changed with the times or the fields and the original meaning based on Ancient Eastern Philosophy was interpreted as being "dim" or "mysterious."

In other words, yugen refers to a profound understanding of a mysterious beauty or nostalgia for the beauty and implies a profound understanding of a subtle flavor given by an artist, taking form in mysteriousness, profoundness, elegance and nostalgia connected with an ancient culture of an aristocratic society.


3.1.1 The application of yugen to the work of Katsushika Hokusai

On February 1, 1849 Katsushika Hokusai painted on silk canvas "The Dragon of Smoke Escaping from Mt Fuji."

Hokusai

According to The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter in the 10th century, Mt. Fuji was linked with a symbol of immortality or the elixir of life. The dragon in a swirl of dark smoke seems to ascend towards the heaven as if it were granted the right to do so by something like the will of Mt. Fuji or God's blessings and the latent meaning of the painting may be associated with the destiny of Hokusai himself.

The fabulous creature in a swirl of dark smoke in association with something like the will of Mt. Fuji or God's blessings evokes something mysterious, some of the wonders of an ancient culture and nostalgia for the ancient world, which reveals the mysterious beauty as yugen. In addition, Hokusai might express a desire for eternal life in the conception of yugen as his days were numbered at that time.


3.1.2 The application of yugen to Fujiwara no Shunzei's text

Fujiwara no Shunzei compiled an anthology of waka or verse form based on syllabication in 1187, titled Collection of a Thousand Years, containing 36 verses written by Shunzei himself.

As evening falls,
From along the moors the autumn wind
Blows chill into the heart;
And the quails raise their plaintive cry
In the deep grass of Fukakusa village.

According to The Tales of Ise, incorporating waka poetry into prose narratives and written before Collection of a Thousand Years, the quails carry a connotation of such an indefinable sadness that a female admirer could be turned to a quail by an enchantment on the pretext of her undue anxiety. The autumn wind on the moors also draws attention to the indefinable sadness, which makes readers feel a profound sadness.

The indefinable sadness or profound sadness over the plaintive cry of the quails, the autumn wind on the moors and the deep grass of Fukakusa village is closely related to a profound understanding of a mysterious beauty and nostalgia for the beauty of an ancient culture of an aristocratic society in reference to The Tales of Ise, which reveals the mysterious beauty as yugen.


3.1.3 The application of yugen to the aesthetic conception of Noh dramas

The following are three quotes from "Kadensho" or "Fushikaden" written by Zeami in William Scott Wilson translation.

"Again, there are many people who are led astray on the matter of strength and weakness. It is strange that a lack of grace should be considered strength, and that weakness should be judged as a graceful and subtle elegance. There will be shite who do not perform in a visibly weak way no matter how you view them. This is strength."

"This is another aesthetic that depends entirely on the actor's Flower."

"Likewise if you try to create an atmosphere of graceful and subtle elegance with too much delicacy, it will be especially weak. However, if you understand there to be a separate existence for this kind of elegance and strength, you will be missing the point. Both are the essences of the objects portrayed."

The word of "shite" in Noh dramas doesn't mean "shit" in English but the leading character in a Noh play and is pronounced as "si-TE."

According to Zeami, the aesthetic conception of a Noh play is formed with a graceful or subtle elegance and strength by recognizing that the elegance without too much delicacy is different from weakness and that the performance without visible weakness corresponds to strength, while the actor's Flower provides a suggestion of an atmosphere of refinement and a forceful expression in a Noh drama, which doesn't also coincide with too much subtlety or his particular vulnerability.

The gracefulness or good taste in a Noh play is noted as yugen, often involved in a subtle and profound beauty with grief or deep sadness, which evokes nostalgia for the cultural legacy of the ancient aristocracy in each individual spectator of Noh dramas and implies the actor's Flower is based on the proposition that some parts of the aesthetic conception are associated with "Hidden Flower" or a vital secret.

The raison d'être of "Hidden Flower" or the vital secret is to give the audience an impression beyond expectation for the performance, which corroborates the proposition that "Hidden Flower" or the vital secret also refers to some parts of the aesthetic conception of Noh dramas in that "Hidden Flower" or the vital secret is embodied in the perception of yugen or the subtle and profound beauty in the performance.


4 Iki

4.1 The meaning and brief history of iki in comparison to tsu

In late March 1954 Martin Heidegger talked with Tezuka Tomio about iki, one of the aesthetic conceptions beginning in the 18th century, which roughly corresponds to the notion of "cool" with an Oriental flavor, refers to a certain degree of detachment, casual sophistication or refined taste and is derived from something like the pop culture of the people of the lower classes at that time.

Iki is a loose synonym for tsu which refers to a person with refined or sophisticated taste. The term "iki" can be applied to the characteristics of a person, thing or situation but the term "tsu" can be used only to the characteristics of a person. In addition, tsu implies a repository of knowledge about Japanese culture, which isn't included in iki. For example, the term "tsu" can be applied to a person who knows every inch of Japanese cuisine, such as sushi, tempura and noodles. In other words, tsu focuses on knowledge while iki pays close attention to behavior.


4.2 Heidegger's question: How well could a central concept in Western philosophy describe other cultures including Japanese culture and aesthetic?

Although Heidegger posed the question of how well a central concept in Western philosophy could describe Japanese culture and aesthetic on the grounds that the concept was based on the ancient Greek and Latin, Heidegger's philosophy was criticized by analytic philosophy including logical positivism which proposed that all knowledge was based on logical inference from simple "protocol sentences" grounded in observable facts, for example, Rudolf Carnap chastised Heidegger for the wrong use of an ontology of meaning, which denies in Western philosophy Heidegger's deduction about the possibility of describing Japanese culture and aesthetic.

Rudolf Carnap pointed out the logical flaws in Heidegger's metaphysical speculations about the term "Nothing": the term reflected the ontological concept of a negative existential quantifier or the term "Not" and Heidegger put the wrong interpretation on the history of the term "Nothing," revealing the metaphysical element as a meaningless expression.

Although Heidegger supposed that the definition of a human being as a being in other beings or the regional ontology could be based on human subjectivity and that his neutral definition could be applied to a human being, Helmuth Plessner pointed out that the essence of human being couldn't be defined by the neutral but by the ad hoc because a human being was asked to determine the meaning of a human being each time in history.

Theodor W. Adornos also offered the argument against Heidegger: history's pages could often include unhistorical contrivances [...] while some aspect of history could lead to the ontologization of the unhistorical facts, which substantiated the historical facts could be established upon some historical situation, given by beings themselves.

Summing up the above, I can say a central concept in Western philosophy could well describe other cultures including Japanese culture and aesthetic. The reason exists in some assumptions: Western philosophy based on the ancient Greek and Latin could be recognized as logical inference from simple "protocol sentences" based on observable facts rather than as the subset of the metaphysical elements in the West because the subset of the ontology could be defined by the ad hoc rather than by the neutral in that some aspect of history could lead to the ontologization of the unhistorical facts.


4.3 The application of iki to the works of two contemporary novelists: Murakami Haruki and Kawabata Yasunari

Some contemporary writers who better embodied a notion of iki in the novel include Murakami Haruki and Kawabata Yasunari, known as Haruki Murakami and Yasunari Kawabata respectively.

The writings of Murakami Haruki well exemplify some aspects of vacillating between some types of behavior and standpoints that are remindful with the modern and the postmodern but getting an inkling of accepting the alternative rather than either of them, known as metamodernism which refers to some mediations between some aspects of modernism and postmodernism.

Kawabata Yasunari was considered as a major novelist or story writer whose works were produced through in-depth research on aesthetic sensibilities with a view of expressing the essence of sensations. Kawabata, a modernist writer based on cultural traditions, a fine connoisseur or tsu in Oriental literature, linked the Orient with the West in his writings which objectified human sentiments through his sensibiliy with a modesty.

Murakami writes in the novel the notion of iki with a snapshot of everyday life in a style that's refreshing, unambiguous and touching so as for some parts of the writings to serve as a metaphor for some reconciliations between some facets of modernism and postmodernism, while Kawabata described in the novel the aesthetic conception in a poetic style, pointing it up in some scenes associated with a sort of wabi-sabi, attaching the Orient to the West in substantiating human sentiments through his sensibility with a modesty.


5 Shibui

5.1 The original meaning and brief history of shibui

The concept of "shibui" refers to the Japanese aesthetic sensibilities on simplicity and modesty, originating in the 14th century or the Muromachi period as the general term for a bitter but fresh taste, such as that of an unripe persimmon, and developed in the period from the early 17th century to the 19th century or the Edo period as a form of aesthetic expression.

persimmon

In an interview with the American magazine House Beautiful in 1960, Yanagi Soetsu, founder of the Museum of Folk Crafts in Tokyo, described the concept of "shibui" as the combination of seven elements, including "simplicity" embodied in the interior of a traditional Japanese style room and "modesty" with which the object doesn't exhibit much taste and fits the surroundings.

Another element of "shibui" is naturalness which often carries the connotation of the beauty of imperfection but escapes a kind of artificiality or a type of asymmetry in wabi-sabi and so every "shibui" object doesn't necessarily mean wabi-sabi but many wabi-sabi objects are "shibui" because "shibui" objects don't accentuate the imperfection.


5.1.1 The application of shibui to the interior of Kawai Kanjiro's house

The following example of the interior of Kawai Kanjiro's house in Kyoto captures the concept of "shibui" well.

Kawai_Kanjiro

Most of the linear elements and flat pieces of planed wood in the interior of the historical domicile carry with them an air of simplicity and naturalness in the concept of "shibui" on the whole and such elements imply one could reinterpret them over the years.

The interior of Kawai Kanjiro's house is accepted as the modern variation of the shoin style around the 15th century or in the late Muromachi period, which is a model for a typical Japanese style room and is more or less influenced by Zen philosophy, and a set of shoji windows, a tatami floor and walls finished with a natural earthen plaster objectify the concept of "shibui" in the shoin style.


5.1.2 The application of shibui to Naiku of the Ise Grand Shrine

Naiku of the Ise Grand Shrine is also another example of the concept of "shibui" with simplicity and modesty.

NaikuIse_Shrine

The architectural form of Naiku of the Ise shrine is accepted as Shinmei-zukuri including the gable made of untreated wood and intersecting with ridge beam so as for the linear shape of Naiku of the Ise shrine to embody a sense of simplicity and modesty in the concept of "shibui" on the whole.

The linear shape of Shinmei-zukuri stands out in sharp contrast to the curved roof in the Chinese style as a consequence of the justification of the ruling authorities based on some mythology in those days and such a financial bind that the Imperial House couldn't always adopt the latest style in comparison to other ruling class in Japan, which could make a virtue of modesty associated with the concept of "shibui" on Naiku of the Ise shrine.


6 Miyabi

6.1 The original meaning and brief history of miyabi

Miyabi is one of the Japanese aesthetic concepts and refers to elegance, refinement or courtliness around the 11th century or in the Heian period. It was derived from a taste for the arts in those days, tended to keep away from anything that was the rustic and crude and restrained the artists or courtiers from expressing true feelings in their works in striking contrast to a flavor of Manyoshu, the oldest collection of Japanese poetry compiled around the 8th century or in the Nara period, that contained poems by people of every walk of life and opposed to the sensibilities of miyabi.

In other words, miyabi could be considered as an insufferably pompous and stuffy air in that only the upper class was allowed a free hand to truly appreciate the works associated with it. Although needed to give more thoughtful attention to the majestic glory in Africa, Nancy G. Hume said in Japanese Aesthetics and Culture: "One can imagine in our own day a somewhat similar situation existing somewhere in Africa, where the Oxford-educated prince of a still largely uncivilized tribe listens to records of the music of Debussy or tries his hand at composing avant-garde verse."


6.1.1 The application of miyabi to Kinkakuji temple in snow in post-postmodernism

Kinkakuji temple or Rokuonji temple, a replica of a 14th-century generalissimo villa in Kyoto, was recognized as a World Heritage Site in December 1994. The first floor of the Golden Pavilion is accepted as Shinden-zukuri, bringing to mind the residential style of the 11th-century imperial aristocracy.

Kinkaku-Ji

The temple of the Golden Pavilion was decorated in such an ostentatious way that those at court and the ruling class in those days seemed to show a kind of general disgust at the world outside Kyoto, the palace and their circles so as to imply how deeply some feelings for the concept of miyabi could govern a style of thinking among the upper class in Japan.

The implication of the glint of gold leaf to adorn the second or third floor of the Zen temple refuses to accept the principle of a kind of ethical egalitarianism and strongly embodies the concept of miyabi. In contrast, a fresh layer of snow on the curved roof carries a connotation of gentle sadness which the awareness of the transience of fresh snow evokes at their passing and corroborates the truth of existence after postmodernism more strongly than the glint of gold leaf.


6.1.2 The application of miyabi to The Tales of Ise

The Tales of Ise also objectifies the concept of miyabi into the fictional works created for the cultural elite from the 8th century to the 12th century including The Tale of Genji by Lady Murasaki early in the 11th century.

The following is a part of a translation from Section 9 of the Japanese original, describing going down from Kyoto to the eastern province.

I have a beloved wife
Familiar as the skirt
Of a well-worn robe
And so this distant journeying
Fills my heart with grief.

Karagoromo
Kitsutsu narenishi
Tsuma shi areba
Harubaru kinuru
Tabi o shi zo omou.

The sound of "Ha" is analogous to the sound of "Ba" without regard for the difference between an unvoiced and voiced consonant.

In Section 9 the protagonist takes a rest at Yatsuhashi in Mikawa, well-known for Iris laevigata, and writes down three topics in verse form: the sense of loss due to rustication, anguish over lost loves and the beauty of nature, such as Iris laevigata.

Ariwara no Narihira, a Japanese waka poet in the 9th century, composed the above lines in an acrostic verse and the first letters in each line could be read downwards to form the word of "kakitsubata" or Iris laevigata.


7 Kire

7.1 The original meaning and brief history of kire

One of the concepts slightly different from traditional Japanese aesthetics is "kire" or "kiretsuzuki" which is a cultural metaphor derived from Rinzai school of Zen philosophy and refers to attempting to surpass the ordinariness on the level of mundane affairs of life.

In contrast to most of the aesthetics in Japan, which are broadly accepted as an integral part of daily life, the concept of "kire" or "kiretsuzuki" acquires another positive connotation of spinning off from a situation and offers a suggestion as to the difference between the concept of "kire" or "kiretsuzuki" and traditional Japanese aethetics.


7.1.1 The application of kire to Ikebana

The concept of "kire" is well represented in the Japanese art of the ikebana flower-arranging tradition based on the principle of Zen philosophy and a model like the Ikebana is typically included in various styles of floral design in the world from Ancient Egypt to Modern Europe, such as English Garden style or European Style floristry, as various societies have had their own style of flower arrangement.

IkebanaToyokuni_III

According to Nishitani Keiji, a breathtaking display of freshly cut flowers bringing to mind the concept of kire temporarily hides the awareness of the transience of the being of flowers and puts accent on the bright quality of the being, which implies they provide an atmosphere of surpassing the ordinariness on the level of mundane affairs of life through the embodiment of the concept of kire.

Ikebana or a style of floral arranging known as kado in Japan temporarily brings a breath of fresh air through the embodiment of the concept of kire and historically serves a valuable role in cultivating a feeling of empathy.


7.1.2 The application of kire to Basho's text

Haiku poetry also gives a glimpse of the embodiment of the concept of kire which comes in sight on a specific syllable, such as "ya" emphasizing the preceding word or phrase, which is better clarified in Basho's text.

The rough sea
Stretching out towards Sado
The Milky Way.

Araumiya
Sado ni yokotau
Amanogawa.

Sado Island had been known for a long time as a place of banishment for incovenient figures for the Japanese authorities and the rough sea set the island apart from the Japanese mainland with cruelty, which implied many dissidents in the society often met insurmountable barriers for themselves.

Then the Milky Way laid an emotional bridge across the rough sea or insuperable obstacles to themselves and temporarily broke down the artificial boundary between the Being themselves.

Altough the syllable of "ya" in the verse form highlights the history of banishment for inconvenient figures, the striking appearance of the Milky Way temporarily breaks down such a gloomy feeling in a terse style, which implies it provides an atmosphere of surpassing the ordinariness on the level of mundane affairs of life through the embodiment of the concept of kire.

In addition, many verse forms including the above text were gathered into The Narrow Road to the Deep North or Basho's travel diary written in the late 17th century, which was considered as one of the outstanding works of classical Japanese literature and also suggested his journey signified surpassing his past or the ordinariness of life.


7.1.3 The application of kiretsuzuki to the dry landscape in Japan

The concept of kire is also found in a Zen Garden of Ryoan-ji surrounded by natural objects.

Ryoanji_summer

It is considered as one of the vivid examples of the dry landscape notable for the arrangement of rocks or pebbles and listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The consolidation of several homogeneous groups of the rocks and the rectangular border of the garden makes a deep impression on the minds of visitors.

The dry landscape undergoes continuous changes in the surrounding nature, such as the temporary hue in the shade of a tree in a day and the changing colors of the leaves in a year, which well substantiate movement within stillness and are widely recognized as the embodiment of the concept of kiretsuzuki in that the external changes conjure up an image of movement or kire and that the rocks or pebbles evoke an image of stillness or tsuzuki.


7.1.4 The application of kiretsuzuki to the footwork of Noh dramas

The meticulous footwork of Noh dramas is also another example of the concept of kiretsuzuki. A Noh actor begins to scuffle his foot lifting the toe a few inches and then drops the toe to the floor so as to stop the movement, which serves to objectify the concept of kire, while he moves the other foot deliberately soon after that so as to continue the movement, which appears to corroborate the concept of tsuzuki.

According to Ohashi Ryosuke, the dance of a typical Noh play allows actors to objectify the discontinuous continuity between the concept of kire and the concept of tsuzuki, which is demonstrated by lifting and dropping the toe fastidiously over and over again.

The theatrical stylization of the fancy footwork engages the attention of the audience to a metaphor for life: some conditions maintain a balance between life and death or reveal the rhythm of life and death, such as taking a breath and holding it.


8 Jo-ha-kyu

8.1 The original role and meaning of jo-ha-kyu

Jo-ha-kyu or a definite introduction-development-conclusion pattern is the concept of modulation and movement applied in a broad category of traditional Japanese arts, such as the Japanese court music, performing arts, tea ceremony, collaborative poetry and martial arts.

It seems to change some aspects of the rhythm in three parts: jo or the first part provides a slow introduction, ha or the second part represents a development or acceleration and kyu or the third part formes a rapid conclusion, increasing tempo gradually and rising to a crescendo. Ha or a development also introduces an explosive sound which is associated with kyu or ending after a rapid transition.


8.1.1 The application of jo-ha-kyu to gagaku or bugaku music

The concept of jo-ha-kyu of gagaku or bugaku music seems to nullify the effect of dynamics which refer to relative volume levels and agogics which represents slight changes in rhythm or tempo. The heritage of Japanese musical traditions is clearly distinguished by a continuous rhythm rather than dynamics or contrast and the concept of jo-ha-kyu provides a dramatic denouement which follows the course of slow development or crescendo to the final part.

The concept of jo-ha-kyu was gradually diffused in bugaku or ancient dances recognized as a part of the repertory of gagaku music established as Japanese court music which was brought from the East-Asian Continent in the 7th century and started to be localized to the court music in the late 9th century. The function of jo-ha-kyu in bugaku music is considered to be a rhythm structure, in which one of the key elements of the music is expressed explicitly.


8.1.2 The application of jo-ha-kyu to Noh dramas

Noh dramas also utilize the concept of jo-ha-kyu as stated in "Kadensho" or "Fushikaden" written by Zeami. The following are two quotes from Chapter 3 Questions and Answers.

Question: In Noh, how we determine the jo, ha, and kyu?

Answer: This is easily done. All things have a jo, a ha, and a kyu, and sarugaku is no exception. These are determined by the content of the performance. [...] The second and third plays should be excellent Noh, reflecting a mature technique and presence. As the final piece of the day is the kyu, it should particularly involve vigorous action and difficult technique.

According to the writings of Zeami, the concept of jo-ha-kyu applies to the rendering or arrangement of acts in a day and other writings often indicate it is brought into the rhythm and sequence of acts of a play or the coordinated actions of Noh actors in an act.

Zeami in 1423 had originally written a treatise "Sando" which offered an ideal combination of jo or the first part, ha or the second, third and fourth parts and kyu or the fifth part. As a result, a Noh play starts calmly and gently in the first part, develops the plot in a state of tension in the second, third and fourth parts and quickly comes to an end with deep satisfaction in the final part.


8.1.3 The application of jo-ha-kyu to joruri

The concept of jo-ha-kyu subsequently spread to joruri which referred to a form of narrative music or storytelling in the 16th century and Takemoto Gidayu, the great joruri chanter in the 17th century, seemed to firstly outline the introduction-development-conclusion pattern in joruri like Noh dramas.

That is, Takemoto Gidayu well created a style of joruri or chanted narration for Bunraku Puppet Theater with the introduction of the concept of jo-ha-kyu or the structure of joruri plays. The first act represents "Love" as a celebratory opening, the second act is characterized as "Warriors and Battle" which accelerate the tempo and the plot of the play, the third act is described as the climax of the entire play in a day by "pathos and tragedy," the fourth act is typified by getting out on a journey and the final act quickly comes to an end with a spectacular setting.

Joruri or a style of dramatic recitation associated with Bunraku Puppet Theater coordinates the narration with the movement of the puppets in time to a piece of music, which goes through some changes with the times, while reflecting the concept of jo-ha-kyu or the structure of joruri plays.


8.1.4 The application of jo-ha-kyu to renga or linked verse

Nijo Yoshimoto first brought the concept of jo-ha-kyu into renga or linked verse, which was a genre of Japanese collaborative poetry, as mentioned in The Tsukuba Dialogues or a general discourse on renga in question-answer style written from 1357 to 1372.

According to Yoshimoto, the first sheet for singing 22 verses or jo describes an image of gentle nature or an agreeable flavor, the second sheet for warbling 28 verses or ha represents a cheerful aspect or bright moments and the third and fourth sheets for singing 50 verses or kyu introduce the most attractive or lovely feature of all.

But, through the influence of the Noh Treatise in the 15th century, this renga style or 100-stanza renga made changes in the structure of linked verse: the introduction or the concept of jo was incorporated in the first 10 verses, the development or the concept of ha was embodied in the second 68 verses and the conclusion or the concept of kyu was exemplified in the last 22 verses so as to reduce the volume of the final part and avoid presenting the tedious aspect of the close.


9 Kawaii

9.1 The original meaning and brief history of kawaii

Japanese kawaii is bolstered up by being culturally odorless and spreads through different forms of popular culture, various classes and diverse gender groups. The word "kawaii" appears to have originated in the phrase "kawahayushi: a happy face" and the denotation of kawaii derived from Lady Murasaki's The Tale of Genji early in the 11th century. During the Edo period between 1603 and 1868 under the philosophy of Neo-Confucianism, female characters were described metaphorically as being "kawaii" or attractive.

Kawaii, as a rough rule of thumb, refers to an attribute of an attractive aspect or a good-natured disposition. It has become such a borderless phenomenon in Southeast Asia since the late 1980's and in Europe and America since 2000 that Japan's global impact superimposes a view accepted as "kawaii" or attractive features on the widespread impression of Zen gardens or Noh plays.


9.1.1 The application of kawaii to the Eurasian tree sparrow and the Nashi pear

The Eurasian tree sparrow or Passer montanus and the Nashi pear or Pyrus pyrifolia seem to be allowed to substantiate the concept of kawaii, attractiveness or loveliness in nature on the grounds that the concept of attractiveness or loveliness relies on a degree of subjectivity.

Tree_SparrowPear_Tree

The tree sparrow is widely prevalent in the urban areas of East Asia and in the suburban areas or the mountains in Europe and America. The bird has frequently appeared as images depicted by Chinese and Japanese artists, such as Hokusai and Hiroshige. It is also known for making short high sounds of bright chirping and there are small variations in pitch.

Whether or not the tree sparrow and the bright chirping in moderate pitch are recognized as the embodiment of what is called kawaii, attractiveness and loveliness is a matter of taste.

While the European pear or Pyrus communis is widely grown in Europe and North America, the Nashi pear known as the Asian pear is commonly cultivated in East Asia, Australia, New Zealand and the United States. The russet colored fruits are generally served raw and peeled and bring some attention to the high water content or the fresh flavor.

The translocal recognizability of a certain kind of atmosphere which a good combination of the form of the russet fruit and its flavor provides as the objectification of the concept of kawaii, attractiveness and loveliness seems to be based on a degree of subjectivity.

Occasionalspacer01Chirping