The Shinto Value Behind the Japanese Aesthetics
The Art of Making Something Natural
When you think of Japanese Aesthetics, most people think about wabi-sabi (侘び寂び), or the beauty in impermanence, exemplified by Japanese cherry blossoms that only bloom for a few days and then are gone.
But what if I told you there is an even more important concept behind Japanese views of beauty?
Japanese aesthetics is built on the concept of making something natural. Usually, we think that the concepts of something made and something natural stand in contrast to one another. Take for example a chair. While the material might be natural, say wood, we cannot go out in the forest and find a chair.
Yet, in Shinto the concepts of made and natural are not seen to be in conflict and there are examples of the harmony between the two all across Japanese culture. This harmony is essential to understanding Japanese views of beauty and perfection.
Let’s look at three such examples.
Japanese Cooking
There is a saying in my Japanese cookbook. It goes like this:
