Wabi-Sabi, Zen Gardens, and Tanizaki’s book ‘Praise of Shadows’.

Visiting Japan sparked my philosophy on architecture in many different ways. On my last place of staying, in the spiritual Koyasan, a couple of things kept spinning in my head. 

Wabi-Sabi

What is Wabi Sabi? In the compact book ‘Wabi Sabi For Artists, Designers, Poets & Philosophers’, this question is one of the first questions asked.  The answer here seems quite simple but complex. It is something you have to experience. It is something you feel; ‘very few can articulate this feeling.’ 

The words used to explain are these: ‘Wabi-sabi is the quintessential Japanese aesthetic. It is a beauty of things imperfect, impermanent, and incomplete. It is a beauty of things modest and humble. It is a beauty of things unconventional.’ 

Wabi Sabi is a Japanese aesthetic philosophy that sees beauty in the imperfection, transience and simplicity of nature and life. People who embrace the principles of Wabi Sabi strive for a deeper understanding and appreciation of the transience of things, the simplicity of form, and the beauty of imperfection. It often goes hand in hand with a minimalist approach, where the emphasis is on finding joy in the simplicity of the moment and accepting the natural flow of things. 

Wabi-Sabi connects to something else that struck my curiosity: Zen Gardens, designed and made by Zen Buddhist monks. They connect through their underlying philosophy and aesthetic principles, both rooted in Japanese culture. Since its inception as a distinct aesthetic mode, wabi-sabi has been peripherally associated with Zen Buddhism. In 

many ways, wabi-sabi could even be called the “Zen of things,” as it exemplifies many of Zen’s core spiritual-philosophical tenets.* The first Japanese people involved with wabi-sabi-tea masters, priests, and monks—had all practised Zen and were steeped in the Zen mindset. 

Zen Gardens

Zen gardens are miniature landscapes designed through carefully composed arrangements of rocks, water features, moss, pruned trees and bushes, and use gravel or sand that is raked to represent ripples in water.  They were intended to imitate the essence of nature, not its actual appearance, and to serve as an aid for meditation. Zen Buddhism emphasises meditation as a direct path to spiritual enlightenment. Zazen, sitting meditation, is a core practice that seeks to calm the mind and understand the nature of the self.

Visiting the gardens left me speechless. The beauty of the simplicity of chosen forms and structures, the minimalism, the natural elements of stone and flora, and the cleanness and structures helped me experience an immediate inner peace. I could tell I was not the only one. The garden has the magic to naturally invite people to sit and enjoy the gardens in silence. To contemplate, as some form of meditation. Wabi-sabi teaches us to find beauty in the ordinary, while Zen gardens provide a space for contemplation and meditation. Zen encourages simplicity in everyday life and finding the spiritual in daily activities.

Tanizaki’s book ‘In Praise of Shadows’

Both Wabi-Sabi and Zen Buddhism took place during the Muromachi period, which developed between 1336 and 1573. It was characterised by political rivalries, which frequently led to wars, but also an extraordinary flourishing of Japanese culture. It saw the beginning of the Noh theatre, the Japanese tea ceremony, the shoin style of Japanese architecture and the Zen garden.  

A book that describes the beauty of the shoin style architecture is Tanizaki’s ‘In Praise of Shadows’. The first time I read this book was during my bachelor’s study at the Dutch Film Academy. It left a deep impression on me as I understood a new concept of light, in this case, the beauty of lack of it, remaining darkness. The second time I read it was during my Master of Interior Architecture. This time, I linked it to the Japanese tea ceremony. 

In his book, Tanizaki explores the aesthetics and cultural aspects of traditional Japanese architecture and design. While it does not explicitly delve into the concept of wabi-sabi, I see its connection. They share an appreciation for elements such as simplicity and imperfection and a connection to traditional Japanese aesthetics. Both express a sensibility that values the nuanced and understated aspects of beauty, contrasting with more overt and modern aesthetics.

Wabi-sabi celebrates imperfection, and Tanizaki discusses the beauty of imperfections and shadows. He appreciates the subtlety of shadows, the play of light, and the patina that comes with age. There is a subtlety in shadow that seems to favour the restrained colours and forms of the Wabi interior more than direct light. For shadow is not the absence of light. Merely the diffusion of light by an oblique object. Often, beauty lies not in the thing itself but in the pattern of its shadow. 

This aligns with wabi-sabi’s embrace of the imperfect, the worn, and the aged. Also, he expresses a preference for the subdued and understated beauty found in shadows and darkness, reflecting a similar sensibility to the simplicity and unpretentious elegance sought after in wabi-sabi.

Furthermore, Tanizaki reflects on the changing cultural landscape and the impact of modernisation on traditional Japanese aesthetics. Wabi-sabi is deeply rooted in traditional Japanese culture, and both Tanizaki and wabi-sabi practitioners express a certain nostalgia for the beauty of the past.

“In Praise of Shadows” reflects a cultural sensitivity and an awareness of the significance of the cultural context in appreciating aesthetics. Wabi-sabi is not just an aesthetic concept but also a cultural and philosophical approach that considers the broader context of objects and experiences.

Conclusion 

For all, Wabi-Sabi defies its purity and simplicity. It is a very intimate premise that comes from within. A personal philosophy that is found in the very interior of the soul. It is an individual way of seeing, feeling, and thinking. It helps us to find our inner peace. It is tranquil, calm, and reassuring, entirely centred, for this stillness is based on ancient wisdom.

For Wabi-Sabi, it is about the beauty of imperfection and incompleteness; it defines life in a pure form. It, therefore, can allow us to experience a heightened sense of “ourselves” and awaken our spirituality.