INSIGHT
VOL.1-3 Update
When discussing the uniquely Japanese sense of beauty, the words “ma” and “yohaku” are indispensable, as are “wabi-sabi.” “Ma” is mainly used in theater, music, and interpersonal relationships, while “yohaku” is frequently used in art, design, and for other two-dimensional works.
Editor's Column “The Path of Japanese Crafts” VOL.2
“Wabi-sabi” is one of Japan’s traditional aesthetic sensibilities, having grown out of Zen. Japan has long had a variety of aesthetic senses, such as “mono no aware” and “iki”, but wabi-sabi is one Japanese term that has spread worldwide, and can now be considered an international aesthetic. This sense of beauty has influenced many aspects of Japanese culture, from literatu...
Editor's Column “The Path of Japanese Crafts” VOL.1
Japanese crafts are beautiful. Sometsuke plates drawn with gosu pigment, bowls made up of many layers of lacquer, light-colored textiles dyed with the natural kusaki-zome technique, and one-of-a-kind yakishime style vases with unpredictable yohen effects that emerge during firing. These crafts are not only beautiful in form and design, but also function as tools, each embedded with the aesthetic s...
