Japanese Culture in New York - Chopsticks NY

What is bi-ishiki, the aesthetic sense of Japan, first of all? To answer this question, we would probably need thousands of pages. This brief report can give you only a glimpse of the Japanese bi-ishiki that has been handed down for many years, but it will help to deepen your understanding of both the Japanese arts and the Japanese way of thinking.

Foreign Influence and the Emergence of Wabi and Sabi

In discussing Japanese bi-ishiki, the primary element is the respect of Japanese people for Mother Nature. This is the base of bi-ishiki, but cultural influences from overseas were also instrumental in the development of bi-ishiki. Around the sixth century, Buddhism was introduced to Japan from India via Kudara (part of the Korea Peninsula), and it soon connected with the Japanese people and spread nationwide. The heritage of this influence can be seen today in temples, statues, and paintings. Beginning in the seventh century, the Imperial Court of Japan had an active exchange with China, and this created an influx of Chinese culture to Japan. The nobles in those days tried to incorporate Chinese artistic elements and create their own art forms. Since this active importing of Chinese culture continued until the end of the ninth century, you can see strong Chinese characteristics in the architecture and art created in Japan during this period. As time went by, Chinese elements were blended into Japanese bi-ishiki in more subtle ways, and after this cultural mixing, Japanese people began to display their own bi-ishiki in art. You can see this development in two temples in Kyoto: Rokuon-ji (popularly known as Kinkaku-ji) and Jishou-ji (also known as Ginkaku-ji), two of the most famous tourist destinations in Japan's former capital. Kinkaku-ji, Temple of the Golden Pavilion, was originally built in the late fourteenth century by Shogun Yoshimitsu Ashikaga. This golden temple was highly influenced by Chinese architecture. In contrast, Ginkaku-ji, which was built in the late fifteenth century by a different shogun, Yoshimasa Ashikaga, excludes the Chinese-style aspects. Although Ginkaku-ji literally means "Temple of the Silver Pavilion," there is no silver used to decorate the temple; rather, the temple maximizes the beauty of materials––mainly wood and paper––and creates a harmony with the surrounding nature. It is an example of what is called wabi-sabi sensibility. Literally, "wabi" comes from the word "wabishii" (desolate or dreary), and "sabi" is from "sabishii" (lonely). To generalize, Kinkaku-ji is a symbol of perfection, while Ginkaku-ji is that of imperfection––and most Japanese feel more sympathy with the latter. The key to understanding wabi-sabi bi-ishiki is that it is closely related to Japanese nature worship. The idea behind it is "nothing is permanent." Japanese people accept the concept that everything rots away. That is why they see beauty in something fragile and ephemeral. For example, nobody denies that cherry blossoms in full bloom are beautiful, but at the same time, Japanese feel attached to the way cherry blossom petals fall to the ground. This kind of bi-ishiki is what is embodied in Ginkaku-ji.

Universe in Teahouse

Japanese wabi-sabi bi-ishiki is better understood when looking at the chanoyu, or tea ceremony. Tenshin Okakura, who introduced Japanese arts to the world in the late nineteenth century, once wrote in his famous book, The Book of Tea, "It [Teaism] is essentially a worship of the Imperfect, as it is a tender attempt to accomplish something possible in this impossible thing we know as life." This resonates with the essence of wabi-sabi. Since chanoyu is a synthesis of various art forms, including ceramics, painting, flower arrangement, architecture, and ceremonial manners, it can be said to exemplify wabi-sabi bi-ishiki. Katsura Yamaguchi, international director and senior vice president of Christie's, adds, "Upon entering a teahouse of chanoyu, you'll find items from Japan, China, Korea, and even from Vietnam and Portugal. It is a great achievement that Sen no Rikyu, the father of chanoyu, incorporated various aspects and multicultural items into this uniquely Japanese art form and created the universe inside a tiny teahouse." The point here is that wabi-sabi bi-ishiki is not exclusively Japanese; in a broader sense, it is about appreciating beauty.

An elegant bouquet of apple and melon is followed by a light and clean finish. It pairs marvelously with seafood dishes.