JAPANESE AESTHETICS
FLOWERS of MANYOSHU
.jpg)
_edited.jpg)
JAPANESE AESTHETICS
Exploring the history of Japanese literature reveals a rich tradition of poems and essays celebrating flowers, reflecting the refined sensibilities of ancient people. Through the floral verses of the Manyoshu, we gain insight into Japan’s view of nature and its aesthetics of transience—such as impermanence and the fleeting beauty of life.
BENIBANA
Manyoshu Poem: The Beauty of the Safflower
Original Poem:
外のみに 見つつ恋ひなむ 紅の 末摘花の 色に出でずとも
Reading:
Yoso nomi ni mitsutsu koinamu kurenai no suetsumu hana no iro ni idezu tomo
English Translation:
I shall go on loving you from afar, Though my feelings remain hidden,
Like the crimson of the safflower—
Its color never shown to the world.
Author: Anonymous
Explanation:
Since the time of the Manyoshu—Japan’s oldest extant anthology of poetry—the safflower and the elegant hues of its dye have been deeply loved and longed for by the Japanese people. Achieving its vivid crimson required repeated dyeing, making it a rare and precious color.
In this poem, unspoken love is likened to the safflower: quietly burning within, never outwardly revealed. Such verses beautifully express the passion of a love held in silence—one that stirs the heart even in its stillness.
NADESHIKO
Manyoshu Poem: The Beauty of the Nadeshiko
Original Poem:
一本の なでしこ植ゑし その心 誰に見せむと 思ひそめけむ
Reading:
Hitomoto no nadeshiko ueshi sono kokoro tare ni misemu to omoisomekem
English Translation:
I planted a single nadeshiko—
With what feeling in my heart? It was planted for one reason alone:
So I could show it to you.
Author: Ōtomo Yakamochi
Explanation:
The nadeshiko (fringed pink or dianthus) is a symbol of gentle beauty, sincerity, and pure affection in Japanese culture. In fact, the English word pink is said to trace its origins back to this flower and its Chinese cousin, sekichiku (Dianthus chinensis), introduced to Japan long ago.
In this verse, the poet's emotion is revealed through a single, quietly planted flower—a simple gesture imbued with unspoken love. The delicate figure of the nadeshiko, blooming modestly in the fields, beautifully mirrors the subtle stirrings of the heart.
.jpg)
SAKURA
Manyoshu Poem: The Fleeting Beauty of Sakura
Original Poem: 桜花 咲きかも散ると 見るまでに 誰れかもここに 見えて散り行く
Reading: Sakurabana saki kamo chiru to miru made ni Tare kamo koko ni miete chiriyuku
Author: Kakinomoto no Hitomaro
English Translation :
Cherry blossoms— just as we see them bloom, they begin to fall. So too do people appear in this world, only to vanish before we truly see them.
Explanation:
The cherry blossoms most familiar to us today—Somei Yoshino—were developed in the late Edo period. In earlier times, particularly before the Heian period, "sakura" referred to the wild yamazakura. While the variety may differ, the aesthetic perception remains unchanged: the cherry blossom is revered for its fleeting beauty and delicate impermanence.
This poem reflects a deep awareness of the transience of both nature and human life, a sentiment at the heart of Japanese aesthetics. It captures how things—whether blossoms or people—appear only briefly, then quietly fade away. That ephemerality is what makes them so precious.
JAPANESE BEAUTY in TRANSIENCE
Japanese Aesthetics: Cherishing Nature and Life
At the core of the Japanese spirit, since ancient times, lies the concept of "an aesthetic sensibility that cherishes nature." Just as the phrase "Kachōfūgetsu" (flowers, birds, wind, and moon) suggests, there is a heart that appreciates the "ever-changing state of nature as it is."
Furthermore, this sensibility extends beyond nature to find "beauty" even amidst the transitions that occur in life: the sorrow of unrequited feelings, the poignancy of unfulfilled wishes, the loneliness of farewells, and the impermanence of all things.
It is in the delicate stirrings of the heart, profoundly savoring the changes within nature and life's events, that "beauty" is discovered.
The flowers of the Manyoshu allow us to richly feel this delicate appreciation for beauty—the very essence of Japanese aesthetics.
.jpg)
_edited.jpg)
TIMELESS
Japan’s unique sensibilities toward nature and beauty have been richly cultivated throughout its history, and they continue to inspire people around the world today.
This aesthetic sensibility holds the power to reawaken the quiet, precious awareness that we, as Japanese, sometimes forget in our everyday lives.
