I create my images while hoping that I can use AI to express these unique Japanese aesthetic concept, It’s a difficult topic , but I’d like to share my personal thoughts on the Japanese concept of beauty.
I’ll update this from time to time.
侘び寂び(wabisabi)
I’m sure you’ve heard the terms “wabi-sabi.”
Even as a Japanese person, I find it hard to say that I fully understand their exact meaning.
Apparently, the original meaning refers to the sensibility of finding beauty in imperfection, the transience of nature, and the changes that come with the passage of time. While it’s a concept strongly tied to the beauty of nature, it also embodies a certain Japanese ambiguity, so perhaps if you can sense the sadness of things that are decaying, you could call that “wabi-sabi.”
or Even when expressing sorrow in an ironic way, I sometimes sense a taste of wabi-sabi. (ex. A situation that A dad who works hard for his family but is treated coldly by his daughter :P)
秘すれば花（Hidden makes it a flower)
There is a japanese proverb “秘すれば花” .
These are the words of Zeami, the famous master of Noh theater. Here, the ‘flower’ is a metaphor for “something Good” or “something that moves the heart.” Therefore, this phrase expresses the essence of the performing arts: by not revealing everything and keeping some things hidden, one can move the audience with stimulating their imagination
By extension, it has come to represent the Japanese cultural value of modesty and restraint. It is a philosophy that values discretion over showing off.
Furthermore, Likening "flower" to women themselves it is also used to imply a sense of eroticism associated with what is hidden. (It’s quite a departure from the original meaning, but I think that’s just how language works.)
Provided by vibhisana (An image inspired by words of "Hidden makes it a flower". It’s a little direct, but I think it’s really intrigueing.) ....hmmm it's excellent, after all. :D
間 (empty space)
In Japan, there is a strong tendency to place great importance on “ma” (empty space). Just as the presence of something is valued, so too is its absence.
This applies to everything, from painting and music to human relationships.
Within “ma”—which at first glance may seem like an ambiguous, empty space—one can sense beauty, harmony, and even vitality.
Thanks to @uncle_krupi
かわいい(kawaii)
(image Provided by RisingV )
The word “kawaii” seems to have permeated the world more than Japanese people realize. So, what exactly is “kawaii” as an adjective? Since it spread alongside Japanese anime, I think it’s often associated with anime-style cuteness. In English, the closest equivalent would probably be “cute,” right?
However, when it comes to “Kawaii,” that typical Japanese ambiguity really comes into play—it can be applied to just about anything. There are also a mountain of derivative terms. (Yume-kawaii, busu-kawaii, kimo-kawaii, blur blur blur—at this point, you can just tack “kawaii” onto anything and it’ll work. lol)
There’s a word in modern Japanese that sounds similar: “Kawaisou” (可哀想). This is a term used to express sympathy for someone facing hardship or a tragic situation. and while it seems to have a completely different meaning from “kawaii,” they actually share the same etymology.
Both evolved from “kao” (face) and “hayushi” (embarrassed). It’s an archaic term meaning “pitiful” or “unbearable to watch.”
In other words, having same etymoloty with "kawaisou", “kawaii” is a word that expresses the emotional response you feel when you see small children, animals, or those in a vulnerable position—the urge to protect them.
粋・渋い (iki, shibui)
thinking.....
判官びいき(hangan biiki - Root for the underdogs)
Sympathy for the Underdog
This may be less about "beauty" itself and more about a sense of aesthetics.
The “hangan” here refers to Minamoto no Yoshitsune. He was a formidable warrior who fought throughout Japan and contributed to his older brother Yoritomo’s unification of the country, but was later ostracized and killed by that same brother. The Japanese tend to favor those who meet a tragic end over those with overwhelming strength. Perhaps this stems from the same individual impulse to help the underdog that drives the “kawaii” . Or perhaps it reflects the nature of a closed community that tends to exclude those who stand out (the strong).
Even at the World Cup, we tend to root for the team that seems to be at a disadvantage at first glance.
エロ・グロ・ナンセンス（Ero-Guro)
(It's a play on Katsushika Hokusai's “The Great Wave.”
and these are plays of "The dream of fisherman's wife"https://civitai.red/posts/30034555 (規約違反だそうです。どこがためなのかよくわからんけど、蛸だからか！？ｗ 片方は問題ないみたいなので再アップ。）"獣かん"と受け取られる可能性があると指摘をうけて納得したので消しました。日本の有名な絵画のオマージュではあるので少し寂しいきはしますが。ありがとう。 and I'm sorry to everyone who gave reactions or tips to the image.）
https://civitai.red/posts/29983450
Japan had a famous ukiyo-e artist named Katsushika Hokusai in EDO era. He is known for his dynamic, stylized depictions of waves in the Japanese tradition (The Great Wave) in EDO era.
However, he didn’t limit himself to what is commonly considered “art”; he also produced a vast number of works, including comic strips with dialogue (considered the precursors to manga), bizarre paintings of YOKAI, and even pornography known as "shunga". I suspect there were no boundaries for him. He called himself a “madman of painting,” and he likely just painted whatever he found interesting.
“Ero-guro”—a term referring to erotic and grotesque popular culture that emerged relatively recently (Around the prewar period, 100 years after Hokusai’s death) as a reaction against so-called high art—is a concept that blurs the boundaries of "art" typical of Japanese culture. it's so intriguing to me. I think it captures the raw impulses of human life and its essence in tons of it's works. There are no boundaries there—not between anime, porn, and manga, nor between them and "high art". It all comes down to whether each individual likes it or not.
and, I believe Katsushika Hokusai was the true originator of Ero-Gro.
蛸と海女を"The dream of the fisherman's wife"って訳したやつ誰だよｗ
幽玄（Ethereal)
ethereal /ɪˈθɪəriəl $ ɪˈθɪr-/ adjective very delicate and light, in a way that does not seem real
Hmmmmmm. 説明すると野暮っていうか・・。なんというか・・むずかしいですね。 lol
Translated "幽玄" , it becomes “Ethereal,” though the nuance might be slightly different.
Suppose there is a single flower there.
’It is not merely admiring the beauty of the flower (beyound reality or not) as it stands there, but rather, extending one’s thoughts to the context in which the flower exists—the surplus and the lingering resonance (like Who put them there? What kind of weather have those flowers endured?)—and sensing the divine within it.
This may stem from the Japanese belief that a divine spirit dwells in all things.
用の美 (Functional beauty)
Muneyoshi Yanagi, often referred to as the “father of the Mingei Movement,” was well-versed in modern Western art, yet he discovered beauty in japanese traditional crafts (tools). and He coined the term "用の美"
This phrase is often understood to mean “functional beauty.” I love "functional beauty". I find tools that have been refined with a focus on their practical use to be truly beautiful.
whereas, When we speak of “用の美,” I believe it encompasses not only the inherent beauty of an object but also the beauty that arises from its "people' s actual use". I think this resonates with the beauty of decaying things found in wabi-sabi, as well as with the uniquely Japanese belief that a soul dwells in all things.
Steve Jobs (I hear he was quite an eccentric). I absolutely love the design and rugged simplicity of the first-generation iPod touch he created. and I think there's "用の美" in that.（I had been using it pretty roughly, but it still works and still beautiful with So Many Scars :P)
And apparently, he was a big fan of Hasui Kawase’s woodblock prints.
広重ブルー, Jules Brunet , the last samurai, ブリュネ・タカモリ
thinking......
These are all merely my interpretations.
Special Thanks to Aetius91, vibhisana, msk296zkm, RisingV , uncle_krupi