Wabi-Sabi

Tokyo is a half-and-half city. Its land mass is huge; its ramen shops are counter space only. Big roads, no cars. Interactions are very polite and at the same time withdrawn. Everything is one-way and then another.

The most fun opposition is an aesthetic called “wabi-sabi”.

This idea is not unique to Japan. France has a similar phrase, “jolie laide” which translates literally to pretty/ugly and is famously applied to women- (that’s pretty/harsh, France!)

Both cultures allow for imperfection in their definition of beauty and in Tokyo, it’s everywhere. Everything seems so perfect and artificial that I’m still not convinced the mix of ancient buildings and steel skyscrapers wasn’t built just to make Tokyo look cooler. But the shrines and weathered wood aren’t replicas. When you look closely, imperfections have been carefully preserved.

In Shibuya, we went to a Euro café and had sandwiches and Western tea. The interior was quaint but felt new. When I glanced into the kitchen, everything was well-used, spotless but old. Even the trash can was visibly worn. Not shabby, not new. It’s hard to explain, but it elevated the feeling of the restaurant.

That’s jolie laide. That’s wabi-sabi