Wabi-Sabi

Here and now! A completely new perspective on our lives and the world around us, inspired by ancient Japanese wisdom. Wabi sabi is a Japanese phrase that expresses the beauty of the simple, imperfect, and changing over time. In the West, the term wabi sabi is primarily popular as an aesthetic for interior design, but its meaning is much deeper. For the Japanese, it's a part of their life and thinking, even if they can't define it in words. In her book, British Japanologist Beth Kempton attempts to do just that. She shares her experiences from Japan and from meetings with people from whom she drew wisdom. She offers advice that can be easily applied to the lives of people in Western civilisation. The individual chapters focus on living spaces, our relationship with nature, accepting mistakes and negative feelings, interpersonal relationships, finding a fulfilling career, and fully experiencing the present moment. In addition to practical instructions for bringing Japanese inspiration into daily life and prompts for reflection, the book is also an evocative invitation to visit Japan: whether the author is describing a bath in a hot spring, tasting Japanese specialities, visiting a centuries-old Shinto shrine, or traditional craft techniques, she entices the reader to try it all for themselves.