What is wabi-sabi, and why does it rate its own section alongside such topics as sushi and karate?. Wabi-sabi is typically described as a traditional Japanese aesthetic: the beauty of something ...

Yūgen 幽玄 describes an aesthetic that is aristocratic, feminine, profound, otherworldly, and subtly sexual. Yet depending on the context, the word’s meaning seems to shift. While Zeami sought to ...