yūgen
Quick Summary
The term "yūgen" (幽玄) refers to a concept in Japanese aesthetics that emphasizes profound mystery and depth. It suggests that true beauty lies not in explicit statements but in suggestion and subtlety, often found in ordinary or unassuming things. This idea is deeply intertwined with Japanese art and philosophy, influenced by Buddhism and Taoism, which value impermanence and simplicity.12
The term "wabi-sabi" is related, embodying a worldview that accepts transience and imperfection, finding beauty in the simple and the aged. While "yūgen" focuses on the mysterious depth within art, "wabi-sabi" extends this appreciation to the broader acceptance of life's imperfect and impermanent nature.31
Miyazaki Yūzen, a painter from Kyoto, is known for perfecting a rice-paste dyeing technique called yūzen-zome, which allowed for the economical creation of richly decorated cloth with elaborate designs and pictures. The cloth and designs produced by this method are also referred to as yūzen.4
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- Zeami
…or the representational aspect, and yūgen, the symbolic aspect and spiritual core of the Noh, which took precedence and which became the touchstone of excellence in the Noh. Zeami wrote, “The essence of yūgen is true beauty and gentleness,” but not mere outward beauty: it had to suggest behind the…
Read More…or the representational aspect, and yūgen, the symbolic aspect and spiritual core of the Noh, which took precedence and which became the touchstone of excellence in the Noh. Zeami wrote, “The essence of yūgen is true beauty and gentleness,” but not mere outward beauty: it had to suggest behind the…
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aestheticsJapan…is to be found in yūgen (“mystery and depth”) and that the artist must follow the rule of sōō (“consonance”), according to which every object, gesture, and expression has to be appropriate to its context.
Read More…is to be found in yūgen (“mystery and depth”) and that the artist must follow the rule of sōō (“consonance”), according to which every object, gesture, and expression has to be appropriate to its context.
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Noh theatre…in the second main principle, yūgen. Meaning literally “dark” or “obscure,” yūgen suggested beauty only partially perceived—fully felt but barely glimpsed by the viewer.
Read More…in the second main principle, yūgen. Meaning literally “dark” or “obscure,” yūgen suggested beauty only partially perceived—fully felt but barely glimpsed by the viewer.
Read More- Japanese literatureThe Muromachi (1338–1573) and Azuchi-Momoyama (1574–1600) periods
…have been the meaning of yūgen (“mystery and depth”), the ideal of the Noh plays. Parallel developments occurred in the tea ceremony, the landscape garden, and monochrome painting, all arts that suggest or symbolize rather than state.
Read More…have been the meaning of yūgen (“mystery and depth”), the ideal of the Noh plays. Parallel developments occurred in the tea ceremony, the landscape garden, and monochrome painting, all arts that suggest or symbolize rather than state.
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