Westernization Beauty and Japanese Aesthetics in Thousand Cranes by Yasunari Kawabata

“Thousand Cranes introduces Western readers to unfamiliar aspects of Japanese culture and geography while they contrast pre- and post- World War II Japan. Kawabata succeeds in integrating Western literary techniques with Eastern spirit while achieving superb psychological fiction,“ (Moran). Yasunari Kawabata’s novel Thousand Cranes is set in a post-World War II time period, and the orphaned, main character, Kikuji becomes involved with Mrs. Ota, one of his father’s former mistresses, who ends up committing suicide. After her death, Kikuji turns to her daughter, Fumiko. The novel contributes Japanese aesthetics and shows readers a side of beauty that is much different. As one reads this novel they begin to notice things such as the four page description about bowls. For most Westerners this may seem strange, they may be puzzled, bored, or ask ‘why would anyone go about bowls for so long?’ There is a vast amount of differences between the Japanese aesthetics presented in Thousand Cranes and the views of Westerners.

Merriam Webster defines beauty as “the quality of being physically attractive” (beauty). In Westernized countries, beauty is being young, having no gray hairs, wrinkle-free skin, and being perfect. Japanese aesthetics is the complete opposite, it is the concept of everything is not perfect and does not have to be. It is okay to be imperfect. Concepts in Japanese aesthetics such as wabi-sabi explain that you can find the beauty even in the old and worn out.

“Wabi-sabi is the Japanese art of finding beauty in imperfection and profundity in nature, of accepting, the natural cycle, of growth, decay, and death. It’s simple, slow, and uncluttered-and it reveres authenticity above all.” (Lawrence) Although wabi-sabi is ca...

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...t in their own way. Perishability is usually not found attractive in western countries. Wear and tear is unappealing and most want to replace it with a new item. Near the end of the novel, Kikuji's maid places a morning glory into an ancient gourd. This shows how the useless, old, broken gourd was still made momentarily joyful, even if it was short term.

In conclusion, there are dramatic contrasts between the concept of beauty in westernized countries and of that in Japanese aesthetics presented in Thousand Cranes by Yasunari Kawabata. Westerns often compartmentalize aesthetic experience as seeing it in a museum, while Japanese aesthetics does not limit the experience. It may be experienced through simple, everyday activities such as tea ceremonies. Japanese aesthetics embrace imperfection and age, while westernized countries try to make it all about perfection.