Glossary · culture

Wabi-sabi (侘寂)

Aesthetic that values quietness, imperfection, and the marks of time.

What wabi-sabi means

Wabi-sabi is the aesthetic framework most often associated with the Japanese tea tradition. Wabi points to a stripped-back, humble simplicity, and sabi to the beauty that emerges as objects age. In chanoyu it shapes the preference for asymmetric chawan, weathered tools, and quiet rooms, and it is the sensibility most modern matcha brands draw on when they describe a calmer way of drinking tea.

Also called

Wabi-sabi also appears as wabi, sabi.

Related terms

Keep exploring