Japanese vs Chinese sensibility

Cherry blossom impermanence or plum blossom resilience?

Hello intersectional thinkers 👋

Greetings from Kyoto in full bloom.

Old man and the tree

While there is undeniable beauty in cherry blossoms, I always found them a tinge melancholy.

The impermanence of sakura petals falling with the spring wind within days of bloom is a metaphor for the transient life. This delicate appreciation is a defining element of Japanese aesthetics.

But it is not the mere presence of cherry blossoms that shapes one’s appreciation for transience.

The street outside my childhood home is lined with decade old cherry blossoms. But I was brought up to appreciate the resilience of the plum - to bloom against all odds.

It’s a very Chinese emphasis that I can’t seem to rewire (and maybe don’t want to rewire).

Plum blossoms standing tall in the snow

Yet some of the most beautiful plum blossoms I’ve seen are in Japan.

Funny how sensibilities are shaped by amplifying the voice of one flower over another.

Have a great week,

Vicky

P.S. / note to self: I’ll go back to my 1 unexpected intersection, 1 paradox, and 1 visual Zettelkasten next week.

P.P.S. Here’re my thoughts on the authority of beauty