Being and Beauty: Philosophy of Japanese Aesthetics
Japanese aesthetics developed several dimensions of expression. These are present in both traditional and contemporary culture. See the links to online slide presentations and resources.
Being and Beauty: Seminar Slides
 | Conceptual Dimensions 1 "I have compared the perception of interest to a flower ... There is no fixed intent in the spontaneous visual perception of interest." - Zeami |  | Conceptual Dimensions 2 “When looking at autumn mountains through mist, the view may be indistinct yet have great depth. Although few autumn leaves may be visible through the mist, the view is alluring. The limitless vista created in imagination far surpasses anything one can see more clearly” - Kamo no Chomei |
 | Cultural Dimensions 1: Intensity, Nihilism “Human reflection cannot be casually separated from an object that concerns it in the highest degree; we need a thinking that does not fall apart in the face of horror, a self-consciousness that does not steal away when it is time to explore possibility to the limit.” - Bataille |  | Cultural Dimensions 2: Virtualities Themes of enmeshment, machination, human-animal or human-machine hybrids, the uncanny, horror, transformation, martial arts, fetishism, porn, magic, virtual, game or other worlds are common themes in manga, anime and the styling of some idol groups and often associated with otaku culture … |
Japanese Aesthetics: Further Study
 | Japanese Aesthetics Japanese aesthetics has several major dimensions such as 'mono no aware' and 'yugen' that are discussed in this article by Graham Parkes ... |  | Otaku: Japanese Kids colonize the Realm of information and Media Article from Mediamatic magazine in 1991 discussing the emerging relations between young people and technology in Japan ... |