10/08/2025

ON SUNDAY August 10, 2025 VI theSunday Special

The Japanese have a word for everything

A fascinating peek into a language where feelings and experiences are honoured with precision and elegance

BY ASHRAF WAHAB

T HE Japanese language, with roots stretching back over a thousand years, is a rich tapestry woven from indig enous elements and outside LQÀXHQFHV ,QLWLDOO\ GHULYHG IURP DQFLHQW Chinese script, Japanese writing evolved into three systems: Kanji (Chinese char acters), hiragana and katakana (both SKRQHWLF VFULSWV 7KLV EOHQG RI ERU rowed and native linguistic threads has given the language a uniquely expressive FKDUDFWHU Interestingly, Japan is not a multilin JXDO FRXQWU\ 6RPH HVWLPDWHV HYHQ VD\ Tsundoku: The unread library you love W H¶YH DOO GRQH LW 7KDW LPSXOVH EX\ DW WKH bookstore, the towering stack of novels by the bedside, the shiny new self-help book \RX VZHDU \RX¶OO VWDUW QH[W ZHHN (QWHU “tsundoku” (積ん読) , the act of acquiring reading materials and letting them accu PXODWH ZLWKRXW EHLQJ UHDG Far from being

WKDW RQO\ RI WKH SRSXODWLRQ VSHDNV D ODQJXDJH RWKHU WKDQ -DSDQHVH %XW then again, Japanese isn’t just a method of communication; it’s an art form that mirrors the culture’s subtlety, depth and SRHWLF QDWXUH W KHUH (QJOLVK PLJKW VWUXJJOH WR FDSWXUH WKH H[DFW QXDQFH RI D ÀHHWLQJ emotion or the aesthetics of nature, Japanese rises to the occasion with often D VLQJOH XQWUDQVODWDEOH ZRUG +HUH DUH some of the most captivating Japanese words that encapsulate feelings and experiences we all recognise, but perhaps GLGQ¶W NQRZ KDG QDPHV a source of shame, tsundoku speaks to a NLQG RI DVSLUDWLRQDO LQWHOOHFWXDOLVP ,W¶V the idea that books are treasures, even if XQWRXFKHG ,Q D ZD\ WKH SUHVHQFH RI WKHVH unread books still enriches your world, reminding you of your curiosity and thirst IRU NQRZOHGJH 6R WKH QH[W WLPH VRPHRQH raises an eyebrow at your book haul, just tell them you’re cultivating your tsundoku

Komorebi: When light dances through leaves There’s a moment in nature when VXQOLJKW ¿OWHUV WKURXJK WUHHV FUHDWLQJ D GDSSOHG H̆ HFW RQ WKH JURXQG ,W¶V ÀHHW LQJ GHOLFDWH DQG RGGO\ FRPIRUWLQJ 7KH Japanese call it “komorebi” (木漏れ日) It’s not just about the light; it’s about WKH IHHOLQJ LW HYRNHV $ PRPHQW RI serenity, a reminder of nature’s quiet EHDXW\ LQ RXU EXV\ OLYHV 8UEDQ GZHOOHUV VWXFN LQ WUḊ F RU JOXHG WR VFUHHQV PLJKW rarely notice it, but when we do, it stops XV LQ RXU WUDFNV Komorebi is a soft, wordless sigh that reminds us we’re part RI VRPHWKLQJ ELJJHU 6 ome of you might have had the plea sure of watching the Oscar-nominated -DSDQHVH ¿OP µ3HUIHFW 'D\V¶ 7KH ¿OP GLUHFWHG E\ :LP :HQGHUV LV SHU VRQDOO\ RQH RI P\ IDYRXULWH ¿OPV RI WKH SDVW IHZ \HDUV ,W IROORZV WKH URXWLQH daily life of a public toilet cleaner in 7RN\R QDPHG +LUD\DPD $QG RQH RI his favourite pastime activities is taking photos of komorebi

Natsukashii: Nostalgia without the sadness Imagine hearing a song from your school GD\V RU VWXPEOLQJ XSRQ DQ ROG SKRWR ,W ¿OOV \RX ZLWK ZDUPWK DQG D WRXFK RI ORQJLQJ EXW QRW VDGQHVV 7KDW IHHOLQJ" That’s “natsukashii” (懐かしい). 8 nlike the often bittersweet Western notion of nostalgia, natsukashii cel ebrates fond memories for what they ZHUH ZLWKRXW PRXUQLQJ WKHLU ORVV ,W¶V D JHQWOH JUDWHIXO NLQG RI UHPHPEHULQJ It acknowledges the passage of time but HPEUDFHV LW )RU PDQ\ RI XV QDYLJDWLQJ the fast-paced urban grind, natsukashii reminds us to pause and appreciate ZKHUH ZH¶YH EHHQ