JAPANESE WORDS THAT ENGLISH NEEDS, 2

Komorebi is a word that we English speakers could really use. And not just to add to our vocabulary, but also to our lives. It is formed from the Japanese word for "tree," 木, the word that means "to leak," 漏れ, and the word for "sun," 日.

Komorebi 木漏れ日 (pronounced kō-mō-leh-bē)

Literally, "sunlight leaking through trees," this word describes the beauty and wonder of rays of light dappling through overhead leaves, casting dancing shadows on the forest floor.

Green leaves filtering sunlight onto a sloped forest path.
Nakasendo Way, approaching Torii Pass, Nagano Prefecture.

Like kōyō — the word that describes the changing leaves of autumn—the fact that there is a word to specifically describe the beauty of the sunshine filtering through the leaves of trees overhead invites us to notice and to take a moment to marvel at this wonder of nature.

Tall, thin trees covered in green and colored leaves, casting shadows on mossy ground.
Giōji Temple, Kyoto.

There is a profound peace and sense of tranquility that one can absorb from simply stopping to appreciate the transient beauty of komorebi.

Still pond with scattered fallen leaves floating. Old Japanese temple building on the right. Green, orange, and red maple leaves above. Bamboo in the background.
Pond behind the Benzaiten Dō, Chusonji, Iwate Prefecture.

Photos ©Diane Neill Tincher

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Japanese Words that English Needs

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For more photos and information on Japan, visit my website, More Than Tokyo.