Because “sunlight filtering through trees” does not express the same feeling

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.

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.

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

Photos ©Diane Neill Tincher

The post Komorebi—A Beautiful Japanese Word that English Needs first appeared on More Than Tokyo and is written by Diane Tincher.