Skip to content

Junichiro Tanizaki

24 July 1886-30 July 1965

Definition.com

Beauty is not in the thing itself but in the patterns of shadows, the light and the darkness, that one thing against another creates.

Definition.com

Darkness is, in Japan, not troubling because it is resigned to as inevitable. How very different from the progressive westerner who always wants to better his lot.

Definition.com

Darkness is preferable to light since darkness smoothes over imperfections and leaves much to the imagination.

Definition.com

Darkness is necessary to beauty, for beauty is not in the thing itself but in the patterns of shadows, the light and the darkness, that one thing against another creates.

Definition.com

The Room , in Japan, is a space that depends on a variation of shadows, heavy shadows against light shadows -- it has nothing else.

Definition.com

The Shadow is part of beauty, for beauty is not only in the thing itself but also in the pattern of the shadows, the light and dark which that thing provides.

Definition.com

Shibui is neutral colors that are used so that the sad, fragile, dying rays can sink into absolute repose.