Whether you drink tea, coffee, or any other hot infusion, you likely have a favorite mug that no one else is allowed to use but you. It's sad to think that something might happen to it or that it could break (I hope this hasn't happened to you, but if it has, I understand).
In our culture, we usually pick up the pieces and throw them away when something breaks. While we may feel a sense of loss, this fades over time. This same feeling happened to the Japanese Shogun Ashikaga Yashimasa in the late 15th century when he sent his unique tea bowl (Chawan) to China for repairs after it broke. Months passed, and when the shogun finally received his bowl, he was disappointed to see it crudely repaired with metal staples, making it look unsightly. Dissatisfied, he sought the help of Japanese artisans, and their efforts gave rise to a new technique now regarded as an expression of beauty and perfection.
This technique is called Kintsugi (金継ぎ), which means "golden repair." Beyond being a repair method, it is an art that transforms ordinary objects into unique and irreplaceable ones. Using urushi (lacquer), often accompanied by gold or silver powder, artisans create beautiful "scars" to bind the fragments. However, the authentic value of these items is not in the materials used but in the beauty they gain through their "scars."
Think of this in terms of your favorite mug—its appearance would change, but its new "scars" would give it a unique style and a story only you would know.
If we step away from repairing mugs and apply Kintsugi to our daily lives, it's possible through the philosophy of Wabi-sabi.
Wabi-sabi is the beauty of imperfection, encapsulated by the phrase: "Everything is transient, nothing is fully complete, and nothing is perfect." This aesthetic and way of perceiving the world finds beauty in the fleeting and imperfect, a perspective that continues to influence Japanese art and culture today.
Many see tea as "just a drink," but I view it differently. Imagine yourself as a mug—broken, with shattered pieces. The easiest thing would be to discard the pieces and move on. But should you? What does that achieve?
You could gather the pieces and attempt to hold them together, telling yourself, "It's just a scratch." But that's where many fail—ignoring the holes left unrepaired. Over time, these holes grow, and you break again, sometimes worse than before. This is where Kintsugi applies to life. Some of us are more fragmented than others and may feel we've lost our value. But this is when you must prepare your urushi—the adhesive representing your effort to recognize your worth—and gold dust, symbolizing your desire to heal.
With your urushi ready, the most challenging part comes: putting yourself back together. This process is painful, as it requires acknowledging each fragment, accepting it, and making it part of your new self. But when the pieces are reassembled, you become whole again—this time with scars that make you irreplaceable.
I hope you enjoyed this and learned something new.
Until next time!
Satoricha ~