Mono no aware (物の哀れ), literally “the pathos of things”, and also translated as “an empathy toward things”, or “a sensitivity to ephemera“ is the Japanese concept for the awareness of the impermanence or transience of all things and the gentle sadness and wistfulness at their passing. It is enjoying the sadness of the inevitable cycle of life.
Mono no aware, coined by Japanese literary and linguistic scholar Motoori Norinaga in the eighteenth century to describe the essence of Japanese culture, has frequently been translated as the “ahh-ness” of things, life, and love — an awareness of the transience of all things heightens appreciation of their beauty, and evokes a gentle sadness at their passing.
According to mono no aware, a falling or wilting autumn flower is more beautiful than one in full bloom; a fading sound more beautiful than one clearly heard. The sakura or cherry blossom tree is the epitome of this conception of beauty. (via) The transience of the blossoms, the extreme beauty and quick death, has often been associated with mortality; for this reason, cherry blossoms are richly symbolic, and have been utilized often in Japanese art, manga, anime, and film, as well as at musical performances for ambient effect.
