Introduction
Western society has been excessively preoccupied with reaching perfection, and the desire to achieve can result in many adverse social and psychological outcomes. The persistence of social media pressures people to present a perfect image of themselves as a way of attaining status and recognition (Wang et al.). In contrast, wabi-sabi emphasizes imperfection and transience as a basis of harmony and beauty, countering the never-ending race for perfection (Venzo 218).
Similarly, following this tradition, in his writing, Haruki Murakami has consistently celebrated this concept when the rest of the world wants to be flawless. The short story “On Seeing the 100% Perfect Girl One Beautiful April Morning” reflects that. The story digs deep into the idea of beauty being in the eyes of the beholder and allows readers to think about what perfection means to them.
Conceptual Application
In Japanese aesthetics, wabi-sabi has been perceived as a potential source of mental growth and transformation. It stems from three marks of existence in Buddhism, such as impermanence, suffering, and emptiness, which propagate such realities as nothing lasts, is perfect, and is finished (Anumapa 101). Through his writing, Murakami has come back to the idea of wabi-sabi. He stated that, as quoted in Orgad, there is “no silence without a cry of grief, no forgiveness without bloodshed, no acceptance without a passage through acute loss. That lies at the root of true harmony” (52). Murakami has consistently exposed the capitalist system that imposed false notions of perfection.
The protagonist of “On Seeing the 100% Perfect Girl One Beautiful April Morning,” a short fiction, recalls seeing his “the one” in Tokyo’s posh Harajuku district. The internal monologue is the narrative’s emphasis, with the main character recounting different scenarios about how he would approach the girl and start a conversation with her. The underlying impact of the wabi-sabi philosophy is present from the start as the narrator mentions that the girl who is 100% perfect for him is not “that good looking. She doesn’t stand out in any way. Her clothes are nothing special. The back of her hair is still bent out of shape from sleep” (Murakami 67).
Nevertheless, the protagonist is drawn to the girl because something about her makes his “chest rumble and mouth dry” (Murakami 67). The girl’s imperfections that he notices make her human, a potential partner, or an interesting companion but also unique. When one thinks about perfect beauty, the same standards imposed by society come to mind, such as perfectly done makeup, a tiny waist, large hips, long legs, white teeth, and a dozen others (Brucculieri). However, uniqueness is no longer achievable when everyone follows the same standards.
Thus, instead of focusing on finding faults in imperfections, wabi-sabi teaches about the importance of appreciating things that are imperfect and unique. As noted by Juniper, the philosophy entails “an intuitive appreciation of ephemeral beauty in the physical world that reflects the irreversible flow of life in the spiritual world” (51). From the get-go, the protagonist of the short story intuitively felt that the girl he passed on the street was someone who could be his ideal companion. He imagines the small talk he could have engaged with her, with their conversations leading to the amicable acknowledgment that both of them found their perfect person in one another.
In many ways, the repetition of the phrase 100% perfect is intended to comment not on the appearance but on the feeling the protagonist is experiencing. His excitement when spinning different scenarios about approaching his soulmate is heartwarming. The idea that someone seems perfect for another despite being seemingly imperfect shows what love and connection are all about.
It is not about following the ideal image of someone and being very picky about every trait the other person has. Instead, it is about acknowledging one’s and another person’s imperfections and looking beyond the appearance and more profoundly into the soul. Ultimately, the protagonist does not talk with his perfect girl despite imagining ways to do so. The ending points out that life comes with many missed opportunities, and it is often essential to follow one’s heart and not regret doing something later.
Conclusion
To conclude, the principle of wabi-sabi reminds us that things, including beauty, are imperfect and impermanent. It also emphasizes the importance of being humble and open to the outside world and judging it not for its appearance but for how it makes one feel. Such an outlook is more likely to teach humans to appreciate the world with a sense of awe and develop a love for the process of exploring life, the people within it, and the knowledge to which they are exposed.
Works Cited
Anumapa, A. “Spiritual Liberation in Simulated Societies: A Study of Inner Consciousness in the Select Works of Haruki Murakami.” Scholar Uoc. 2023. Web.
Brucculieri, Julia. “Instagram Influencers Are All Starting toLook The Same. Here’s Why.” Huffpost. 2018. Web.
Juniper, Andrew. Wabi Sabi: The Japanese Art of Impermanence – Understanding the Zen Philosophy of Beauty in Simplicity. C. E. Tuttle, 2019.
Murakami, Haruki. The Elephant Vanishes. Random House, 2011.
Orgad, Yariv. “On Wabi Sabi and the Aesthetics of Family Secrets: Reading Haruki Murakami’s Kafka on the shore”. Culture & Psychology, vol. 23, no. 1, 2017, pp. 52-73.
Venzo, Paul. “Wabi Sabi: Intermediated Textures of Impermanence and Imperfection.” Belas Infiéis, vol. 8, no. 3, 2019, pp. 217-225.
Wang, Qingqing, et al. “Accessing the Influence of Perceived Value on Social Attachment: Developing Country Perspective.” Frontiers in Psychology, 12. Web.