Wabi-sabi and the Spirit of the Holidays
Similar to the giving, heartfelt spirit of the holiday season, wabi-sabi evokes our appreciation of the natural beauty of our lives.

A big part of Japan's uniqueness is its wabi-sabi aesthetic. Wabi-sabi represents the Japanese worldview/state-of-mind emphasizing simplicity and purity. You may think of wabi-sabi as a spiritual longing, the beauty and awe of all things humble, unpretentious, ephemeral and imperfect. Our daughter, Zen, says wabi-sabi is "peace" and "everything that is natural and beautiful."

I would add a twilight walk around North Pond in our Lincoln Park neighborhood of Chicago, the blooming of the cherry blossoms in Kyoto, or a quiet, refreshing cup of matcha green tea. In essence, wabi-sabi embraces the savoring of one's daily simple pleasures. Wabi-sabi has been described as a sort of subtle unspoken beauty, like Katherine Hepburn vs. Marilyn Monroe.

Among our favorite high-touch ryokans in Kyoto, TAWARAYA fully reflects the spirit of wabi-sabi. Flowers are arranged at TAWARAYA to project a spirit of welcome (Makae-bana). During the summer a pot of yugao flowering gourds is placed by the ryokan's entrance. As evening falls, the white blossoms open in time for the arriving guests. Quoting propreitress Toshi Satow, "Because our flowers are welcome flowers, we place them at a low level so that when guests sit on the tatami mat they are at eye level. It is as if the flowers are bowing to express their own greeting. I'm becoming more and more aware of the importance of nature as a source of comfort and relaxation for humans."

Wabi-sabi is just one aspect of Japan's singular identity that makes this Shinto-Buddhist centered country so compelling. On top of its other-worldly culture and scrupulously clean, ultra modern infrastructure, Zen wishes to remind everyone that travel to Japan is easy to prepare for - no shots, pills, or visas required!

Lynch Family Annual Cherry Blossoms (Sakura) Pilgrimage! April 2010 Bev, Zen, and I will be making our annual spring break/cherry blossoms (sakura) pilgrimage back to Japan this April. We will be joined by my recycling entrepreneurial brother Miles, his partner Angel, and her lovely daughter, Haley. (Please see attached abbreviated itinerary). Traveling to Kyoto in April for the cherry blossoms is becoming somewhat of a tradition in the Lynch Family. Cherry blossoms were literally exploding this year in the backdrop of all the wonderful Kyoto temples and shrines, including Nijo Castle, Kinkakuji Temple (Golden Pavillion) and Kiyomizu Temple. Perhaps our favorite setting for cherry blossoms is the Heian-jingju Shrine – the many weeping cherry trees in the gardens are heavenly – this is one of the most beautiful, meditative walks in all of Kyoto. From March through May, the progress of the "cherry blossom front" is reported nightly on the weather reports as it makes its way through the archipelago. The local Japanese meteorologists always become animated when their regular weather report moves onto the "cherry blossom front". Happy Holidays & Safe Travels! Randy, Bev, and Zen Lynch

Founder Randy Lynch and family, have traveled to many of Asia's finest and most interesting destinations.

Geisha Makeover Zen Lynch & Toni Xu after their geisha makeover

Cherry Blossoms in Kyoto

Nanzenji Temple Zen at Nanzenji Temple Zen, Toni and Sofia at Fushimi Shrine