Imagine walking through the temples and shrines of Japan. Their iconic shapes and colors. Their symbology and rich history. Then you arrive at the historical marker sign and it says something like “Built in 1951” or “Rebuilt in 2005” and “Constructed in 1891.”
Something felt off to me when I saw those dates. I thought temples and shrines in Japan were supposed to be ancient. These buildings aren’t that old, not compared to something like the Hagia Sophia.
The answer appeared to me in a book a few days later. In Ikigai by Hector Garcia, it explains that in Japanese architecture, buildings are traditionally made from wood. Wood is impermanent, and so is nature. In nature, nothing lasts forever and nothing is perfect, so neither should our buildings.
Wabi-sabi and Ichi-go ichi-e.
Traditional Japanese architecture joins the principles of wabi-sabi and ichi-go ichi-e.
Wabi-sabi is a Japanese feeling that reminds us everything is fleeting. Everything only lasts a moment. The natural world is always changing. There is beauty in the imperfect because time never leaves anything untouched. The way a teacup is used over time and gets a chip in it. Or the way a bonsai is asymmetrical. Beauty is in the imperfection.
Ichi-go ichi-e, is a concept meaning, “This moment exists only now and won’t come again.” It means each moment we go through, each person we meet, each experience we live—is unique and will never be repeated. This is why we shouldn’t be trapped in a past of regrets or be anxious about the future. The present is all we have.
If we marry these two ideas of wabi-sabi and ichi-go ichi-e, we begin to form an answer to my question as to why many Japanese temples and shrine structures aren’t so ancient.
Wood or Stone?
Perhaps it’s a matter of perspective. If we look at the West, we are accustomed to having stone buildings that last centuries. The cathedrals in Europe, for example, with their stone walls that never age and their symmetrical facades, are built to last as long as possible.
The Florence Cathedral, for example, was built in 1296. The Hagia Sophia in Istanbul was built in 537 AD.
In Japan, imperfection and impermanence are seen as beautiful. These temples and shrines are made so that future generations get to rebuild them. A way to remind ourselves that everything around us is impermanent. It’s a way of grounding us back into the present.
There are even some cases where temples are purposefully rebuilt every 30 years. Other times, they succumb to fire, flood, or earthquake and have to be rebuilt. But it’s okay because it’s part of life. More importance is placed on the craftsmanship than the use of new materials to rebuild.
Nothing in nature is spared the passage of time. To the Japanese, our buildings shouldn’t be any different.