Dear friends,

Have you ever seen or just felt a beauty so deep it was almost silent and indescibable? Have you ever noticed a sense of wonder that came not from a brilliant spectacle, but from a quiet suggestion of something vast and unseen? It is 幽玄-Yugen.

I know how it feels whenever I go to a shrine that I just discover while I travel, or just when I look at the stars or the sea. They are beautiful, almost unreal and they have a hint of sadness. They make me feel like I’m seeing just a tiny piece of something greater than what they are.

“Yugen” is about the beauty in what you can’t see. It’s the suggestion of something, not the thing itself. The feeling of “Yugen” is like seeing the tip of an iceberg. You know there’s a massive, incredible structure hidden under the water, and that feeling of wonder and mystery is “Yugen”.

It’s not about being bright, loud, or obvious. It’s actually the opposite. “Yugen” is the soft glow of a lantern in the mist. It’s the milky way, it’s the fireflies in a summer night. You don’t see the whole show, just the beautiful, fading end of it. This concept of “Yugen” is telling me that true beauty must be felt, not seen. True beauty leaves us a little space to fill in the gaps with our imagination.

“Yugen” isn’t some treasure you have to go on a quest to find. It’s more about a shift in how you look at things. This concept is to appreciate the quiet moments, the shadows, and the mysteries. Next time you see the moon half-hidden by a cloud or hear a sound from far away in a quiet forest—that’s it. You’re feeling “Yugen”.

You can find and experience “Yugen” anywhere in Japan, but let me introduce you some places where you can truly feel it.

My most favourite place in Japan: Koya-san

If you want the full “Yugen” experience, you have to go to Okunoin cemetery on Mount Koya, especially in the early morning. Imagine that you’re walking on a stone path through a forest of massive, ancient cedar trees. Mist is swirling all around you, so you can only see a little ways ahead. The air is super still and quiet, and the only light comes from moss-covered stone lanterns. It’s spooky in the best way possible and feels totally timeless.

Nachi Falls is such an interesting example whenever I think of “Yugen”. You’ve probably seen this picture: a bright red pagoda with a massive waterfall in the background. It’s stunning on a clear day, but it gets that “Yugen” vibe when clouds and mist roll in. The huge waterfall gets partly hidden, and its roar sounds like it’s coming from nowhere and everywhere at once. It’s that perfect mix of something man-made and something powerfully wild.

If you’re a fan of the movie “Princess Mononoke”, you must know this place. The forest in that film was inspired by Yakushima, and when you get there, you’ll see why. The whole island is covered in ancient, gnarled cedar trees and a thick carpet of glowing green moss. It rains a lot, so everything is often wrapped in fog, making the whole place feel like another world. Walking through those woods, you feel tiny and amazed, and that’s Yugen right there.

To sum up my article, let’s go back to where the concept Yugen started: Noh theatre. If you want the real, original source of Yugen, try to see a Noh performance. It’s not like a modern play. The actors move incredibly slowly, and the main character often wears a mask, so you can’t see their facial expression. You have to guess their feelings from their body language. The chanting and music are hypnotic. The whole point is to create a deep, mysterious mood rather than just tell a story.

“Yugen” is never some treasure you have to go on a quest to find. It’s more about a shift in how you look at things. “Yugen” is appreciating the quiet moments, the shadows, and the mysteries. Next time you see the moon half-hidden by a cloud or hear a sound from far away in a quiet forest—that’s it. You’re feeling “Yugen”.