The Japanese language is so beautiful that there is even a word to explain a beautiful phenomenon of sunlight filtering through trees and forests. The Japanese word is komorebi [木漏れ日] and in this article we are going to talk a little about it, its meaning and origin.
The word komorebi [木漏れ日] is written with the characters of tree [木] glow, filter, leak [漏れる] and sun [日]. She poetically describes the sunlight filtering through the leaves of the trees before hitting the ground, creating those beautiful images.
Komorebi can refer to either the light seen between the trees or that curtain of light or the effects the sun has on the ground filtered through the trees. This phenomenon is much appreciated by artists, photographers, poets and other adventurers.
How to enjoy a Komorebi?
You can witness the phenomenon of sunlight hitting the leaves of trees at any time of year or any place. Komorebi is especially noticeable when the sun is low and fog or smoke increases its effect, particularly in spring.
Read also: Hanami Guide - Appreciating the flowers in Japan
When walking through a forest the komorebi can provide a fantastic experience that transforms simple trees into an inspiring and special landscape perfect for photographs and paintings.
It's amazing how the Japanese language provides untranslatable words for poetic phenomena like komorebi. There are words in other languages that try to explain this phenomenon, but none directly refer to the sun hitting the trees.
Read also: Words that only exist in the Japanese language
In English there is only the expression sunlight, but it can refer to any sunlight. In Japanese there is this same word which is youkou [陽光] which can be translated to sunshine; sunlight.
Have you ever been in a forest when the rays of light penetrated the leaves and formed those fine images in the article? What do you think about the Japanese language having a specific word for it? If you liked this short article, share it and leave your comments.
Below we will leave a gallery of images:
