No, it’s got nothing to do with wasabi, Wabi Sabi is a whole different kettle of fish. We all know grey is the new black, but I bet you didn’t know that imperfection is the new perfection, in Japan at least. In a bid to understand what makes the Japanese tick, aesthetically, Marcel Theroux travelled the country, all part of BBC Four’s Hidden Japan season.
Determined to get to the bottom of what Wabi Sabi means, Marcel approaches every Tom, Dick and Harry on the streets of busy Tokyo asking, What is Wabi Sabi?, but to no avail, poor chap. Undeterred and in fact encouraged by its mystery, the next ninety minutes see Marcel scour the land for an answer to his question. There is a slight pause for indulging in the very British love of tea-making, but there isn’t a box of PG Tips in sight. Back to Wabi Sabi-hunting and Marcel engages in the task at hand with every bit as much zeal and quirkiness as his younger brother Louis. The more serious of the two, Marcel does however generate, albeit unwittingly, a great many laughs. From prompting one seriously giggly woman to announce It means, sorry, I have had an accident to Marcel comparing his hotel to a medium security mental hospital, he could definitely give Louis a run for his money in the comedy stakes.
And no, I can’t tell you what Wabi Sabi is, partly because I don’t quite know, so you will just have to find out for yourself… click here to join Marcel on his quest.
