“The cherry blossom viewing of a sad woman is more beautiful than that of a cheerful woman.”
- January 14, 1925 – November 25, 1970
- Born in Japan
- Novelist, playwright, critic, political activist
- He became a representative figure of postwar Japanese literature, and was highly acclaimed both at home and abroad. He pursued his own unique aesthetic with themes of beauty and death, and ultimately committed seppuku at a Self-Defense Forces garrison. His life, which combined literature with action, continues to have a strong influence today.
Japanese
「陽気な女の花見より、悲しんでいる女の花見のほうが美しい。」
English
“The cherry blossom viewing of a sad woman is more beautiful than that of a cheerful woman.”
Explanation
In this quote, Mishima contrasts two seemingly opposite emotions—cheerfulness and sadness—in the context of a cherry blossom viewing, an activity traditionally associated with beauty and tranquility in Japanese culture. He suggests that the melancholy or sadness of a woman adds a layer of depth and aesthetic appeal to the scene, making it more beautiful than the cheerfulness that might be expected. Sadness, in Mishima’s view, may carry a certain poignancy or elegance that cheerfulness, though outwardly positive, lacks in terms of emotional complexity. There is an inherent beauty in sorrow, a fragility or transience that resonates deeply, particularly in the ephemeral beauty of the cherry blossoms, which themselves bloom for a short time, symbolizing the fleeting nature of life.
Mishima often explored the theme of contradictory beauty in his works, where emotions such as sadness, despair, and loss can elevate a scene to a higher aesthetic plane. The idea of a sad woman enjoying the cherry blossoms taps into a deeper, tragic beauty that contrasts with the surface-level joy of a more cheerful experience. The cherry blossoms, often seen as symbols of impermanence and ephemeral beauty, align with the transient nature of human emotions, making the scene of a sad woman more fitting and resonant in its connection to the fleeting nature of both life and beauty.
In a modern context, this quote could be interpreted as a reflection on how emotional depth and vulnerability often lead to a more profound sense of beauty, whereas surface-level happiness may fail to capture the complexities of the human experience. Mishima’s words suggest that true beauty lies not in cheerfulness, but in the raw, honest emotions that people experience, particularly those tied to loss or sadness. The quote invites reflection on the aesthetic value of emotionally charged experiences and how they can deepen our understanding of beauty in the world around us.
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