Japanese Concept of "Ma" (間) and Negative Space in Japanese Culture

Japanese Concept of "Ma" (間) and Negative Space in Japanese Culture
In the world of art, design, and philosophy, there exists a concept deeply embedded in Japanese culture known as "Ma"(間). This aesthetic principle goes far beyond the mere absence of objects or emptiness; instead, "Ma" is an encompassing aesthetic that revolves around the appreciation of negative space and the profound beauty that can be discovered within it. From traditional Japanese painting to Zen gardens, from Ikebana flower arrangements to minimalist architecture, "Ma" serves as a guiding principle, shaping the very essence of Japanese creativity.
In today's exploration, we delve into the heart of Japanese culture and aesthetics to uncover the profound concept of "Ma" (間) and its intimate relationship with the art of negative space. Let's discover "Ma"s' pivotal role in Japanese artistry. By the end of this video, we hope you will gain a new appreciation for the spaces in-between and the beauty of negative space.
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[@CarlynLei]

I enjoy learning about the different Japanese concepts the connect philosophy to art and the creation of living spaces that elevate the spirit. Thank you.

[@saffronscott6763]

Thank you for this collection of beautiful images which so clearly bring to mind the concept of Ma.🌊

[@dancingsunmedia]

As always..in the gray areas....we find deep contentment and subtle joy....

[@bonshawty]

ma is the darkness in between street lights as you travel down a road

[@AW-uv3cb]

Loved the images used here and the contents of the video. Just one observation (and I hope it will be taken in the spirit of constructiveness, as it's meant!): the frantic Spanish guitar seemed to me to be at odds with the peacefulness of the visuals and it even seemed to make the reader's voice sound rushed. The contrast between the visual layer and the text itself with the sound layer made me feel almost uneasy, as if I was in a gallery and someone told me to savour the pictures and contemplate their meaning, but at the same time was constantly pushing me to move faster, haha - don't know if anyone else had a similar impression or if it was just me. Anyway, great video regardless!

[@danslegris]

Hi, thank you so much for taking the time to watch our video and share your thoughts with us. Your feedback means a lot, and we genuinely value different perspectives. We're delighted to hear that you enjoyed the visuals and the content in the video. As for your point about the contrast between the visuals and the music, we'll certainly keep that in mind for our future projects. Your comment is greatly appreciated, as it helps us improve and gain a deeper understanding of our audience's thoughts. Once again, thank you for watching, and we hope you'll continue to enjoy our content in the future! Have a great day!

[@chitralekhag]

The concept of ma (space) has a apt significance. We also see it often in nature. The same when used in man-made things plays vital role. With this understanding, I have a question in my mind, if any language expert can explain it. The question is "In most languages we see spaces in between words, punctuation marks used for indicating meaningful interval/space. In a Japanese sentence we find punctuation marks used, but not the spaces between words. Why there is no space between Japanese words?" Please help to understand.

[@danslegris]

Hi, thank you for your thoughtful question. The absence of spaces in Japanese writing is rooted in the language's unique structure and history. Japanese utilizes a combination of kanji (characters borrowed from Chinese), hiragana, and katakana (syllabaries). The boundaries between words are signaled by the kanji or kana characters themselves, rendering spaces unnecessary. Additionally, the grammar and use of particles in Japanese naturally create separations.
Similarly, traditional Chinese writing does not use spaces between characters. Each character typically represents a word or a meaningful component, and the language's structure allows readers to effortlessly understand the text. I hope this helps!

[@LK-uq9vw]

In european, or in alphabetic languages, we need spaces to know where each word begins and finishes.
In Japanese writing, which is originally borrowed from Chinese writing, they kept on writing without spaces.
In Chinese and in japanese conception, the space is around each character.
You can read François Cheng , who is a french writer of Chinese origin, about Chinese poetry .
He explains fairly well this concept of "ma" .
I am french and I have studied japanese langage and especially this concept of ma, that i have used in my own book.

[@giovannafederico7321]

I can't agree more, thank you!

[@srinivasam3638]

Thank you very much 🙏🙏

[@PUMIC]

👏

[@chidaoly3219]

❤

[@marijaparlov2101]

In my language it means mother, we also say mama

[@davidcuarzo1986]

What is your languaje?