Ep. 7 — Shibui: from a bitter taste to a quiet beauty

It's All Japanese to Me · Oct 15, 2026 · 3m · transcript

Today’s word is “shibui.” A Japanese dictionary lists five meanings: the astringent taste of a certain kind of persimmon, a calm and quiet kind of beauty, a sour face, being stingy, and a sliding door that does not move smoothly. I also look at the oldest examples a larger dictionary gives for each meaning, including a short humorous poem from 1833.

Sources:

* Kotobank, “Shibui” (Digital Daijisen, Nihon Kokugo Daijiten; Japanese)

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