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“Iki”, in a nutshell, is the opposite of icky. Depending
on the context in which it is used, iki alternately denotes
a sense of urbane sophistication, a stylish air of refinement,
a dashing element of wit, a worldly-wise smartness, the high-spirited
flair of a bon vivant, and a coquettish yet tasteful aura of
sensuality. The word iki, both in its noun and adjective usages,
conjures up a panoply of aesthetic and moral ideals that developed
and became ingrained in Japanese culture and lifestyle over
the centuries. Even today, to tell someone he or she has iki
-- whether in reference to behavior, attitude toward life,
fashion or whatever -- constitutes a compliment of the highest
order.
The character for iki [ ]
is both instructive and interesting. The left-hand element [ ]
means rice; the right-hand component was originally written
[ ],
signifying free of impurities or extraneous matter. Hence, in
its purest sense the written symbol for iki etymologically meant
pure (i.e. unadulterated) rice. Historically, however, the term
iki early on became entwined with another iki in the Japanese
language; the latter, written [ ],
means high-spiritedness, a hearty attitude toward life. The
latter iki has overtones of a decisive, no-tiptoeing-around
spunkiness, and these shades of meaning often form a peripheral
adjunct to iki’s core essence.
Roughly four centuries ago, iki came into frequent usage among
urban dwellers in conjunction with Japan’s pleasure quarters.
The iki-imbued pleasure provider, who was more of a professional
entertainer than a paramour, had a keen sense of just how much
display of eroticism kept her within the parameters of good
taste. Picture the damsels who grace the most famous of ukiyo-e
prints. The iki-imbued pleasure seeker pursued sensual delights,
but without ever giving himself over to carnal desires too deeply.
On both sides of these relationships, iki embodied an ideal,
and it was manifested in everything from behavior to fashion
sense.
That ideal remains a subtle characteristic of Japan, its people
and its culture even today. In that respect, the Japanese insistence
on “pure rice” is no less rigorous today than it was
in the distant days when someone, somewhere, set out to find
the perfect written form to express all that the concept of
iki encompasses. |
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