Imagine a scene in which cherry blossom petals are showering down like rain. Ancient people mentioned a deep impression of that ephemeral natural beauty through the word “a-wa-re.” On the other hand, they also intimated affection for their beloved through the same word. Lady Murasaki expressed every emotion or feeling of a sensitive heart by means of the term in The Tale of Genji. She used it effectively in every situation in her story, as if to show her own reflection on the transience of human life. Of course, her expression seemed to be influenced by the sense of “shogyo mujo” expressed in Buddhism (everything on earth is impermanent and nothing remains unchanged or everlasting). At that time, our ancestors had a kind of understanding about the teaching of Buddha: all visible things are vanity. However, they never denied the visual charm of beauty, but loved it dearly. That’s why they knew well that human life was fragile and fleeting, so they had an empathy with the ephemeral beauty on this earth. People in Heian period, from Lady Murasaki down, used the word “a-wa-re” as an expression of such deep feeling. They reflected the link between beauty and feelings of sadness in their works. I think they had more sensitive hearts than we do today in modern Japan.