THE SENSE OF IMPERMANENCE IN THE NOVEL “THOUSAND CRANES” BY YASUNARI KAWABTA

Abstract

Impermanence is a Buddhist notion that denotes a constantly changing flow of all things and phenomena all over the world. This sense, which is called Mujôkan by the Japanese, has profoundly influenced the artistic conception of the famous writer Kawabata Yasunari. In the novel by Kawabata “Thousand Cranes”, the imprint of impermanence is reflected in the lives linked together on the endless time line through many generations; the past is silhouetted like a dark lipstick stain on a Shino cup’s brim; life and death are interwoven, so are happiness and loss; Beauty is on the verge of withering away; all these belong to the laws of nature which are irresistible. Finally, there is an open ending for an unstoppable journey; time still goes by; mankind is just a speck of dust, and there remains the eternal Beauty glowing in eternity.