COMPLETION REPORTThe Role of Japanese Aesthetic Concepts in Environmental Conservation -Focusing on the PhilosophicalAesthetics which is accustomed in Japanese traditional arts or custom associated with the appreciation ofnature such as 'Japanese Garden', 'Cha no Yu', 'Haiku' and 'Bonsai'Dr. Le Le Wynn (+1)
Professor/Head
Department of Philosophy, Faculty of Humanities,
University of Yangon
The main objective of the research is to explore the role of Japanese aesthetic concepts in environmental conservationof today’s world. The research focused on the two main concepts such as the ‘climate’ (fūdo) in Watsuji Tetsurō’s
cultural theory and the ‘everyday aesthetics’ in Saitō Yuriko’s environmental philosophy. In order to achieve the aimof the research, it is specifically focused on some Japanese traditions which are associated with the appreciation ofnature such as ‘Nihon Teien’, ‘Cha no Yu’, ‘Haiku’, and ‘Bonsai’ from the standpoint of the PhilosophicalAesthetics. In the nowadays’ environmental issues, we cannot ignore the crucial role of aesthetic appreciation ofnature because of its indispensable factor for awakening the human conscience with regard to ethical responsibility tothe natural environment.
The main aesthetic concepts highlighted in this research are wabi-sabi, mono no aware, and mujō which reflect theuniqueness of Japanese way of thinking namely, ‘syncretism’. The aesthetic concepts in Japanese culture areordinarily interrelated with their ‘nature appreciation spirit’ as their cultural gene. For that reason, the Japanese people
easily to adopt the ‘natural objects’ or ‘natural phenomenon’ into their everyday life, but not only as it is, with thedeep philosophical contemplation of the law of nature. In addition, the Japanese aesthetic concepts such as wabi-sabi,
closely related with the sense of ‘eco-friendly‘, and it can lead the people to be aware and practice of ‘ecofriendly‘ life style. In other words, the tendency of appreciating or experiencing aesthetic taste in everyday life isclosely connected with ‘a culture of recycling’ which is most prominent in Japan rather than other countries. Hence, it
can lead the people to practice some important moral principles of nowadays’ human being towards ‘naturalenvironment’. For example, the ethical concept of ‘frugality’ in environmental ethics necessarily relates to thekeeping old things and reuses them or doing ‘recycle’ called ‘a culture of recycling’ against ‘consumerism’. It also
encourages the tendency of ‘co-existence’ between nature and culture or human being by the sense of ‘ecoaesthetics’.
In order to explore the role of Japanese aesthetics in environmental conservation and sustainable development bymeans of its significant conception ‘nature appreciation’ and ‘aesthetics in everyday life’, there are five chapters tosupport for achieving the aim of this work. This research is comprised of five main chapters:
Introduction
Chapter-I The Role of Environmental Aesthetics in Environmental Conservation and Sustainable Development
Chapter-II Reconsideration of the Concept of “Climate” (Fūdo) in WatsujiTetsurō’s Cultural Theory
Chapter-III Reconsideration of the Conception of “Everyday Aesthetics”
Chapter-IV Nature Appreciation Thoughts in Japanese Tradition
Chapter-V Nature Appreciation Tendencies in Japanese Aesthetic Concepts
Conclusion
Hopefully, this research will contribute to deepen the understanding of the Japanese culture and theirsignificant ways of thinking which is noteworthy to apply some innovative ideas of environmentalconservation strategies through the new approach of environmental aesthetics.

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Publication of the Results of Research Project:
Verbal Presentation (Date, Venue, Name of Conference, Title of Presentation, Presenter, etc.)
Date: 25, 27 May 2016
Venue
: Department of Philosophy, University of Yangon, Yangon, Myanmar
Title of Presentation : The Japanese way of Syncretism in Japanese Aesthetics_ focusing on the Dry
Landscape Garden, Tea Ceremony, and Haiku_
Presenter : Lé Lé Wynn (Professor & Head)
Thesis (Name of Journal and its Date, Title and Author of Thesis, etc.)-It will be scheduled to submit to the “Universities’ Research Journal” 2017, Vol.10 (but it will usually be issued
one year later 2018).
-Title: “Wabi as the significant aesthetic concept in Japanese culture and its impact on the awareness ofenvironmental conservation”-Author: Lé Lé Wynn
Book (Publisher and Date of the Book, Title and Author of the Book, etc.)
Publisher:Ahlinnein Media Group (Registration No. 01992, 10, Thingaha Street, Tarmway, Yangon,Myanmar)
Issue Date of Book : 2017, MarchBook Title: The Role of Japanese Aesthetic Concepts in Environmental Conservation—Focusing on the Philosophical Aesthetics which is accustomed in Japanese traditional arts
or custom associated with the appreciation of nature such as ‘Nihon Teien’, ‘Cha no Yu’,
‘Haiku’, and ‘Bonsai’—
Author of the Book : Lé Lé Wynn
Co-author: Khin Lay Nwe2/2