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I was watching an interview by "That Japanese Guy Yuta" (a Japanese YouTuber)
where the question was "What if everyone in Japan could speak English. What
would be the impact?".

Most suggested they would travel more, but one woman lamented that something
in communication would be lost as there are words like:

> komorebi [こもれび] / [木漏れ陽] - sunlight streaming through trees

This doesn't have a direct translation like "sun" or "tree" which can be seen
as it appears to be a combination of various words/kanji like 木 for tree; 陽
for sun etc.

It also has a connotation of serenity and tranquillity as well as the standard
description of a phenomenon and so could have philosophical implications.

Are there other words like this anyone knows which potentially have
wider/philosophical meanings and/or can't be directly translated?

[I'm particularly interested in the kind of words you might find in poetry.]
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translation meaning kanji expressions
Examples of words which cannot be directly translated into English and have potentially philosophical meanings
I can think of one word "もったいない" now. Is this one you are looking for?

It seems that there isn't a word which means もったいない in the world except
Japanese language. <https://swinginthinkin.com/column/mottainai/>
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Some examples to answer this question include the following: [komorebi is
already listed]

> Shoganai

Shoganai means ‘it can’t be helped’, but also expresses a conviction that
there’s no point in complaining if a situation is out of one’s control. This
mentality can be both realistic and fatalistic.

> Itadakimasu

Literally means ‘I humbly receive’, is said before every meal, and expresses
appreciation for all the work that went into the meal that is about to be
eaten. It conveys a respect for all living things.

> Ojama-shimasu

A set phrase said whenever you enter someone else’s house, signifying that you
know you are going to be a bother and apologise in advance. When using this
phrase, you are signifying your own modesty and sense that you are intruding.

> Otsukaresamadesu

When said to colleagues at work, you are recognising their hard work.
Sometimes it is even used in place of ‘cheers’ when drinking together with
friends on a Friday after a hard work week. They might seem like empty
phrases, they smooth interactions in stressful workplaces

> Shinrinyoku

Literally “forest bath,” shinrinyoku means walking through the forest and
soaking in all the green light.

> Wabi-sabi

The imperfect, incomplete, and transient nature of beauty. Objects that elicit
a sense of quiet melancholy and longing could be defined as wabi-sabi.

> Kogarashi

Literally ‘leaf-wilting wind’, kogarashi refers to the withering wind that
comes at the start of winter and blows the last leaves off of the trees.

> Mono no aware

This means sensitivity or sadness, to connote a pathos engendered by a sense
of the fleeting nature of life

> Natsukashii

This adjective is commonly used when something evokes a sense of nostalgia for
the past or fond remembrance; not a wistful longing, but a happy look back at
a past memory, for instance when looking at old pictures from childhood.

> Mottainai

A word that means ‘what a waste!’ and expresses regret over this waste. This
wastefulness not only pertains to physical resources, but also to a misuse of
opportunities and time. It can also be used to deflect praise that one feels
isn’t deserved.

> Kuidaore

Kuidaore means to go bankrupt because you spend all your money on food and
drink.

> Tsundoku

This word is made up of the characters for the verb ‘to accumulate, pile up’
and the verb ‘to read’, but it is also a play on tsunde oku, which means to
simply pile up something and leave it. It is defined as constantly buying
books that accumulate but never get read.
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