Komorebi 木漏れ日 – Dappled Light Between the Trees

Komorebi 木漏れ日 – Dappled Light Between the Trees

By Rob McManmon | February 15, 2021

Introduction

One of the best parts about learning a new language is the myriad of new words that you learn that hold a unique meaning beyond words in your native language.

Riding the Komorebi of the Kiryu Alps
Riding the Komorebi of the Kiryu Alps.

In Japanese there are some really great words that don’t quite translate to English. My favorite when it comes to cycling is the word komorebi.

木漏れ日に自転車で走りました!

I rode my bike through the dappled sunlight beneath the trees!

The words is a composition of four characters 木漏れ日. The first 木 (ko) means tree. The second 漏れ (more) means to leak or leak through. And the last character 日 (bi) means sun.

It’s really quite simple and beautiful, through the trees leaks the sunlight. What an image! And this is one of the most magical parts of cycling the Rindo Forest Roads of the Kita Kanto Region where we love to ride.

Komorebi from the towering Japanese Sugi Pine Trees on a forest road just a few kilometers from Kiryu.
Komorebi from the towering Japanese Sugi Pine Trees on a forest road just a few kilometers from Kiryu CIty.

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Posted in Japanese