What is 渋い ?
Shibui is a Japanese aesthetic that appreciates fineness and simple beauty.
It is an old word, first used +500 years ago in the Muromachi Period. The original use referred to a sour or astringent taste, such as that of an unripe persimmon. The related usage implies beauty in understatement.
Shibui maintains the literal meaning still, and remains the antonym of amai (甘い), meaning 'sweet'.
You may recognize the first kanji character because it appears in the popular place-name 渋谷. Shibuya.
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