In present day, mainstream media often draws inspiration from diverse cultural sources. It’s fascinating to discover how the Japanese art form of kintsugi has become a symbol of resilience and healing in modern storytelling. Kintsugi is the art of repairing broken pottery with gold. During the last month, we wrote stories about our main crush, kintsugi, as featured in a Beyoncé music video and on a team banner in the Ted Lasso TV series. Another such example is the TV series “The Man in the High Castle,” which features an episode aptly titled “Kintsugi.”
In this episode, Tagomi experiences the bittersweet reunion with his family, only to confront the painful reality of potentially losing them again. It’s a reminder of how fragile our connections can be and how deeply we feel the impact of broken relationships.
Yet, this drama points to a profound lesson that can be learned from the art of Kintsugi. It teaches us that brokenness doesn’t have to be the end of the story. Just as the broken pieces of pottery can be transformed into something even more beautiful, so too can our relationships be repaired and strengthened.
Healing seems to be what we earthlings do. Maybe because we’re not perfect. Or maybe because we are…
(Image above from “The Man In the High Castle.” Tagomi offering forgiveness to his son in the form of kintsugi art he made.)
Kintsugi encourages us not to discard broken objects; instead, it inspires us to embrace their flaws and find value in their imperfections. Similarly, when we face challenges or trauma in our lives, we get to discover that sometimes the breaking of us is actually the making of us (even though it rarely feels that way at the time!)
Deepen your family bonds here.
