Japanese Moss Culture

Illustration: Sydney Hanson

In the Western world, we strive for new ways to invigorate youth, beauty and a little zen into our lives. The people of Japan believe the answer to this is moss. The ingrained cultural significance of moss is widespread in Japan and finds its way into many aspects of people's daily lives. It has become a symbol of youth, vitality and peace as well as a fantastic bioindicator of an environment. 

Moss culture has become a cultural phenomenon in Japan, the Japanese national anthem takes inspiration from the poem “Haitian”, which celebrates the moss-covered rocks. However, it did not gain traction until the late 19th century and with the rise in environmental awareness has become an increasingly integral part of modern life. In Japan, it is believed that moss represents this idea of beauty and simplicity, wabi-sabi. Though it’s usually considered a garden pest, many monks and tea masters agreed that it brought a specific type of zen and invited it into their homes. Letting mother nature take control of her environment, welcoming the sense of calm and contemplation it brought to the garden. The importance of this has become an integral part of many monumental locations across Japan; it’s now a staple in many places of spiritual practice such as temples. 

The environmental benefits moss provides to the air is crucial to the improvement of air quality in Japan. In densely populated cities across Japan moss gardens can have such an important impact on the occupants. Half a square meter of moss can absorb up to one kilogram of CO2. Moss helps purify the air, draw out toxins, and create a safer, more livable environment. So why don’t more people embrace the positive impact that moss can have on an environment? Why in the Western world have we vilianized it? It is associated with rot and decay rather than fertility and benefits – we have labelled it as some kind of mould. This is often the case with many natural remedies in the Western world. Is this some attempt at profit-grabbing capitalism, or is the villainization of natural benefits yet another marketing ploy for the higher-ups to make a quick buck? 

The education of natural solutions is so vital to living in harmony with nature that we should not be working against it and it yet again brings about this idea of working toward a more environmentally sound world. Is this capitalist necessity for profit taking over a harmonious relationship that we should nurture with our planet? Should we embrace more traditional practices, reverting to a time when trees were not needlessly hacked down and wood stripped bare to satisfy the ramped consumerism of the modern age? Moss has become the villain in an age consumed by appearances, it is a secret climate warrior and perhaps the answer to our environmental decline. Moss does not absorb nutrients or toxins as other plants do, making it an ally in the fight against climate change due to its unique root structure. This begs the question is the appreciation of moss, its symbolism of youth and vitality something we can learn from the people of Japan? Should we be leaning more into nature to help combat the damage we have caused to it?

It would seem we have a lot to learn from Japan, they have taken their appreciation for moss so far that it has now become an ingrained and important part of their cultural identity. It's part of their drinks, and their jewellery and they even have groups of women calling themselves “the moss girls” who host events such as moss viewing parties. Integrating fun and innovative traditions around moss not only makes knowledge about the plant fun and accessible, but it undercuts the villainization of the plant. This rewriting of the narrative around moss has made it a staple in many Japanese gardens and has ensured that its environmental significance is fully appreciated. The appreciation of the simplistic beauty and benefit of moss is something I truly believe could be a worldwide contributor to the battle against climate destruction. 

Moss and Japan have a truly fascinating relationship, their appreciation and embrace of such a fantastic plant have allowed them to make bounds toward a more innovative world that is actively participating in the climate-conscious effort to work more harmoniously in nature. It does leave this author wondering if the Western values of capitalistic greed and quick profiteering are a significant contribution to our descent toward irreversible climate damage that will haunt us for generations to come.