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AN OVERVIEW OF SPONTANEITY
In the Introduction, we suggested that spontaneity is a quality associated with the sense of freedom that comes from reducing constraints. It can be an internal, experiential quality on the part of an individual who is successful in reducing constraints, at least temporarily; or it can be a quality associated with something external such as another person, an artistic performance, a party, an artifact, or one’s general surroundings. Spontaneity can be sought in various ways, including escapism and transformation.
Escapism The search for spontaneity often involves the attempt to find relief from the boredom, pain, or restrictions of everyday life. Those who are attempting to escape from everyday life may be attracted to activities and events perceived as exciting and stimulating because of bold designs, bright colors, high noise levels, or dramatic action. Typical Japanese examples are the crowds in Tokyo’s Shinjuku area at night, the picturesque little streets of the bar districts of any large Japanese city, the colorful advertising displays in a shopping mall, a Takarazuka Review or Kabuki drama, or playing pachinko to the sound of dropping balls and loud music. When participating in the diversions of Japanese cities and festivals, most people experience a sense of spontaneity due to the exciting environment. A new adventure lies just around the next corner. This type of experience is essentially aesthetic in that one’s senses are aroused by stimulating sights, sounds, smells, and tastes. After a time, one experiences sensory overload and it is a relief to return to the relative peace and quiet of one’s home or the daily routines of the workplace.
 
For some people, the colorful sights and sounds of an urban shopping mall offer a type of escapism from the boredom of everyday domestic life.
The attempt to escape into fantasy does not necessarily take one outside the home. Japanese culture has a rich variety of fantasy aids that can be purchased and taken home. Fantasy aids such as comics (manga) tend to be quite distinctive in their use of bold designs and colors to depict dramatic action –often involving sex and violence —that is far removed from the realities of everyday life. If the outsider with no knowledge of Japan were to be presented with a stack of manga, he or she quickly might come to some strange conclusions about Japanese culture. For example, Japan might be perceived as a dangerous place to visit when, in fact, Japan is still one of the safest countries in the world. It was hypothesized in the Introduction that the greater the amount of social control, the greater the desire to temporarily escape into a world of fantasy in which constraints are minimized and one experiences greater freedom to do what one wishes.In the final analysis, the public pleasures offered by the entertainment district of a large city, a festival, or a sports event, are not that much different from the private pleasures indulged in at home. Both provide a temporary escape from the boredom or drudgery of everyday routine. Escapism does not help alter an unpleasant environment at home or work, but it plays an important role in a society such as Japan where pressures associated with work or other kinds of obligations must be periodically relieved. Escapism can be termed "compensatory spontaneity." It produces what might be called the "illusion of spontaneity." It is an illusion in the sense that fantasy involves "pretending" to be someone different than one really is, or pretending to live under different circumstances than those that characterize one’s actual situation. Thus one empathizes with the sports hero, the actor in the drama, or the comic book character who can indulge in activities not possible in real life.
Combining Aesthetic Restraint and Exuberance Fortunately, one does not have to travel all the way to the exuberant end of the continuum to find spontaneity. The concept of shibusa is located toward the restrained end of the continuum. In addition to an emphasis upon qualities such as simplicity, modesty, subtlety, tranquillity, and naturalness, it includes an emphasis on what we have called spontaneity of effect. This is what makes shibusa such a unique and powerful concept. If one lives in a shibui environment, the urge to escape comes less frequently because one’s surroundings are not boring. There is just enough complexity of detail to keep things interesting. Even a very small Japanese garden can transform a boring or ugly space into a place of beauty. Facilitating the quality of aesthetic spontaneity in personal surroundings enhances one’s ability to relax and be more spontaneous than when one is in the public eye. It also reduces the natural tendency to become bored with daily domestic routines. Whether spontaneity of effect results from applying rules to create a desired outcome or from genuine spontaneity of action is, in a sense, not important. What is important is that shibusa represents a compromise between the need for security and the need for novelty — between the need for tranquillity and the need for spontaneity. This compromise is too conservative for many; but for some, shibusa represents a level of taste that is very easy to live with over a period of many years.
 
The spontaneity of effect exhibited by a shibui artifact combines aesthetic restraint with a sense of freedom. Surroundings enhanced by shibui artifacts reduces the natural temptation to become bored by one's deomestic environment. This Bizen pot by Isezaki is a good example of shibusa at its best.
In brief, some degree of exuberance seems to be essential if spontaneity is to exist. As the quality of exuberance changes, so does the quality of spontaneity. When exuberance is artificial, garish, and melodramatic, the spontaneity it expresses appears to be contrived. This is especially true when commercial interests provide an experience of "canned spontaneity." The spontaneity of effect associated with shibusa can also be contrived. But if it is done with sufficient skill and taste, the spontaneity appears genuine and has the power to enrich one’s surroundings and provide a sense of personal freedom.
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