Komorebi, 木漏れ日, is a Japanese word to describe the effect of sunlight gently filtering through the leaves of trees, creating a shadow on the ground, walls, or curtains.

The etymology of the word is poetic in itself, with the first character木 meaning ‘tree’, the second compound 漏れ  meaning ‘leaking, coming through’, and the third 日 meaning ‘sun, sunlight’. 

Whenever I observe this of interplay between the trees and the sunlight, usually on warm summer afternoons a few hours before the sun sets, I feel a sense of calm and wonder, like the day is coming to a full circle.