For those of you considering traveling to Japan or just those of you with an interest in Japanese culture, I found these comments from Donald Keene’s The Pleasures of Japanese Literature very insightful.
A. The first principle is the power of suggestion rather than explicit statement.
1. Budding or fallen cherries are better than those in full flower.
2. The crescent moon is better than the full moon.
3. Autumn and spring are better than summer or winter.
B. The second principle is asymmetry, which is always preferable to symmetry, (i.e., in tea services, vases, or
floral arrangements).
C. The third principle is simplicity.
1. Houses are better unpainted than painted.
2. Japanese food uses few spices and sauces.
3. The scent of plum blossoms is better than that of lilacs.
D. The fourth principle is perishability.
1. Old pottery is better than new.
2. Cherry blossoms are prized because their time is so short.
3. Temples are made of wood rather than stone or brick.
From the Far East to Down East 
I found the information about Japanese aesthetics very interesting. People should educate themselves about a culture before visiting that country in order to avoid offending others, or embarrassing themselves.