Sunlight leaking through leaves. Real word, and as lovely as advertised.

What a Japanese person actually thinks
Gentle and unremarkable to a Japanese person — it's just a word, the way 'sunset' is just a word. Pleasant, not profound. The foreign fascination with it is mildly amusing here.

Meaning

Literally: tree + leaking + sun
Actually: The light that filters down through foliage. An ordinary Japanese word for a thing English needs a whole clause to describe.

Scores

Naturalness●●●●●

Completely ordinary vocabulary.

Coolness●●●●●

The construction is genuinely charming — you can read the picture out of the characters. Loses a little for the hiragana れ breaking the block.

Watch out

lowIt carries no philosophical weight in Japanese. If someone told you it means something spiritual, it doesn't — it's just dappled light.

On skin

木漏れ日

Orientation: vertical

Mincho or fine brush.