After one month in Kyoto my sensibility for impulses on the street is unfortunately decreasing. Part of it because I start to get used to the colors, smells, images, feelings. And part of it because now I want to arrive at a certain place for an appointment. The wandering around Lees verder
The relationship between Japan and China is one of a long history and many different qualities. The Japanese written language (Kanji) is based on the chinese ideograms (pictorially based symbols that stand for a word). So although they can communicate by using the same Kanji, the meaning of the characters Lees verder
Today I saw in the National Museum of Modern Art this building made out of cardboard and wood. A teahouse with tokonoma inside presented at the entrance of the museum. Here you had to bow even deeper than at the House of Joke (see yesterday’s blog) to get inside. Students Lees verder
Two weeks ago I made a questionnaire about living and working in the machiya. I tried to cover several different field of social behavior, cultural habits, use, challenges, moods. I want to make a manuel with the qualities of the machiya for future generations (in Japan and abroad). When I Lees verder
For the second workshop I would ask people to make a bag out of the fabric. In Japan this is a real art like origami, but not widely spread outside the country. Furoshiki (bath spread) is used for wrapping presents or carrying objects in a square of cloth. It’s nice Lees verder
It would be a nice workshop to give people a piece of fabric and ask them to think about how this could be used. In Japan a piece of fabric (tenugui, originally 35 x 90 cm) is first of all used as a hand towel, something you take with you Lees verder
Although we observe differences in color, size and form, it’s difficult to understand it’s meaning. This morning I visited the Imperial Palace. In a big waiting area that was divided by sliding doors, the stripes on the tatami mats differed in color. The guide told us that the room with Lees verder
Suwa-san talked about another important issue in relation to language and culture. The japanese are sparing with words: ‘a word spoken will never come back.’ ’to speak is a big responsibility.’ ’the art of not speaking in a sophisticated way.’ This totally different way of communication, is hard for us Lees verder
This weekend I finished the questionnaire related to the Machiya, what are the qualities for living and working. How to take these qualities with us to the next generations in Japan and abroad. I’m warned by several people that it wouldn’t be easy to reach Kyoto people, especially those who Lees verder
As former generations used to sing in the Netherlands ‘brand in Mokum’ (fire in Amsterdam), in Kyoto it’s a real issue to avoid fire with so many wooden houses and temples. Nearly all the temples have been rebuild after a fire and most of them are not older than 150 Lees verder