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 visited this teahouse in the garden of the Tokushoji Temple I felt very happy and light. Terunobu Fujimori build this ‘house of joke’ on a 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 looking, environmentally friendly and handy to take it folded up in your bag. In Holland we would talk about ‘knapzak’ (knapsack). Land workers were used 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 every day to wipe sweat from your face in summertime or to wipe raindrops from clothing in rain season. It is also common in public 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 the red stripes was for the common people, the lighter ones for the more special guests. Also the paintings differs according to rank, from left 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 to understand. But I think that exformation is based on this perception. Fortunately she likes to talk and explain a lot. Also how this is 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 live in a Machiya, to fill in the questionnaire. Today I had a meeting with Suwa-san. She wrote her thesis about the Machiya: how it 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 years. The last big fire in Kyoto has been in november 1864. As a first action, they have a red basket of water and a Lees verder
While waiting at the entrance of the Doshisha University I made this picture. not very elegant figure with a huge cigarette. When the person I was waiting for arrived, he told me it was a sign for not smoking while walking (and standing) in this area. That was the meaning of the strange combination of the pictogram of a person in a very strange position and the big cigarette. Later that day I saw the Lees verder
For the last two weeks I’ve been diving into the Machiya: the tradition, the structure, the dwellers. I try to understand a little bit about the Kyoto culture in relation to the Machiya, but everything is so interwoven with each other and so different from my culture, that it’s very difficult to get a finger on the essence of the Machiya so far. Sometimes I see infographics to explain a ritual. It helps, but it’s Lees verder
Life in a Machiya is not always fun. Yesterday night when I was reading in bed, I heard some strange scrabbling. The girl upstairs told me yesterday that she has a leaking roof, but that couldn’t happen on my floor. After I took my glasses of I saw a huge cockroach around the edges of the wall. It disappeared with some help from me, behind a cabinet. Fortunately I slept well. Today I bought some Lees verder