Category Archives: Japan

Katanagareshitate

Posted on September 25, 2016 by jyourist

One of the many intriguing and inspiring images in Japan and Japanese gardens is the way they care for old trees and the way they achieve aesthetically creative tree shapes. The crutches created to support branches from heavy snow and … Continue reading →

Posted in aging, garden, Japan, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Gembaku no ko

Posted on August 6, 2016 by jyourist

Today is the 71st anniversary of the dropping of the nuclear bomb on Hiroshima. We visited there four years ago with our son who was teaching in Satsuma Sendai at the time. The many memorials and monuments to peace and nuclear non-proliferation … Continue reading →

Posted in film, Japan, movies, peace, violence | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Gyoban on the porch

Posted on June 9, 2016 by jyourist

JB has been making gyobans lately. He has made them for friends and family and just finished one for us which we hung on the back porch. We first saw a gyoban when we were in Japan visiting Basho’s grave. … Continue reading →

Posted in Buddha, Buddhism, China, Japan | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Japanese Birthday

Posted on March 25, 2016 by jyourist

We celebrated JB’s birthday today orchestrated by IB. We started out with breakfast at Sawada. I had a matcha green tea latte with a shot of espresso (known as the “military”). Hiroshi Sawada is a Japanese barrista and latte artist, … Continue reading →

Posted in art, food, Japan, papermaking | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Japanese Internment

Posted on February 20, 2016 by jyourist

This is not an anniversary to be celebrated, but certainly one we need to never forget.  74 years ago yesterday, nearly 120,000 people of Japanese descent (62% of whom were American citizens and 30,000 of whom were children, the rest … Continue reading →

Posted in Japan, race | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Seasonings

Posted on November 21, 2015 by jyourist

First snow of the season, first meal of the season inside (salmon, rice, red cabbage and raisins) in front of IB’s Japanese window screens because it is too cold to eat on the back porch, first Satsuma mandarins of the season … Continue reading →

Posted in food, fruit, Japan, seasons, winter | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Kensho

Posted on October 23, 2015 by jyourist

Kensho, 見性, in Japanese and in the Zen tradition, means initial insight or awakening, but not yet full Buddhahood or satori. It literally means “seeing” (ken) “nature” or “essence” (sho).

Posted in Buddhism, enlightenment, Japan, short films, Zen | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

A single room, a single book

Posted on October 22, 2015 by jyourist

Issatsu, Isshitsu (一冊、一室) — literally “a single room, a single book.” This is the concept for the bookstore Morioka Shoten (Morioka’s bookstore) in Tokyo. Conceived of by Yoshiyuki Morioka, a former bookstore clerk, a single title takes center stage in … Continue reading →

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“Katachi” by Shugo Tokumaru

Posted on July 29, 2015 by jyourist

In our latest communication with IB in Japan, he said that he has recently found the music of Shugo Tokumaru to be phenomenal. This musician composes, writes the lyrics, mixes, and performs his music, controlling every aspect of it. He … Continue reading →

Posted in aesthetics, animation, Japan, music, music video | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

“Perhaps the truth depends on a walk around the lake.”

Posted on July 21, 2015 by jyourist

We just happened to “bump into” Hoichi Kurisu yesterday at Anderson Gardens. He is a world-renowned landscape designer, having designed Anderson Japanese Gardens and the Portland Japanese Gardens (two of our favorites), as well as many other gardens and meditative … Continue reading →

Posted in garden, Japan, photography | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments