blog

Perfection

‘Perfection is not achieved when there is nothing left to add, but when there is nothing left to take away.’ Antoine de Saint-Exupéry Although written by the french writer of ‘Le petit prince’, this is truly an eastern point of

/ No comments

Perfection

‘Perfection is not achieved when there is nothing left to add, but when there is nothing left to take away.’ Antoine de Saint-Exupéry Although written by the french writer of ‘Le petit prince’, this is truly an eastern point of

/ No comments

Touching

Taking off your shoes is not very common in the west. At home I take of my shoes in the evening, but not during daytime. But here in Kyoto it’s an ungoing activity. – entering the house/temple -> take off

/ No comments

Touching

Taking off your shoes is not very common in the west. At home I take of my shoes in the evening, but not during daytime. But here in Kyoto it’s an ungoing activity. – entering the house/temple -> take off

/ No comments

Demon queller

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

/ No comments

Demon queller

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

/ No comments

Characters

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

/ No comments

Characters

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

/ No comments

Teahouse for earthquake

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

/ No comments

Teahouse for earthquake

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

/ No comments

House of joke

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

/ No comments

House of joke

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

/ No comments

Fabrics (2) ‘Knapzak’

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

/ No comments

Fabrics (2) ‘Knapzak’

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

/ No comments

Fabrics (1)

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

/ No comments

Fabrics (1)

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

/ No comments

Slightly different

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

/ No comments

Slightly different

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

/ No comments

Language

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.’

/ No comments

Language

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.’

/ No comments