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Category: Art
Wagara – Traditional Japanese Patterns
Wagara 和柄 means a Japanese pattern or design which are often seen on kimono and other textiles. Each one of these traditional, and also historic designs, have a specific meaning. Also, they are often associated with a specific season or occasion as are mainly inspired by nature. Many of these patterns have been using since… Read more
Tea Ceremony – Icons of Japan
Also called Chanoyu 茶の湯 and Sado/Chado 茶道, the Japanese Tea Ceremony is the ceremonial art of preparing matcha 抹茶– powdered green tea. To offset its bitter taste, matcha is often enjoyed with wagashi 和菓子 which are traditional Japanese sweets. The Sado or Tea Ceremony takes place in the Cha-shitsu 茶室– literally tatami-floored tea rooms where… Read more
The Smallest Castle in the World created in Japan
A 0.217mm model of Fukuyama Castle has been created by a precision metal parts manufacturer in that city in western Japan to be as small as the thickness of a strand of hair and with the same exterior design as its original. In Fukuyama, Hiroshima Prefecture, Castem Co. created a 1/170,000 scale miniature model of… Read more
Daibutsu – Large Statutes of Buddha in Japan
As you probably know, Japan has Shintoism as its indigenous religion and at one point in its history it was influenced by Buddhism that came from China around the 6th century. Currently you can find many temples in Japan where Buddhism and Shintoism coexist together and these are a tourist attraction that creates a lot… Read more
Enter the world of Mangaka Jiro Taniguchi
The prolific Japanese manga artist Jiro Taniguchi , who passed away in 2017, left behind an immense body of work that continues to be admired both in his home country and abroad, detailing much of Japanese culture. In Japan, he is perhaps best known for his illustrations in Kodoku no Gourmet (“Lonesome Gourmet”), a cooking… Read more
Utagawa Hiroshige, master of landscape prints
Utagawa Hiroshige secured his place on the podium of printmaking masters with his “Fifty-Three Stations of the Tokaido” series created around 1833 , which brought him sudden and immediate fame. In these prints, the artist depicts the 53 stations along the route from Edo to Kyoto . This work is often compared to Katsushika Hokusai… Read more
The Miniature Life of Tanaka Tatsuya
With three million followers on Instagram, chances are you’re already familiar with Tanaka Tatsuya ‘s work. Since April 2011, Tanaka Tatsuya has been posting miniature life scenes daily. His work has a twist that makes it particularly unique in the world: with the use of everyday objects he creates very creative miniatures! Broccolis are transformed… Read more
Japan, Architecture and Pandemic: Kengo Kuma
If you ever have the opportunity to visit Kyoto, we recommend visiting the Ace Hotel Kyoto located in Shinpuhkan . The latter was built from an old telephone company, and was redesigned by the renowned architect Kengo Kuma , who turned it into a shopping center with a hotel and theater included. And although in… Read more
Introduction to Music
It would be almost impossible to imagine a world without music, or someone completely unaware of the idea of music. It is so linked to our lives, individual and social, that many of us have the soundtrack or musical background of our “memories”. Melodies that transport us to happy, dramatic or tragic moments, capable of… Read more
Living National Treasure in Japan
One of the thoughts that crosses our minds as artists on more than one occasion is, I will be recognized for my work, for my contribution to culture, for the techniques I propose, etc. It is a concern that is often accompanied by the economic uncertainty that is usually linked to the arts, or in… Read more