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Saturday, March 28, 2026

The spring pieces with " SAKURA " Japanese calligraphy

 


The beating of the stout Nature.
Even if I lose my way,

The sacredness leads me here.



The pretty pulse.
Feathers fleeting dance.

Your smile will light up the world.



You are our symbol.
Courtesy, Modesty, Compassion...

So far and from now on.


   あひおひの  松も桜も  八千代へ  君がみゆきの  けふをはじめに
淀殿 (1569 – 1615)

Surely everlasting existence  Black pine and cherry tree
When you came  From today
Yodo-dono  (1569 – 1615)



" " (ō, or sakura). It is translated as cherry blossom, cherry tree.
This character is written by Kanzi, Regular script.

Etymology : Phono-semantic compound
semantic (tree)  +  phonetic (baby, infant)

The cherry tree which flowered every year for several thousand years.
They let us feel charmingly naive such as infant.

SAKURA expresses Japanese view of life and death.
It is our life and heart itself.

Cherry trees...
Please protect mother earth and us forever.


此心  天つ虚にも  花そなほ  三世の仏に  たてまつらなん
道元 (1200 – 1253)

This faithfulness  Clear far-off sky  Beautiful flowers  
Past, present, future Buddha  I want to present it.
Dōgen  (1200 – 1253)

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 Japanese three major giants of cherry trees.
These three of them are registered as the first natural monument of the country on October 12, 1922.  



yamataka jinndai "God days" sakura  (Age over 2000 years old)   
Hokuto-shi, Yamanashi Prefecture  Height of the tree 13.6m, trunk lap 10.6m.  
A giant tree of the maximum grade oldest in Japan.  




neodani awasumi "light sumi" sakura  (Age over 1500 years old)   
Motosu-shi, Gifu Prefecture  Height of the tree 17.2m, trunk lap 9.1m, the spread are East-West 24m, north and south 21m  




miharu taki "Cascade" sakura  (Age over 1000 years old)   
Miharu-town, Fukushima Prefecture  Height of the tree 19m, trunk lap 9.5m, spread east and west 22m, north and south 17m



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Sunday, March 22, 2026

A story of spring in Japan : Plum blossoms

 






「いつも喜んでいなさい。絶えず祈りなさい。どんなことにも感謝しなさい。」
( テサロニケの信徒への手紙一 5章16-18節 )

Rejoice always. Pray without ceasing. 
In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus toward you.
( Thessalonians 5:16-18 )










 " ( chou, or asa ). It is translated as morning.
 This character is written by Kanzi, Regular script.

 Etymology : Ideograph
 艸 (grass)  +  日 (sun)  + 月 (moon)

 The state that a day goes up from grass (the horizon).
 The moon at dawn, or it looks like the tide rises.

 The sun also rises.
 And also set. . .

 All has symmetric existence.
 The fate, that cannot avoid it.

 That is why there is hope.









「わが魂は夜回りが暁を待つにまさり、夜回りが暁を待つにまさって主を待ち望みます。」
( 詩編 130編6節 )

My soul longs for the Lord more than watchmen long for the morning ; 
more than watchmen for the morning.
( Psalms 130:6 )
















Thank you for your visit, always.  
I love you.
sincerely yours.

Saturday, March 14, 2026

Japanese apricot Views and Calligraphy

 








 " ( bai, ume ). It is translated as Plums, Japanese apricot.
 This character is written by Kanzi, Semi-cursive script.

 Etymology : Phono-semantic compound
  梅 ⇒ 毎 (every) + 木 (tree)

 Spring ambassador.
 You tell about this splendid season every year.

 Darkness and coldness.
 They will be taken somewhere soon.
 The lingering sound is already becoming extinct now.

 Samsara.
 Providence of the Nature.







Sunday, March 8, 2026

" Heart " Japanese calligraphy

 



"" (shinn, or kokoro). It is translated as heart, maind, spirit, etc.
   This character is written by Kanziregular script.



Plum blossoms have long been beloved in Japanese culture as symbols of nobility and patience, heralding the arrival of early spring. 

During the Nara period, they were a central part of cherry blossom viewings, and their fragrant beauty has been cherished, leading to poems in the Manyoshu and the origin of the era name "Reiwa." 

They are deeply rooted in food culture as umeboshi (pickled plums), and in art as a subject for patterns and ink paintings.

A symbol of good fortune beloved by the Japanese











Saturday, October 25, 2025

Vanishing sublime dignity

 Maiko Makino

 

 Kyoto is famous for many things. Geisha are one of them. 

They live mainly in the areas of Gion and Kamishichiken

 

Makino-san and Mamemaru-san


 They perform at nearby " Ozashiki games " (traditional Japanese parlors) for the rich and famous. 


Geiko_20170319_12_1


Ordinary people don't go to those areas, and unlikely to meet geisha.

Because it is "the world of the night."

 
Higashiyama Hanatouro '10 #14

 

They have exuded an air of sublime dignity.



Hassaku day in Kyoto

 

But that atmosphere is hard to find nowadays. 
They may be becoming the story of the past.

The gradual disappearance of something into history.
That's just the way it is.