Coming soon, snow white pieces Ⅱ

The cherry blossoms bloom basically from the last week of March to the beginning week of April.
It is about 1 week from flowering to falling.

The opening changes by the climate of the year.

Southland blooms a little earlier from the middle of March. North has a place to bloom until the beginning of May.
This is a map of cherry blossoms.
It is only several days in the chance of the photograph.

Short flowering periods think me to be the cause why cherry blossoms are loved.
The human being is born and must do pass away immediately.
The people of my country may superimpose it on one's fate.
It is also the spirit of Zen, "void (Kū)".

This "one" week is covered in the Far East most happily in year.
We are waiting for the day with you all.




世の中に絶えて桜のなかりせば　春の心はのどけからまし
　在原業平 (Ariwara no Narihira), 古今和歌集 (Kokin Wakashū)
If there are not cherry blossoms at all in the world, the heart of the spring will be quiet leisurely.
(The feeling that cherry blossoms are impatient for is expressed ironically.)




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" zakura
　(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" zakura
　(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 "waterfall" zakura
　(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

Coming soon, snow white pieces Ⅰ

　　　　The case called merely "flower" means cherry blossoms (sakura) in the Far East.
　　　It has been used in waka or haiku from the ancient times.

　　　Here is Kiba park, Tokyo.

　　　　Flower viewing (Hanami) is a meaning of the sight of the cherry tree in the case of most.
　　　The one of the places most famous abroad is the Potomac river of the U.S.A.

　　　　The cherry blossoms are symbols of the spirit of the Far East.
　　　The people spend remaining 51 weeks of one year for only one week to flower.

　　　There is just only three months till we meet top of the flowers.


　　　　"Cherry blossoms" all of posts, please click here.

"Flower" Japanese calligraphy

　　　"花" (ka, or hana). It is translated as flower, blossom.
　　　This character is written by Kanzi, Regular script.

　　　Etymology :　艹 (grass) + 化 (change)

　　　Flower will bloom.
　　　Even if the earth is cold or not. people are sad or not.

Tabira Lord of Heaven temple Ⅱ

The stained glass is made in Italy Milan City, Alessandro Grassi Corporation.

Merry Christmas !!
God bless you all.
From the Far East.

Tabira Lord of Heaven temple Ⅰ

I do not understand the difference of the church and the Lord of Heaven temple. 

But, it may not be so important.

This building was built in 1918 by settlers from the other places. 

Father French propagator "Lage" and "Doro" let believers emigrate at own expense.

It is registered with the important cultural property of the country.

On January 23, 2007, addition to the world heritage provisional list was decided as one of "the church group and Christianity of Nagasaki-related inheritances".

Here is Hirado-shi, Nagasaki Prefecture.

It is a hill facing the sea in the distance, and the remote place that left the town far away.

The gravestone is south direction in the custom of the Far East.

However, all these gravestones are west directions.

Yes, there are Spain and Portugal, Europe in the direction.

They always look at the west, and sleep.

It is the Far West...

"God" Japanese calligraphy

"神" (shinn, or kami). 　It is translated as God.
This character is written by Kanzi, Seal script.

Please look at other form Regular script of the this calligraphy, click here.

Everything will get to it as God leads it.

The green gate way, gardening

Black pines are garden trees lucky traditionally in the Far East.
They are planted in the entrance hall of old houses.

In the very large garden of the Imperial Palace, we can watch enormous black pines.

The central black pines pass from about 100-200 for years.
Height about 10-15m (32-49ft). Width about 3-5m (9.8-16ft).

It took very long time till they became these form.

Specialized landscape gardening craftsmen care for the black pines.
It costs very expensive to maintain this form and colors.

"Ogawa jihee" was one of the most famous gardeners.

The molding of the black pine

This small black pine passes for about 40 years.
Height about 5m(16ft). Width 2m(6.5ft).

It is the black pine of the personal house generally.


The black pine is fixed with a bamboo prop so that beautiful form can be regulated well.

Branches must be always pruned.

The sunlight is the thing which is the most important for black pines.

"Family" Japanese calligraphy

"家" (ie, ka) It is translated as house, family, family, household, home. This character is written by Kanzi, Regular script.

Ideogrammic compound : 宀 + 豕: Pig radical 豕 under a roof radical 宀.

To World War II, the family of the farmer lived with domestic animals.
The domestic animal served as important work force and food.

The horizontal shadow

The surface of the sea seemed to be frozen on that day.
Time without the sound has passed there...

I might run to the horizon. So, to the far away silhouette.



The island floated there as left behind from the world.
Maybe... it might have wanted to become alone.

Nature is a great painter, isn't it?

The shadow is Iki island, Nagasaki Prefecture.

"Kakemono" Japanese lifestyle

Kakemono "hanging", more commonly referred to as a kakejiku "hung scroll", is a Japanese scroll painting or calligraphy mounted usually with silk fabric edges on a flexible backing, so that it can be rolled for storage.



Often the kakemono used for calligraphy of a Zen phrase in the hand of a distinguished Zen master.



The kakemono was introduced to Japan during the Heian period, primarily for displaying Buddhist images for religious veneration, or as a vehicle to display calligraphy or poetry.



I cannot make a hanging scroll. The making of them depends on specialized craftsmen.

They are different by threads, materials, designs, etc of the decoration.

The thing hanging from under a hanging scroll says a decorative weight "fū chinn". This last one is made "Kutani ware".

A natural mirror

Nature sometimes shows a mysterious view to me.




Nature seems to always watch themselves.




It may be one of the most difficult things for a human being.

" Tokonoma " Japanese lifestyle

　　　 Tokonoma, also referred to simply as toko, is a Japanese term generally referring to a built-in recessed space in a Japanese style reception room, in which items for artistic appreciation are displayed. In English, tokonoma is usually called alcove.

　　　One big pillar takes tokonoma. This is called daikoku-bashira. It is a meaning called a pillar supporting a house.

　　　 The items usually displayed in a tokonoma are calligraphic and/or pictorial scrolls and an arrangement of flowers.

　　　It costs expense to make a show window, a big pillar. Therefore there become few houses having tokonoma.

Season of the mellowness in the Far East Ⅰ

　　　　　　

In the haiku and the waka, the colored leaves are often symbols of the mountains.

　　　「色付くや 　　豆腐に落ちて 　薄紅葉」 　　松尾芭蕉 (haiku)

　　　iro zuku ya　toufu ni ochite　usu momiji　Matsuo Bashō

　　"Decline in tofu as soon as turn red and yellow, and lightly turn it red"

　　　「このたびは　 幣（ぬさ）も取りあへず手向山　紅葉（もみじ）の錦　神のまにまに」 (waka)

　　　konotabi ha 　nusa mo toriahezu tamuke yama 　 momidi no nishiki 　kami no mani mani

　　　菅原 道真（すがわらのみちざね） 古今集
　　　Sugawara no Michizane 　Kokin Wakashū

　　　"This trip was not able to prepare "nusa" to give to a travelers' guardian deity in a sudden thing.

　　　Because I give the autumn colors of this mountain, I resemble it as a heart God, and please receive it."

Season of the mellowness in the Far East Ⅱ

　　　These colored leaves are the entirely same as it to watch in a temple of Kyoto.

　　　The ancient noble and priest looked at this same color, too.
　　　And they created literature and pictures, etc.

　　　The painters like Sesshū Tōyō drew the Ink and wash painting and the Yamato-e (Japanese traditional painting).

　　　As transcended a lot of times, these colors have charmed people.

" Mountain " Japanese calligraphy

　　
　　　　"山" (san, or yama). It is translated as a mountain, hill, peak, etc.
　　　　This character is written by Kanzi, Semi-cursive script.

　　　　In the Oracle Bone Script, they were represented by triangles rather than vertical strokes.

　　　　Please look at other form Regular script of the this calligraphy, click here.

The painted space in the Far East Ⅰ

　　　Now, colored leaves have greeting time of the full ripeness.

　　　The colored leaves have been used as a subject of the haiku and the waka in the Far East poem.
　　 They are symbols to show the maturity of the life.

　　　The autumn colored leaves feel that they are effective in healing a heart.

The painted space in the Far East Ⅱ

There is this place in the mountains, and the colors are more brighter in the difference of the heat and cold being large.

The heap of the colors seems to form another world there.

Colors flow like a waterfall. These almost trees are Maple.

Here is Atsugi-shi, Kanagawa Prefecture.

"Leaves" Japanese calligraphy

"葉" (yō, or ha). It is translated as a leaf, etc.

This character is written by Kanzi, Regular script.

Phono-semantic compound

　semantic 艸 (grass)　 + 　phonetic 枼