From Ian Ropke, This month visitors will have a great chance to photograph children all dressed up in kimono, a special opportunity not to be missed. November is the month of the shichi-go-san (7-5-3) ritual for girls (seven and three years of age) and boys (five years of age). Shichi-Go-San is believed to have started in the Heian Period (794-1185). It was a … [Read more...]
Takeuchi Seihō – Japan’s most important modern Japanese-style painter
Takeuchi Seihō (竹内 栖鳳 - his real name was Takeuchi Tsunekichi) lived from December 20, 1864 - August 23, 1942. He was an early master of nihonga art, and prior to World War II led a notable circle of painters in Kyoto. His former residence in Higashiyama still stands as The Sodoh - now a restaurant and event space. Ian Ropke writes, During Takeuchi’s early youth his … [Read more...]
Shinto – Deities, Shrines and Symbols
Ian Ropke writes, Shinto is Japan’s original religion and today it maintains a strong position next to the country’s other main religion: Buddhism. It is interesting to note that nearly all Japanese do not even know what the word Shinto means. The word Shinto comes from the Chinese characters: god and path. Elegantly translated Shinto means The Way of the Gods. Today, if you … [Read more...]
Kyoto Antiques: Shopping & Window Shopping
Ian Ropke writes, There are two areas in Kyoto known for antiques: Teramachi and Shinmonzen. Both areas are perfect for window shopping and, naturally, shopping. Teramachi, south of Marutamachi, north of Oike but mostly north of Nijo, is Kyoto’s newest antique center. It is more casual, and often quite a bit cheaper when it comes to antiques pure and simple … [Read more...]
Kyoto Shop Signboards
Original and interesting ways to advertise Ian Ropke writes, Japan’s ingenious and eye-catching signboards known as kanban are unique. The earliest examples avoided the use of words, presumably because they couldn't have been read by an illiterate public, and often focused on the shape of the product, or the form of the container in which it was sold. Larger … [Read more...]
Sencha – The Chinese Way of Tea
Ian Ropke writes... Mention tea ceremony and most Japanese will think of chanoyu, the way of tea based on a ritual for drinking the powdered green tea called matcha, which was formalized by Sen no Rikyū in the sixteenth century. Much closer to everyday life yet unknown to a surprising number of Japanese is the way of tea for sencha, or leaf green tea. For history, … [Read more...]
Ryokan Pleasures & Possibilities
Ian Ropke writes… The exotic world of the Japanese inn At the beginning of the 20th century in Japan and Europe and elsewhere, there was a class of people, often men, who spent great portions of their life living in inns and hotels. Yasunari Kawabata, the first Japanese to win the Nobel Prize for Literature, was one of the last people to live in ryokan in what could only be … [Read more...]
Saiundo Traditional Art Supply Shop
Today's post from Ian Ropke is a continuation of yesterday's post on Nihonga... The classic Japanese artist’s best friend For well over one hundred years, Saiun-do has been supplying artists with quality Nihonga pigments and brushes. The business has an illustrious history. The famous painter Tomioka Tessai (1836-1924), just one of Saiundo’s illustrious clients, recommended … [Read more...]
Nihonga
Ian Ropke writes... The history of traditional Japanese painting The history of Nihonga, the traditional Japanese manner of painting, can be traced back to the beginning of the Heian period. A manuscript from 999 mentions a style of painting called Yamato-e (Yamato was the old name of Japan). When exactly this new school of painting originated is not known, but it is … [Read more...]
Ikkyū
Ian Ropke writes... Ikkyū was a Zen monk who was famous for burning the candle of life at both ends. By day, he was devout and extremely accomplished monk and scholar. By night, he reveled in the so-called “floating world” of drink and women. He lived in tumultuous 15th century Japan at a time when most of the country was ruined by civil war. Ikkyū was born the … [Read more...]
Japanese Noh Theatre
Performances for the Gods Ian Ropke writes... Japanese Noh theatre is one of the oldest dramatic forms in world. The early developments of Noh lie in the festive entertainment of various kinds (dance, simple plays) performed at temples and shrines in the 12th and 13th centuries. Noh drama for much of its history was favored by the samurai, priest and aristocratic classes. … [Read more...]
Tengu
Ian Ropke writes: The mountains throughout Japan are home to a very long-nosed creature known as a tengu or mountain goblin. The origins of tengu are not very clear. They can be found in both Shinto and Buddhist texts. Some scholars trace the origin of the tengu to one of the primary gods of Shinto: Susano-o, who shares many of the characteristics for which tengu are feared … [Read more...]
Kimono Old & New
As today is 成人の日 ("seijin no hi" or "Coming of Age Day") it seems timely to post Ian Ropke's article on the kimono. First though here are some pictures of some brand new adults sporting their kimono's for the day, and one other of a lady I spotted at Ebisu shrine. Click on the pictures to see them in better detail. Ian writes... An industry caught in time An … [Read more...]
Garden Stones & Superstition
Ian Ropke writes: Stones are, believe it or not, the most important feature of a Japanese garden. If the soil is its "flesh", then the stones are its "bones". Garden stones fall into three basic categories: "named" stones, unimportant "unnamed" stones, and stones which already existed on the site. The most famous named stone in Japan is called Fujito after the … [Read more...]
