Archive for 'Culture'
Paintings Posted by Ginny on Mar 29, 2011
All over the world museums are competing with other museums for copies of Japanese paintings. Let’s see what all the fuss is all about: Kanō Tanyū (狩野探幽) was and is a very famous painter. He lived in the 1600s and was known for painting nature and animal scenes. In fact, the painting on the left…
Japanese Folktales Posted by Ginny on Mar 24, 2011
Japanese folklore is always interesting and usually features some supernatural animal. In many cases these animals can talk and can perform some miraculous feat like shape shifting. The folktales often have a moral or a lesson that can teach us about life and how to behave and so on… Bunbuku Chagama (ぶんぶく茶釜) is no exception…
Japanese Festivals in March Posted by Ginny on Mar 10, 2011
There are some cool Japanese festivals in March. Let’s take a look at what they are! The Todaiji Shunie (東大寺修二会,) is a festival that features several priests who carry large fire torches across a balcony. The locals try to catch some of the sparks from the torches because they believe that the sparks will keep…
Haiku Posted by Ginny on Feb 26, 2011
An haiku (俳句) is a Japanese form of poetry that consists of five moras for the first line, seven moras for the second line, and back to five moras for the third line. Let’s look at some examples of Japanese haiku. By the end of this post, I hope you will be inspired to write…
Japanese Dogs Posted by Ginny on Feb 24, 2011
Do you like dogs? I myself happen to like dogs. If you feel the same way, let me tell you about some dog breeds that are native to Japan. Akita Inu (秋田犬) are loyal, friendly and energetic dogs. However, they are mischievous animals and sometimes cause trouble for their human masters by destroying property. That’s…
Japan’s Painters Posted by Ginny on Feb 21, 2011
Japanese painters like Kanō Eitoku and Ogata Kōrin are masters of their fields. (For more on these painters, check this article out: https://blogs.transparent.com/japanese/japanese-painters/) However, there were other talented painters, but not as famous as Kanō Eitoku and Ogata Kōrin. Fujiwara Takanobu (藤原隆信) excelled in drawing portraits. His most famous work is the portrait of Minamoto…
Goemon Posted by Ginny on Feb 14, 2011
Ishikawa Goemon (石川五右衛門) is the Japanese version of Robin Hood. Like Robin Hood, Goemon (pictured to the right) stole from the rich and gave the riches to the poor. Goemon may or may not have been a real person. There is a historical mention of a thief named Goemon, but as to whether he actually…