Five Cities to Preserve Historical Townscapes

Five Japanese cities are about to embark on a new form of town development that aims to preserve their traditional townscapes. The five are Kameyama (Mie Prefecture), Hikone (Shiga Prefecture), Takayama (Gifu Prefecture), Kanazawa (Ishikawa Prefecture) and Hagi (Yamaguchi Prefecture). The projects result from a new law enforced last November to provide financial and legal support to municipalities’ efforts to preserve historic landscapes in specific quarters.

Continue to Read...

Kjeld Duits • Thursday June 11, 2009 • Traditional • Add Comment [2]

Karako

This Karako (唐子), a boy dressed in ancient Chinese clothes, is a traditional design pattern on silk textile used for haura, the back of a haori (a coat worn over a kimono).

Continue to Read...

Kjeld Duits • Saturday November 29, 2008 • Traditional • Add Comment

Lapis Lazuli Color (Ruri-iro)

“The Earth was blue.” These were reportedly the words used by Yuri Gagarin, the first human in space, when describing his impressions after returning to Earth. He was referring to what is known in Japan as the color “ruri-iro.” This color was used in Egypt as early as 3,400 years ago in jewelry, which came to Japan along the Silk Road.

Continue to Read...

Japan for Sustainability • Saturday November 1, 2008 • Traditional • Add Comment

Japanese Fans (Sensu)

The folding fan was invented in Japan during the 8th century. Called Hiougi, they were made of thin stripes of hinoki (Japanese cypress) and used by aristocrats of the Heian Period (794-1185) as part of their formal attire. Eventually the Japanese fan was exported to China, where silk fans were used. They were transformed and re-imported as Chinese fans in the 15th century. Over the ages fans played an increasingly important role in Japanese culture.

Continue to Read...

Kjeld Duits • Wednesday October 29, 2008 • Traditional • Add Comment

Turmeric Color (Ukon-iro)

This is the color of robes worn by Buddhist monks in countries like India and Sri Lanka. This vivid yellow is the color of turmeric, an essential spice for curry foods. Not only does turmeric keep bacteria away due to strong antibacterial powers, it also believed to fight off evil spirits, so it is also used as sacred color in the religious context.

Continue to Read...

Japan for Sustainability • Wednesday October 29, 2008 • Traditional • Add Comment

Madder Red (Akane-iro)

Madder red (“akane-iro” in Japanese) is a color immortalized in the Manyoshu, one of Japan’s most revered collections of poetry (mostly written between AD 600 and 759), used mostly to describe the sun and sunset. There are many shades of red, but this one is used as an adjective for the color of sunset.

Continue to Read...

Japan for Sustainability • Tuesday July 1, 2008 • Traditional • Add Comment

Wisteria Color (Fuji-iro)

Wisteria is a color associated with nobility. In Japanese the color “fuji-iro” is named after the “fuji” flower (wisteria), which also happens to have the same written character as in the name of Fujiwara, a clan that effectively controlled Japan during the Heian Period (AD 794 to 1185).

Continue to Read...

Japan for Sustainability • Sunday June 1, 2008 • Traditional • Add Comment

• «
• 1
• 2
• »