Bonsai Suishoen & Matsusue-Sensei // Understanding the Art // Understanding the Skill // Making a Bonsai // Maintaining Bonsai // Amazing Hospitality! I knew very little about bonsai 盆栽 before this week. Although I have previously read about it (and even tried to make one when I was a student at Threave), I’d mostly forgotten anything I… Read More Bonsai 盆栽 are Bendigedig!
Food errors // Interesting Ingredients // Favourite Foods // Lessons Learnt for Vegetarians Before I came to Japan, I thought I knew quite a lot about Japanese food. I’ve been to Yo Sushi and Wagamama; we have always have miso, udon, soba and tofu in the cupboard: so, what could be so confusing- right? WRONG. It didn’t… Read More FOOD!
Ikebana 生け花 Class at Ikenobo // Tea Ceremony 茶の湯 at Sumiya Ryokan Ikebana and tea ceremony are two of the fundamental pillars of Japanese high culture* and any person wishing to be considered refined (one of my top wishes, actually) should be trained in both. Though both originated as men-only activities, both became a requirement for women to master… Read More Learning to Be a Lady
Or rather: top things I didn’t know about Japan before I came here. I’m now more than halfway through my time in Japan; although I am still bewildered daily, I have picked up a few things. I thought I would share some of my new-found wisdom, since a few lovely people I know are coming to Japan in… Read More Top Things You Didn’t Know About Japan…
Conservatory Changeover // Pot or No Pot? // Girls Day // Cherry Blossom is Starting Spring has come! At least inside Kiseki no Hoshi it has. Last week it suddenly got really warm and lovely: I turned my heating off, put my hot water bottle away and even looked up the Japanese for suncream. Yesterday, however,… Read More Spring has Sprung // Harugakita 春が来た
Kanazawa // Kenrokuen // Kanazawa-jo // Geisha Districts // Temple Districts // D.T. Suzuki Museum // Art Galleries // Crafts // Gold // Ninja-dera Kanazawa is my favourite city in Japan. (So far.) It is amazing! Not only does it have one of the most beautiful train stations in the world, but it also has one of the… Read More Kanazawa: The City That Superlatives Were Made For
