A Splendid Kimekomi Box of Paulownia Wood
This box with its pretty pink bell design is from Hakocho, a shop in Asakusa specializing in paulownia kimekomizaiku. Kimekomezaiku is the Japanese craft of car...
Men, too, should wear kimono! Hōkan, an endangered species of entertainer 2/2
In my most recent contribution to this blog, which is now 3 months ago, I wrote about a memorable encounter with a hōkan, Shichiko Sakuragawa. I was impressed w...
Hōkan, an Endangered Species of Entertainer – 1/2
As a magazine editor and writer, I sometimes have the opportunity to meet people in unusual professions. For example, “幇間 (Hōkan).” And many of you will probabl...
September 2020 Trip – Touring Kyoto and “Sanbi”
On September 19, 2020, in the midst of the raging Corona pandemic my wife and I set out on a trip my wife had made reservations for a few months earlier. After ...
Video on Making Funny Clay Cats – Curled up Cat
We have now posted our fifth video lesson of how to make clay cats. When it is cold, cats curl up like snakes to keep warm. This video will explain how to make ...
Mastering Season Words – Haiku, a form of Japanese short poetry
I have just become a member of a Haiku society. I have long had a smouldering interest in haiku, but while I could read and understand some, there were others I...