Japanese concepts – Calligraphy by Vicky

熊蟄穴 When bears begin to hibernate

Three Japanese calligraphy characters, black ink on white

The Japanese year used to be divided into 72 “micro-seasons”. These seasons were based on natural events such as the weather and the appearance of various plants and animals. Next week is the start of 熊蟄穴. The kanji: 熊 = bear 蟄 = hibernation 穴 = hole, den = the time when bears start theirContinueContinue reading “熊蟄穴 When bears begin to hibernate”

縁 (en) “destined (to be together)”

A framed Japanese calligraphy work of the character for "destiny" in black ink on a white page.

This work was a wedding gift. 縁 (en) can refer to destiny in general, but it often has romantic connotations…. something like “star-crossed lovers”, destined to be together for all eternity.

物の哀れ (mono-no-awaré)

A Japanese calligraphy work with the characters for "mono no awaré".

“the bittersweet realisation of the ephemeral nature of all things” A very Japanese phrase 🙂

積読 (tsun-doku) “The habit of acquiring books but letting them pile up unread” 📚

A calligraphy artwork of the Japanese characters for "tsundoku".

The kanji: 積 Comes from 積んでおく(tsundéoku), meaning “to let something pile up”. 読 Comes from 読書 (dokusho), meaning “reading”. The above artwork was a commission for a book-lover 📚

福 (fuku) “Good fortune”

福 “Good fortune” A very popular kanji! It appears in the name of the famous 東福寺 Tō-fuku-ji temple in Kyoto. It’s also in the names of many Japanese towns and cities, including Fukuoka 福岡 and Fukushima 福島 . The above artwork is an original Japanese calligraphy work. It’s available from my Etsy store here. It’sContinueContinue reading “福 (fuku) “Good fortune””

温故知新（おんこちしん）”learning from the past to gain new knowledge”

4 Japanese calligraphy characters. The meaning is "learning from the past".

The kanji: 温 = warm 故 = circumstance 知 = knowledge 新 = new This 4-character idiom means “learning from the past to gain new knowledge”. “Knowledge” is represented by the third kanji 知, as in the Japanese verb 知る (shiru) “to know”. “New” is represented by the fourth kanji 新, as in the JapaneseContinueContinue reading “温故知新（おんこちしん）”learning from the past to gain new knowledge””

禅 Zen

A Japanese calligraphy artwork. The writing means "zen".

“There is no way to enlightenment; enlightenment is the way”. – Thich Nhat Hanh, Zen Master This one-off calligraphy work is available on my Etsy store here

初心 (shoshin) “beginner’s mind”

A Japanese calligraphy artwork. The writing means "beginner's mind".

初 = for the first time, in the beginning. (This is the same kanji as 初め hajimé, meaning “for the first time”, as in the common Japanese greeting 初めまして hajimémashité.) 心 = heart, mind Having a “Beginner’s Mind” means viewing a situation from a fresh perspective, staying humble, and understanding that there is always moreContinueContinue reading “初心 (shoshin) “beginner’s mind””

森林浴 (shin-rin-yoku) “forest-bathing”

A Japanese calligraphy artwork. The writing means "forest-bathing".

森林 = forest (look at all the 木 trees in these 2 kanji!) 浴 = bathing Literally translating as “forest-bathing”, 森林浴 shin-rin-yoku refers to spending time in a forest for mental and physical relaxation.

道 (dō) “Way”, “Route”, “The Tao”

A Japanese calligraphy artwork. The writing means "the way" or "the tao".

This is the “-dō” in the Japanese martial arts of judō, kendō and aikidō, as well as shodō (calligraphy), sadō (tea ceremony) and many others. Loosely translated, it means “way”, “route”, “path” or “doctrine”. My calligraphy teacher said that studying a Japanese art is considered similar to taking a journey up a mountain. The summitContinueContinue reading “道 (dō) “Way”, “Route”, “The Tao””