Category Archives: Uncategorized

Onoré-sho (writing as one likes)

Here’s an example of a Japanese calligraphy style that’s easy to do! The style is called “onoré-sho”. “Onoré” is an old-fashioned and rather forceful way to refer to oneself. Onoré-sho emphasises a sense of freedom, doing things in one’s own way. With onoré-sho the artist is free to play around with the relative size, shapeContinueContinue reading “Onoré-sho (writing as one likes)”

寿 “congratulations”

This kanji is often found on Japanese greetings cards, and also on those fancy paper envelopes you put money in when you go to a wedding. It means “congratulations”. It can also mean “long life”. It is also the first kanji in the most common way to write sushi -（寿司）. This kanji is used for “sushi” not becauseContinueContinue reading “寿 “congratulations””

Onoré-sho (writing as one likes)

Here’s an example of a Japanese calligraphy style that’s easy to do! The style is called “onoré-sho”. “Onoré” is an old-fashioned and rather forceful way to refer to oneself. Onoré-sho emphasises a sense of freedom, doing things in one’s own way. With onoré-sho the artist is free to play around with the relative size, shapeContinueContinue reading “Onoré-sho (writing as one likes)”

気 (ki) “energy” / “life-force” / “spirit”

Japanese martial arts practitioners often give a loud quick shout as they perform an attacking move. This shout is a 気合 (ki-ai), often translated as “meeting of spirit”. This ki is the ki in aikido, qigong, and reiki. Ki is a central principle in traditional Chinese medicine and Eastern martial arts. It has been translated variously as energy, life force, vitalContinueContinue reading “気 (ki) “energy” / “life-force” / “spirit””

限 (gen) “boundary, limit”

We tend to think of creativity as something that is free from limits. But what if the opposite was also true? The benefit of working within limits is that it is precisely the act of pushing against these limits, stretching them, bending them, playing with them, which leads to interesting artistic expression. In other words,ContinueContinue reading “限 (gen) “boundary, limit””

夢 (yumé) “dream”

Do you remember your dreams? According to Japanese tradition, the things you dream about in your first dream of the new year can foretell what’s going to happen in the coming year. It is believed that the 3 most auspicious things to dream of are: Mount Fuji 🗻 A hawk 🦅 An eggplant / aubergineContinueContinue reading “夢 (yumé) “dream””

梅 (umé) PLUM BLOSSOM

It’s blossom season in Japan! Cherry blossoms are by far the most famous of Japanese flowers. They’re also the national flower, and appear on the 100 yen coin. However, they’re not the first spring flower to bloom. Plum blossom season usually starts earlier than cherry blossom season, with the first blossoms appearing as early asContinueContinue reading “梅 (umé) PLUM BLOSSOM”