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.
Tag Archives: Japanese language
一日一歩 (ichi-nichi-ip-po) “Moving forwards, one step every day”
一 = one 日 = day 一 = one 歩 = step This is a special kind of Japaneses idiom known as a 四字熟語 (よじじゅくご、yo-ji-juku-go), or 4-character idiom. As the name suggests, these are idiomatic phrases made of 4 kanji characters. They often contain a small life lesson or moral message, similar to English sayingsContinueContinue reading “一日一歩 (ichi-nichi-ip-po) “Moving forwards, one step every day””
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””
晴耕雨読 (sei-kō-u-doku) “in fine weather do work; when it’s rainy, read”
晴 = sunny 耕 = ploughing 雨 = rainy 読 = reading The message here seems to be to do everything at its proper time. Work when it’s sunny, and rest when it rains. This is a special kind of Japaneses idiom known as a 四字熟語 (よじじゅくご、yo-ji-juku-go), or 4-character idiom. As the name suggests, theseContinueContinue reading “晴耕雨読 (sei-kō-u-doku) “in fine weather do work; when it’s rainy, read””
道 (dō) “Way”, “Route”, “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””
葉月 (hazuki) “August” (archaic)
Like many countries, Japan uses a 12-month calendar. The names are very simple. January is literally “Month one”, February is “Month two”, etc: 一月 = January 二月 = February However, before the Meiji Restoration (mid-1800s) it was common to use an older 12-month system. These months’ names referenced the weather and the seasons (similar toContinueContinue reading “葉月 (hazuki) “August” (archaic)”
陰陽 (in-yō) “yin-yang”
Yin is dark, cold, receptive, magnetic. Yang is light, hot, giving, active. Yin and Yang are relative. The element of water is usually considered very Yin, but fast-moving water is Yang compared to still water. Both are present in everything. Rather than being opposites, they are two sides of the same coin. A cup isContinueContinue reading “陰陽 (in-yō) “yin-yang””
重い魂… “A heavy soul…”
重い魂 / A heavy soul 苦心の勝利 / A hard-fought victory 昔と同じものはない / Nothing’s the same as it used to be This was a commission for a client to give to his beloved as a Christmas present. It’s three lines from their favourite song. The song is originally in English, so before I wrote it IContinueContinue reading “重い魂… “A heavy soul…””
喫茶去 (kissako) “Please have a cup of tea”
喫 = drink 茶 = tea 去 = leave “Drink tea and leave”? Not exactly. The intention of this 3-character idiom isn’t to tell someone to go away after they’ve drunk some tea, but rather to welcome all guests to have a cup of tea before they leave. This idiom comes from a Chinese ZenContinueContinue reading “喫茶去 (kissako) “Please have a cup of tea””
守破離 (shu-ha-ri) “Follow the rule, break the rule, be the rule!”
守破離 “Shu-ha-ri” describes the 3-stage process of learning a skill or discipline. This 3-character idiom was originally a martial arts concept, but can apply to pretty much any discipline. The 3 stages are as follows: Stage 1: 守 = follow This is the beginning stage, when the student is learning the techniques. This stage isContinueContinue reading “守破離 (shu-ha-ri) “Follow the rule, break the rule, be the rule!””
Calligraphy by Vicky 