More than a gate Another Japanese spatial concept that contributes to designing a mindful space is the boundary in motion. One of the Japanese words for this is Ma, which generally means “gap.” The Chinese character for Ma (間) represents a gate made out of two doors with the moonlight coming through.
Utsuroi: changing space Utsuroi, another Japanese spatial concept that causes the self/space boundary to blur, is present throughout Japanese architecture and gardens. Utsuroi means gradual and inevitable change from one state to another. It can also refer to reflection or projection of one thing onto another. Both meanings suggest that nothing
Yoko Kawai was invited to talk on “space for well-being” to open the Chrysanthemum Show at the Botanic Garden of Smith College. It was an honor and excitement to address the enthusiastic audience of 200 people! The Fall Mum Show has been the popular tradition at the Botanic Garden since
Takaya Kurimoto gave a talk “Water in Japanese Gardens” at the Japan Center at Stony Brook University on December 2nd, 2019. Many enthusiastic students and faculty members attended this event! Water has been one of the most important elements of Japanese gardens. Takaya introduced its three different characteristics and background
Do you know what colored maple leaves and cherry blossoms have in common? The answer is that both are perishable. Their colors, red of maple and pink of cherry, last only for a few days. Japanese people cherish them because of their short lives. Yes, I said “because of”, not
Takaya Kurimoto and Yoko Kawai of PED had the pleasure to give an online live talk at Shofuso, a Japanese house with a garden, hosted by the Japan America Society of Greater Philadelphia. Our talk examined how the concept of Michiyuki, traveling or procession in Japanese, could help us be
We are thrilled to announce our upcoming talk/webinar on Tuesday, June 29, from 5 PM to 6 PM (ET) hosted by the Japan America Society of Greater Philadelphia. The talk is on Michiyuki: Japanese Time-Space Concept for Mindfulness of Everyone Everyday. It will be broadcasted live from Shofuso and its
It is almost nine months since we began to stay home due to Covid-19. Our daily life has changed dramatically. Many people including myself feel that we are not breathing enough fresh air. Then, customers started to call us about the ways to improve their gardens. It is natural that
Buildable Philosophies How can you use Japanese spatial concepts in your home? Your garden? Your office? Will doing so make you more mindful? These concepts may seem abstract, but they are buildable concepts. As you can see in the Katsura Imperial Villa and the Itsukushima Shrine, these concepts are not
Do you work at home and feel stressed and enprisoned? Your home should help you. I’d like to share some tips on how you could use it in creative ways to stay well while working at home. I learned these tips over the years from two resources. One is my
