Design and Posture – Secrets of Being a Little Happier
You are in the middle of the beautiful landscape. But instead of looking up, you look down to your phone and slouch. Sounds familiar? When you slouch, you not only look bad but also feel powerless and hopeless. The repetitive strain on the neck and cervical spine can develop the neuromuscular syndrome that involves depression […]
Cat’s Eye View of Japanese Architecture vol. 5 – Perishable Landscape
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 “in spite of”. The logical […]
Image of Beautiful “Noise”? – Happy Fourth of July!
Have you ever seen fireworks from where you cannot hear the noise they make? I did once. It was surreal. I wanted to shout “where is the sound?”. Japanese landscape often has wonderful quiet quality as I said in “Image of Quietness and of Japanese Space“, our last blog. But it also includes images that must be accompanied by […]
Image of Quietness and of Japanese Space
What kind of images will you have in your mind when you hear the word, quiet? I have recently been reading the book “Quiet” by Susan Cain, which prompted me this question. My quick search of this word on Google Images showed me, as I thought it might, many images of Japanese landscape and architecture. […]
Longing for the Coming of Spring
What tells you the coming of spring? It really depends on person. I happened to see a robin near my house the other day. It definitely was a sign of spring coming. One of my favorites when I think of spring is Japanese apricot or Ume in Japanese (Prunus mume). Its flowers open up in […]
