Takato Yamamoto - Touch of Magic - scan from Rib Of A Hermaphrodite
Takato Yamamoto 高遠山本 (Japanese, b. 1960, Akita Prefecture, Japan) Drawings
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Japanese Tea Philosophy
Tea Philosophy is not just aestheticism in the comon sense of the word, for it expresses, together with ethics and religion, the way that the japanese people perceive Humanity and Nature.
There are four basic principles in japnaese tea ceremony, which aplied to all aspects of life by tea masters and tea lovers alike. These are Wa 和 (Harmony), Kei 敬 (Respect), Jaku 寂 (Traquility) and Sei 清 (Purity).
- Wa 和 (Harmony) is the sense of unity between Man and Nature — an harmonious spirit shared between the host and his guests, the guests among themselves, between the four seasons and the tea utensils.
- Kei 敬 (Respect) comes from the feeling of friendship, kindness and caring, for there should be respect between all the participants of the tea ceremony, without inequalities. You can also feel the kei from the way the tea master handles the untensils. Respect implies equality and the entrance to the sukiya 数寄屋 (tea room) deliberatly makes the guest crouch while the enter, forcing them to bow with the same depth, humbling themselves before the tea ceremony.
- Jaku 寂 (Traquility) reffers to the japanese term nehan 涅槃 (Nirvana, situation in which all material desire stops to exist). During the ceremony, one can feel happiness, lightheartedness and, more importantly, transcendence.
- Sei 清 (Purity) includes cleanliness and order, being both of major importance in tea ceremony. Before entering the sukiya, guests wash their hands and mouths, simbolizing phisical and spiritual cleanliness; the host purifies the tea utensils before the ceremony begins and, by doing it, purifies his own spirit. After the ceremony, the tea master will clean all the utensils once again and order the sukiya’s interior.
1st photo: [X] by TANAKA Juuyoh (田中十洋)
2nd photo: [X] by Jenae Burkart
Arashiyama’s Bamboo Forest
In the Arashiyama (嵐山) district of Kyoto, Japan, is the jaw-dropping Sagano Bamboo Grove. The forest was the setting of Japanese novelist and poet Lady Murasaki Shikibu’s acclaimed novel, "The Tale of Genji." There is a walking path that cuts through the bamboo grove and makes for a photogenic trek as light filters through the stalks. The bamboo in the grove is still used to manufacture cups, boxes, baskets and mats in the area.
To view more photos and videos of the bamboo forest, be sure to visit the 竹林の小径 (Kitasaga Bamboo Grove) location page.
feelin like a proper mess with a side of melancholy
mirayama