Radiance in the Newborns

Now is the time everything looks brilliant. I feel the pleasant breeze with fresh leaves and flowers swaying and bowing. Roses in my garden are about to bloom.

it unfurled now

                                                 What shall I call thee?

                                                 “I happy am.

                                                 Joy is my name”

                                                 Sweet joy befall thee!

                                                 Sweet joy I call thee.

                                                 Thou dost smile

                                                 I sing the while

                                                 Sweet joy befall thee!

                      (from Infant Joy by William Blake, thank you for introducing ,Ekaterina)

His fresh mom breastfeeds and holds him in her arms as often and as much as he wants. She uses cloth diapers to reuse them. To see cloth diapers being hung out brought back good old memories of mine.

in March

My husband and I wanted to plant a tree in celebration of his birth and came across 源平しだれ桃( weeping red and white peach tree). It has red and white and mixed colored blossoms from one single tree. 

Peach flowers for a boy? Aren't they for girls for a peach festival? Oh, don’t forget there’s a famous fairy tale Momotaro, Peach Boy, who is courageous enough to go out to wipe out ogres. 

Multi colored blossoms are frivolous? I don’t care. A combination of a red and white color gives a festive appearance and has been traditionally used in happy, congratulatory occasionｓ such as a form of 饅頭（Japanese sweetｓ) or a curtain whose pattern is vertical red and white stripe. We are looking forward to seeing this tree growing as he is .

A newborn infant is called Aka-chan (Dear Red) here because of their reddish skin, just like these young leaves of the maple tree.

Coo enjoys playing outside for a while; nosing around or chasing flies, ended up falling over flower beds, spoiling flowers...

An Island of Modern Arts and Architectures

Last month, my father passed away. Never did I expect him to be gone so sudden. Old as he was, he still drove for himself or enjoyed playing Go（囲碁）or singing a song in karaoke at the gathering. On the previous day when he was found dead at home by a visiting care taker, I had visited him as usual. There seemed nothing unusual about him. 

It was a heart attack, however, his face was so calm and peaceful. The thing he saw last might have been my mother’s smile, who had died 14 months before.

I still can’t believe he is not here anymore but the thought that he is rest in peace with my mother helps me feel happy for them.

And then this month, my daughter gave birth to a baby boy. I feel life is passed down and continues. She and a baby will stay at my house for a while after they leave hospital tomorrow. I’m excited and thankful that a new life brings pleasure and liveliness again.

During this wonder of life and death spiral, I visited Naoshima, one of small islands in Inland Sea of Japan.　One thing that makes it popular is a combination of quiet, beautiful seascape and modern arts based on the concept “coexistence of nature, architecture and art” in Benesse Art Site Naoshima.

I stayed at Benesse House Museum, which is one of four accommodation facilities and the building itself is a museum designed by Tadao Ando.

Honestly speaking, I don't think I have an eye for arts and had wondered why modern arts and architectures in natural island? Besides, I had a preoccupied idea that modern art was something not easy to appreciate. I had expected that at least I would be able to enjoy seascape and seafood in the quiet surroundings. However, unexpectedly this time I came to like that strange but comfortable feeling I had in a different world far from everyday life.

There are several art museums in the site. Both inside and outside of the museums, the installation works in space and surroundings with not so many visitors because of off season gave me an opportunity to feel a sense of infinity, profundity and fluidity of nature and face to myself. 

This is a picture of Chichu Art Museum (underground museum so that it won't affect the appearance of the island) from the air by Iwan Baan. Pictures are not allowed inside. I especially was drawn by the works of James Turrell, titled Open Field where he presents light in itself as art.

In the site, you can come across various sculptures installed in the open air.

                                                                   

　　　　　　　　At Naoshima port, this pumpkin made　by Yayoi Kusama welcomed us visitors.

another pumpkin by Yayoi Kusama

La Conversation by Niki de Saint Phalla

art work by me?　You can see Great Seto Bridge over there.

These birds are real.

                                 Tankers, ferries, fishing boats are coming and going.





It really was a good break for me. It was far more interesting and fascinating than I had expected it would be. I came to realize art works are to feel with our own association and imagination. When I found something touching at my heart in them, I was really into them.
Well, I shouldn't forget to say that the hotel meals were exquisitely good. 

I’m afraid I don’t have much time to spend at computer for a while but I’m enjoying visiting your posts from time to time.

Sweetness in Winter Landscape

We just have passed Daikan ( 大寒; literally the coldest day of the year according to the 24 seasonal divisions of a year in the old lunar calendar) and now we are in the dead of winter.

In this frigid air, however, narcissuses are in bloom, all the more beautiful for the colorless landscape.

                                                    shimmer of hope and joy

Here at Nada-kuroiwa（灘黒岩水仙郷）in Awaji Island, 5 million wild narcissuses are growing in the southern slope of Mt,Yuzuruha (608m) that cover an area of 7 hectares. They are cascading down the hillside overlooking the sea.

The contrast of white petals and yellow coronas looks so clear and crisp with green stalk and leaves standing straight. Like Ume(Japanese apricot) blossoms, they also seem to show resilience and endurance in the face of hardship.

Among visitors, I found an aged woman with a stick whose back was bent with age trudging up the gradual slope. Her son accompanied her. I overheard she was 95 years old. At last her son carried her on his back to the observation platform. How she was grateful to him for bringing her to that scenic place. She must have been very happy to enjoy lovely flowers and got energized a lot.

The sea looked like a shimmered metallic fabric by a soft beams of sun light through clouds.

                                                      Nushima island (沼島) seen over there

                                             the fishing boat gliding across the calm inland sea

Akashi Kaikyo Ōhashi(明石海峡大橋); the longest suspension bridge in the world at 1991 meter, connecting the city of Kobe and Awaji Island

                                                 on the way back, from inside the car

You can enjoy full bloom till the middle of February. Spring is not so far away.

The Rhythm of A Heart Beat

Today is Christmas Eve.

How are you spending?

Well the other day, I got a Christmas present in advance.

I love Japanese drum（taiko）and have long wanted to see Kodō（鼓童);I'd really like you to see this fabulous promotion video to have a glimpse of their performance.

Thanks to Rurousha's  post, I found there would be a performance at Amagasaki,  Hyogo prefecture in December and my dream came true.　

Kodō（鼓童）means the child of taiko; coined word by one of the original members of the group and it also means the rhythm of a heart beating;  kodō(鼓動).

all images are from handouts

Since their debut at the Berlin Festival in 1981、Kodō has given over 3500 performances in 46 countries, spending a third of the year overseas, a third touring in Japan, and a third on Sado Island, home to the group off Japan’s northeast coast.

In the first half stage, I surrendered myself to the swaying and evolving percussive sound produced from various taiko drums, starting delicate tender sound to a crescendo like a swell of ocean.

The second half featured soloists striking group’s hallmark giant taiko.

They beat the taiko as an innocent child just keeping beating, or an ascetic practitioner accomplishing complete combustion of life. A forceful and powerful performance by each soloist while stirring himself with loud encouraging voice, reverberated through marrow of my bones.

The publication of the group says “the sound of the giant taiko is said to resemble a mother’s heartbeat as felt in the womb, and it is no myth that babies are often lulled asleep by its thunderous vibrations”. I’d really like to find out if it’s true or not but it may partly explain why I am drawn to a Japanese taiko. Thunderous as it may be heard, the sound of taiko made out of hundreds-year-old wood has somehow intrinsic warmth and nostalgia as a taiko has been closely related to rituals and festive activities since old times. I remember the remote sound of one I heard when I was small.

Before I knew it, two hours passed. Their beaming bright smiles on their faces at the curtain call
were so impressive. (Thank you, redrose, for your company that day)

At home, my source of healing is here.

home sweet home                            

Thank you for stopping by my blog, dear friends. I've been very happy and thankful to have you here with me.
I wish all of you wonderful winter holidays and a Happy New Year!

Keihanna Commemorative Park

Kansai Science City or Gakken Toshi　was established to design to help the advancement of creative science, research, arts as well as to promote new industries in 1995. It is located in a border region between Kyoto, Osaka and Nara prefecture, so it is also called  けいはんな学研都市 (Keihanna Gakken Toshi)

A line of Metasequoia (Dawn Redwood) along the avenue and spacious cityscape always make me feel like I was driving somewhere in a foreign country.

けいはんな記念公園 (Keihanna Commemorative Park) was also opened to commemorate the establishment then. It is about 20 minutes’ drive from my house.

This park consists of another park called 水景園 (Suikei-en) which features water scenery and natural grove to explore and wander. I’d be happy if you enjoy seeing some of beauties I introduce here, though I know you are admiring your gorgeous autumn color yourself now.

Through a framework of metal lattice architecture of a pier of the pedestrian bridge, you can see big granite rocks and maple trees.

Here larvae of fireflies are raised so if you are lucky enough, you can see fireflies flying and flickering in late May or early June.

This bridge is called 観月橋　（the moon viewing bridge) and on the harvest moon, there is an event to enjoy the beautiful moon with some music concert.

There’s a small plot inside Suikei-en, where they grow rice and provide small children with traditional agricultural experiences to plant and reap rice. 

When I was small, the sight where reaped rice was being dried under the sun for some time like this was quite familiar in my neighborhood. I remember well that  a winnowing wind blew off chaffs of rice out of a thresher and made a pile of them in no time. I wonder how many of you know about it.





outside the park

I wondered what it was that looked like floating object in the air at the upper left of the picture at first. 
It is a street lamp, maybe or maybe not.