In my first How to Make a Basic Ikebana Flower Arrangement video, I focused on completing an Ikebana arrangement. At the end of the video, you will have a finished product that is neatly put together with flowers. Today I will focus more on the process itself rather than the finished product of Ikebana. I …
In my high school history textbook, there were only 4things that were associated with Ii Naosuke (1815 – 1860): Tairo (大老)… He became a Tairo, which is a very high-ranking post in the Tokugawa Shogunate late in the Edo Period. Harris Treaty… He signed this treaty with the US without the Emperor’s consent. Ansei Purge… …
March 3rd, the day of Hinamatsuri, is coming up! As I explained in my previous blog post, Hinamatsuri is a Japanese celebration especially for girls. Since it’s about the season that peaches are in bloom, Hinamatsuri is also called “Momo no Sekku 桃の節句”. Momo means peach in Japanese. How do you celebrate this occasion in …
It is Friday night at 11:30pm in September 2007 in Seattle. I am at my desk at this late hour for how many days in a row? And how many weekends have I spent in this office? The software company I have been running for the past 7 years signed a MOU with a possible …
Happy Thanksgiving to you! Normally I travel during the Thanksgiving week, but this year I’m stuck at home. Why not decorate our house with long-lasting arrangements during the holiday? Dried materials come in handy. Cut branches, Chinese Lantern, dried hydrangea… When it’s getting harder to find fresh flowers in the yard, it’s the time to …
First Ikebana flower arrangement, and then tea ceremony… Now my two main practices are both conducted online. I use my old iPhone as an external webcam. I connect the webcam to my computer so that I can see what the webcam is capturing on my computer screen. Before the class starts, I double check the …
November 15 is a holiday called Shichi Go San in Japan. Shichi means 7, Go means 5, and San means 3. When a girl becomes 3 and 7, and a boy becomes 5 years old, we celebrate it by visiting a shrine or temple dressed up. I don’t know much of the history, like why …
November 3rd is a national holiday in Japan called Bunka no Hi (文化の日). It literally means Cultural Day in Japanese. Every year around this day, Japanese Cultural and Community Center of Washington (JCCCW) has held an event dedicated to celebrating, commemorating, and educating the public about Japanese and Japanese American Culture in the Seattle area. …