JapanWords

This week it was Mountain Day in Japan - a national holiday dedicated to some of Japan's most impressive natural features.

Of course the most impressive of these has to be the famous 富士山Mount Fuji.

The kanji for the tallest and most famous mountain in Japan are suitably distinguished:

富 = riches, wealth, fortune

士 = gentleman, scholar

However there is a theory that the above kanji are ateji (kanji which are used to phonetically represent other words) for 不 and 死.

不 = un, not

死 = death

In other words, Mount Fuji is the "Undying Mountain".

Whether it's a wealthy gentleman or an undying mountain, the importance of Mount Fuji on Japanese culture is immense.

British author Terry Pratchett sums it up beautifully:

"Mt. Fuji appears so often in Japanese prints. Sometimes it’s big and up close. Sometimes it’s a shape on the horizon. Sometimes it’s not there at all, which means that the artist either has made a deliberate decision against the mountain, which is interesting in itself, or is in fact standing on Mt. Fuji."

Many temples and shrines in Japan offer a service called 御朱印 (go-shu-in). The staff stamp a piece of paper with a special commemorative stamp unique to that temple/shrine.

They also usually write some beautiful calligraphy at the same time.

The above is from the famous Sensōji temple in Asakusa, Tokyo. You can see 浅草寺 (Sen-sō-ji) in the stamp at the bottom left.

Below is from Nakayama temple (中山時) in Hyōgo prefecture. It's a very old temple which is part of an ancient pilgrimage route. The date is written on the right side - 平成三十年三月二十日 - Heisei year 30 [2018], March 20th.

I love the stylised way of writing 中山時 at the bottom left.

If you plan to visit lots of shrines and temples you can buy a special blank book to put them in called a 集印帳 (shū-in-chō).

You can find them in many different designs. Mine has a picture of Enoshima on the cover:

If you would like a go-shu-in stamp, just look for the sign saying 御朱印 (go-shu-in), hand your book to the staff on go-shu-in duty, and they will stamp it and write the calligraphy.

Sometimes this is at the same place as where they sell the lucky charms, or if it's a popular place (such as Sensōji temple in Tokyo) it might be in a separate building.

Not all temples and shrines offer a go-shu-in service, but many do, especially those that are on popular pilgrimage trails. It makes a nice souvenir of your journey.

初 = for the first time, in the beginning

心 = heart, mind

Having a “Beginner’s Mind” means viewing a situation from a fresh perspective, staying humble, and understanding that there is always more to learn.

Like many countries, Japan uses a 12-month calendar. The names are very simple. January is literally "Month one", February is "Month two", etc:

一月 = January

二月 = February

However, before the Meiji Restoration (mid-1800s) it was common to use an older 12-month system. These months’ names referenced the weather and the seasons (similar to the French Revolutionary calendar).

August is 葉月.

葉 = leaf/leaves

月 = month

So what does August have to do with leaves?

It is likely a reference to 紅葉, red autumn leaves, which many Japanese people admire, almost as much as the cherry blossom in spring.

Of course, the autumn leaf season is actually more likely to begin in September or October.

"There is no way to enlightenment; enlightenment is the way".

- Thich Nhat Hanh, Zen Master

This was a calligraphy commission for a martial arts practitioner to use as a wall decoration and also as a tattoo design.

Students of Japanese will notice that it doesn't exactly say "mind, body, spirit". This is because although this phrase is common in English, it's a little different in Japanese.

Happily there is a similar phrase in Japanese - 心技体 (shin-gi-tai) - which is often used in the context of martial arts:

心 = heart/mind/spirit

技 = skill

体 = body

In other words, to success in martial arts, one has to:

have spirit

develop one's skill

June 21st was the summer solstice, the longest day of the year.

夏 = summer

至 = arrive

Whilst not an official holiday in Japan, it is nevertheless important as it is one of the "24 solar terms".

“There is no exquisite beauty… without some strangeness in the proportion."

-Edgar Allan Poe

The Japanese rainy season usually lasts from early June to mid-July, just before it starts to become unbearably hot and humid in summer.

It often rains non-stop all day.

When I lived in Japan, outside my balcony often looked like a rainforest during this season:

The kanji in this word are:

梅 = plum

雨 = rain

This was a commission for client who spent a wonderful year living in Japan and wanted to remember the place where she lived.

She lived in the small town of 波方 Namikata,

which is in the municipality of 今治 Imabari,

which is in the prefecture of 愛媛 Ehime.

Japanese addresses are written with the largest area first (the prefecture), and then by order of decreasing size.

Traditional Japanese writing is from top to bottom and then right to left.

I wrote this in the traditional way, so the prefecture 愛媛 Ehime is on the right and is read first, and moving to the left is the municipality 今治 Imabari and then finally the small town 波方 Namikata.

As well as having 4 seasons (spring, summer, autumn, winter), in Japan the year can also be divided into 24 節気 (sekki), or solar terms.

The solar terms include terms that are familiar to English-speakers, such as the solstices and equinoxes. They also include references to the weather, the temperature, and the beginning of the 4 seasons.

Some solar terms describe plant activity, such as this one:

芒 = little hairs that appear on grains (sometimes called "beards" in English)

種 = seeds

This means that it's now time to plant rice seedings, a very important activity in a country where rice is the staple food.

You can find more information about the 節気 (sekki) solar terms here:

This was a commission for the customer to give as a gift to his wife as a memory of their vacation in Japan.

Needless to say, Japanese vending machines made a big impression on them!

Which is not surprising because Japan takes vending machines to a whole other level.

Things you can buy from a Japanese vending machine:

cold drinks in summer

hot drinks in winter (they change the drinks round to match the seasons. When hot drinks are available, Winter Is Coming!)

Noodles

Fast food

Pizza

Ice creams

Cigarettes (you need a special card to prove you're over 20 but I have my doubts as to how effective this is)

All kinds of alcohol. Some of these vending machines require the special "over-20" card. Some don't.

Batteries. This was a machine near my house. Looked like it hadn't been maintained in ages. Many batteries were rusty and leaking.

Condoms. Another machine near my house. Again, looked like it hadn't been maintained in ages. Pretty sure condoms have a sell-by date...

Fresh vegetables

Fresh flowers

Anime merchandise

Underwear

Used underwear (allegedly.... Every so often this claim does the rounds. Never figured out if it was true or not.)

Like many countries, Japan uses a 12-month calendar. The names are very simple. January is 一月 (ichi-gatsu, literally "Month one"), February is 二月 (ni-gatsu, "Month two"), etc.

However, before the Meiji Restoration (mid-1800s) it was common to use an older 12-month system. These months’ names referenced the weather and the seasons (similar to the French Revolutionary calendar).

June is “Minatsuki” in this old Japanese calendar.

水 = water

無 = none / not any

月 = month

無 means "not any", not "of".

So why doesn't this mean "the month with no water"?

According to wikipedia, this 無 is used purely as an ateji, which is a kanji used for its pronunciation rather than its meaning. 無 is pronounced "na", which sometimes has the same meaning as the possessive particle の ("no"), thus rendering the meaning something like "water's month".

渋味 (shibumi) is a word which is a little difficult to translate directly. It's more of a vibe than a meaning.

My dictionary says: "austere elegance; elegant simplicity; subdued style; quiet taste; refinement​".

It's also the name of a Florence-based men's fashion boutique, where this artwork is displayed.

This was my very first commission.

Three elderly gentlemen stood around a large bowl of vinegar.

The first man dipped his finger in and brought it to his mouth. He made a face as if he had just sucked a lemon.

“The vinegar is sour,” he pronounced.

The second man dipped his finger in the vinegar, brought it to his mouth, and immediately frowned. 

“The vinegar is bitter,” was his judgement.

Then it was the third man’s turn. Upon tasting the vinegar his face broke out into a broad smile.

“The vinegar is sweet!” he exclaimed.

The three gentleman in this story are three famous Asian philosophers. To find out who they are and why they can't agree on the taste of vinegar, check out this short article:

縁 (en) can refer to destiny in general, but it often has romantic connotations.... something like "star-crossed lovers", destined to be together for all eternity.

Like many countries, Japan has 4 seasons.

It also has 72 micro-seasons!

Traditionally the Japanese year was divided into 72 seasons of roughly 5 days each. Each of these micro-seasons was named after the changes in the natural world that could be observed at the time, or the current agricultural activities.

Next week (from May 26 - 30) is 紅花栄 (Benibana sakau) "Safflowers bloom".

Safflowers are pretty yellow and red flowers that bloom around this time.

The bright red pigment made from them was historically worth more than its weight in gold. It used to be used as a clothing dye, and also for the red lipstick worn by geisha.