JapanWords

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.

I wrote my third article for my website. It's a pretty basic one, but I hope it covers all the main points for people new to kanji.

A commission for a friend who enjoys gliding 🛬

A somewhat stylised work I did ages ago.

痛みは

避けられない

でも苦しみは

自分次第だ！

Pain

is inevitable

but suffering

depends on you!

This Buddhist-inspired quote is by the famous Japanese novelist Haruki Murakami, from his book on how he uses Buddhist teachings to live a good life.

It's one of my housemate's favourite phrases. This work was my birthday present to him a few years ago.

I'm currently open for commissions, so if you'd like a unique custom-made calligraphy artwork for you or a loved one, please message me and let me know your ideas. My aim is to create the perfect calligraphy work for you.

Prices for standard size calligraphy artworks are:

A5: £60

A4: £80

A3: £100

Sorting out some of my old artworks today when I came across the original designs for my logo.