Where there is clutter, even valuable things lose their value. Where there is too much, nothing stands out. The essence of Japanese aesthetic is a concept called 'MA' (pronounced "maah") — the … read more

Into an old pond a frog leaps sound of the water ( furu ike ya / kawazu tobikomu / mizu no oto) Which pond? What kind of sound? The haiku sounds unfinished, but that is the point — a … read more

Toky Story ( tokyo monogatari) is an unpretentious, profoundly personal and visually stunning movie directed in 1953 by the celebrated Japanese filmmaker Yasujiro Ozu. Tokyo Story is a tale of cont … read more

  They are a curious mix of animal, human, and the supernatural. They are called dogū (土偶, clay figure) and perhaps the most remarkable representation of Japan's Jōmon cu … read more

Kimiko-san is my 84-year-old aunt. She was born in 1927 in Hinokage, the first child of a hard-working couple who ran a pharmacy on the main street. If you meet Kimiko-san, the first thing you will … read more