A balmy breeze in May

One of my favorite seasonal words is the one for May, "Kunpuu (薫風)." This breeze blows through the fresh greenery of early summer. It comes from the south and carries scents through fields, along valley edges, and over water surfaces. This wind is called Kunpuu, which means the balmy breeze scents.

The first time I heard this word was when I saw it written on a hanging scroll in a tea room when I was just beginning to learn the way of tea known as the tea ceremony. At first, I thought I could feel and hear the breeze, but I didn't know that I could also smell it.

So when I heard the word "Kunpuu", I thought of the refreshing light green fragrant leaves and wanted to take a deep breath. Every time I hear those words, I still think of that day.

In Japan, seasonal words are probably learned in elementary school. At that time, I didn't understand the importance of seasonal words at all. But now, when I hear them, a beautiful scene comes to mind. That imagination enriches our daily life.

Kunpuu is not just a concept. It contains substances called phytoncides, which play an important role in plant immunity and the relationships between organisms in the ecosystem. I don't think the ancient people knew about these substances, but their senses were so acute that they could probably smell them.

I wonder how much we use our five senses in everyday life. Furthermore, we tend to forget to breathe deeply in our stressful lives. The reason why I like the word Kunpuu maybe because it reminds me to engage our five senses. This is the time of year when all plants grow abundantly under the sunlight. So we should get some sunlight, breathe deeply, and enjoy the beautiful early summer with all of our five senses.

Spring rain

Spring brings a lot of rain, which is a blessing from nature. I enjoy seeing wet leaves that look vibrant, green, and beautiful when it rains. This period is important in the natural cycle, as plants grow with plenty of water. Today, April 19th marks the official end of the spring season in this year's Japanese lunar calendar.

The traditional lunar calendar consists of 24 solar terms, each indicating a period associated with a natural phenomenon. From today onwards, this term is called “Kokuu (穀雨)”,' which means “grain rain” in Japanese. Rice planting has been carried out at this time of year since ancient times. It is said that spring rain moisturizes and nourishes plants on the ground, bringing about rich harvests.

In our busy modern lives, small seasonal changes are often overlooked. It's hard to notice these changes, especially in city life. However, Japanese culture, based on the 24 solar terms, teaches us to savor the seasons and find beauty and meaning in each transition. With this in mind, when I look at plants soaked in the rain, I am reminded that rain is not just water that falls from the sky but that it connects us to the cycle of nature, and we live within that cycle.

When we remember that we live in harmony with nature, we develop the ability to be grateful for the blessings of rain too. I would like to thank the rain again.

Cherry blossoms on Mt. Yoshino

A few years ago, one of my friends showed me a photo of beautiful cherry blossoms on Mt. Yoshino in Nara Prefecture, Japan. While there are famous cherry blossom viewing spots all over Japan, Mt. Yoshino holds a special place as one of the most famous. Although I had seen thousands of cherry blossoms on Mt. Yoshino in magazines, when she excitedly described how splendid the cherry blossoms were with her photo, I was truly impressed. Don't you think these cherry blossoms are simply amazing?

Cherry blossoms on Mt.Yoshino in Nara, Japan

The cherry blossoms of Mt. Yoshino have been written in many waka, traditional Japanese poems, since ancient times. Even today, Mt. Yoshino remains abundant in nature, much like it was in ancient times, so looking at photos makes me feel as though I have been drawn into the world of waka poetry.

Unlike the cherry blossoms at other famous spots, the cherry blossoms on Mt. Yoshino are not just for cherry blossom viewing but are carefully protected as religious symbols closely related to mountain worship.

Approximately 1,300 years ago, Enno Gyoja (役行者)carved an image of Zao Gongen (蔵王権現) into a cherry tree and it is believed that the image would save the people in Japan and make the cherry tree a sacred symbol.

Since then, tree planting has continued, with approximately 30,000 trees currently planted, mainly Shiroyamazakura (白山桜). The best time to see them is in the order of Shimosenbon (下千本), Nakasenbon (中千本), Kamisenbon (上千本), and Okusenbon(奥千本), as they bloom from the bottom to the top of the mountain, offering a prolonged viewing period. This year, Shimosenbon will start to bloom from March 30th, followed by the Nakasenbon, Kamisenbon, and Okusenbon, with the latter expected to be in full bloom around April 14th. Currently, Mt. Yoshino is registered as a World Heritage Site.

While cherry blossoms can be seen in many places, viewing the cherry blossoms of Mt. Yoshino may be a once-in-a-lifetime experience I desire. I already missed a chance this year.

However, this month, I made cherry blossom-shaped Japanese sweets while thinking about Mt. Yoshino, and shared them at workshops and events. To my surprise, everyone loved the homemade Sakura Japanese sweets. Since the Sakura season is continuing, should I make more? Please enjoy the beautiful cherry blossom season!

Homemade cherry blossom-shaped Japanese sweets -Kohakuto （琥珀糖）

Winter's Pleasure - The Warmth of a Winter Tea Bowl

This winter in New York has been relatively warm, and it seems like today will be even warmer. However, it's only the end of February, so it's still cold, sometimes below freezing. Lately, I've been enjoying matcha in a winter bowl, which is cylindrical shape and typically used during the coldest month of the year, February.

Winter tea bowl (Tsutsu Chawan) and Bamboo tea whisk (Chasen)

The small opening in the tea bowl is designed to keep the matcha warm and prevent it from cooling down quickly. As you carefully pour in the hot water, place the bamboo tea whisk, and fold the linen cloth, simply watching the steam slowly rising from the tea bowl warms your heart. And now, you begin to make matcha.

The Way of Tea known as the tea ceremony always reminds us of the importance of savoring the present moment. It seems like a simple concept, but it reflects the depth and spiritual richness of the Japanese people in the past.

 I believe that life today is much richer than it was in the past. However, I feel that this is different from whether the human spirit has become richer.

While I can't wait for the arrival of warm spring weather, I've also realized that some pleasures can only be enjoyed during the cold season. Perhaps one of the greatest joys of a cold winter is seeing steam rise from a tea bowl or cup, feeling its soothing warmth wrap around your hands, and enjoying a hot beverage. Even if it's snowing outside, our bodies and hearts are filled with warmth. Let's enjoy the beauty of the cold season and the simple pleasures it brings for a bit while.

February Snow in Kent, CT

A Morning Glory

Perhaps the first flower I grew was the morning glory. When I was a child, the morning glory was very familiar to me, but as I grew up, it gradually became a forgotten flower. Allow me to share with you a famous anecdote about a morning glory dating back to the 16th century. This story involves the renowned Samurai General, Hideyoshi Toyotomi, and the great tea master Sen no Rikyu.

The samurai, Hideyoshi, heard that a lot of morning glories were blooming beautifully in Rikyu's garden. Curious to see them, Hideyoshi asked Rikyu to show him the flowers. Rikyu invited him. On that day Hideyoshi was looking forward to seeing beautiful morning glories but to Hideyoshi's surprise, all the flowers were cut, and there were no morning glories in the garden. Hideyoshi was probably taken aback or even angry. However, when he entered the tea room, he discovered a beautiful morning glory arranged in the alcove. Hideyoshi was deeply impressed by Rikyu's aesthetics. This anecdote is very famous and told for many years.

Initially, when I heard about this story, I was not very impressed that Rikyu had thrown away all the morning glories.

On a slightly different topic, last month, my garden in Connecticut was filled with many blooming peonies so I brought several big peony buds to my tea ceremony class for the tea room. A week after, I went to the tea class as usual. When I entered the tea room, my eyes caught a large peony bud gracefully arranged in the alcove, exuding a dignified beauty.

Peonies in the garden typically bloom for only two weeks, so I always pick as many as I can and place them in several large vases or share them with my friends. At home, I could not think of arranging a single peony, because all beautiful peonies should be admired evenly.  

The dignified beauty of that single peony in the tea room reminds me of the morning glory anecdote. It is said that Rikyu had an excellent sense of beauty, and this experience has convinced me of his aesthetic sense. Understanding the true essence of things takes time.

Suddenly, I wanted to see a certain book and started looking for it on my bookshelf, because the book shows Rikyu's morning glory which I am imagining. Simplicity is for emphasizing its beauty.

From the book, Imayoukadensho by Toshiro Kawase (川瀬俊朗　今様花伝書より）

Inspired by this realization, I decided to plant some morning glories in my garden last month. Unfortunately, they were eaten by animals, and most of their leaves were gone. My desire to see simple morning glories has grown stronger in me, and I plan to wait and plant them again next year.

What inspired Steve Jobs

Dear friends,

The other day I went to see an exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum entitled: Kimono Style. My purpose was not to see kimonos but to see “inrō (印籠)” which is a decorative Japanese portable case.    

Some of you may know the “inrō” because it was used as a symbolic item to show authority in the longest-running historical Japanese drama series. The “inrō” is a Japanese portable case, which holds such as identity seals and medicines. It was popular as a men's accessory in the middle of the Edo period (1603- 1867), and it was commonly hung from an obi, a sash worn at the waist, of your kimono. It later became an object of a collection. 

By the way, I was interested in “inrō” because I heard an episode in which Steve Jobs made an iPhone inspired by inro. It is famous that he was fascinated by Japanese culture but this story was a pleasant surprise to me.

When I think of it, the first iPhone had a slightly rounded shape and fit nicely in the palm of my hand. Its size and shape were very similar to the “inrō” 

It's easy for me to imagine that Steve Jobs was inspired not only by the “inrō’s” shape and size but by its sophistication and attention to detail. Several of the "intros" on display at the Metropolitan Museum seemed to have taught me not about the functionality and superficial beauty of the iPhone, but about the timeless and deep passion of the object. I feel why Apple products have a little bit of human touch. Even if technology advances beyond the human brain I hope human passion will remain.

All the best,

Kumiko

The long-awaited seasonal sweet, Minazuki

Dear friends,

Every June I have a strong desire to make a traditional sweet called "Minazuki (水無月)," a triangular mochi dessert topped with red beans.

"Minazuki," is also another name for June in the Japanese calendar; consequently, this sweet can only be eaten in June. This is the reason for my strong desire to make and eat.

Traditionally, it is eaten on June 30th.  On that day, there is a ritual called "Nagoshi no Harae" to purify the bad luck spirits of the first half of the year and pray for good health for the second half of the year. A white mochi part represents ice. The red bean has the meaning of chasing away evil spirits and bad lucks.

It is a simple recipe, but last year I could not make it successfully, so since last July, I have been waiting for this June to make Minazuki. 

I recently made Minazuki using Azuki cooked over two days in advance the night before my tea ceremony class. I put it into a square-shaped Japanese traditional wooden container, and I wrapped it with furoshiki, a square-shaped Japanese wrapping cloth, and took it to the tea class.

In my tea class, everyone looked so pleased with the homemade Minazuki, which really made me happy. It was worth waiting a year to make it. A little happiness fills my everyday life, in fact, I'm looking forward to making it again next year.

Wishing all of you good health in the second half of the year.

All the best,

Kumiko

The Milky Way - Star Festival "Tanabata"

Dear friends,

Today, July 7th is a special day in Japan, because people celebrate the Star Festival called "Tanabata." There is a very romantic story affiliated with this festival: if the sky is clear on that night two lovers can only see each other once a year across the milky way. This story originated in China and the legend was introduced to Japan in the 8th century and continued until today. 

When I was working as a lighting designer a long time ago, my former French boss came to my desk and said, "Do you know Tanabata? It is such a very romantic story! I want to use this story as a concept of a new project".

Once upon a time, there was a daughter of the sky king "Orihime," the star of Vega; she was a beautiful young weaver girl. A young cowhand boy named "Hikoboshi," the star of Altair lived across the river. When they met for the very first time they fell in love instantly and from then on they had so much fun being together that they got married. They were so much in love that they stopped working hard and the king grew very angry and put them back on opposite sides of the river. Orihime cried and cried, so the king felt sorry for them and allowed them to see each other once a year across the Milky Way on the night of July 7th. 

On July 7 the people of Japan write their wishes on colorful strips of paper and tie them on bamboo branches to celebrate the lovers' reunion. This decoration reminds me of when I was a child and when I wrote my wishes every year.

Going back to the lighting project topic, unfortunately, the couple who were our clients broke up and the project ended without completion. Their real-life was not the same as the legendary romantic story.

Anyway, this year I chose star-shaped Japanese sweets for matcha to hope for clear skies so that the lovers in the sky can see each other on the Milky Way. May everyone's wishes come true.

All the best,

Kumiko

Edited by Janice Ensminger

June "Minazuki"

Dear friends,

Early in June my friends and I had a picnic in Central Park. We were all looking forward to trying a sushi bento box that we would purchase from a new sushi market adjacent to a high-end sushi restaurant in Manhattan. One of my friends stated she would bring Japanese sweets and matcha and she said "let’s have sweets after we have sushi." I thought what a great idea we could have an open-air tea ceremony. We hadn't seen each other for almost a year and a half, so we were looking forward to the day.

The day arrived and she brought a homemade Japanese sweet called "Minazuki," which is another name for June in Japanese. Since last June I craved this delicacy so much, so the minute I saw it I expressed my happiness by saying very loud "Minazuki."

Minazuki originally came from Kyoto, and it is eaten on June 30th to pray for good health for the second half of the year. I enjoyed this sweet the first time in my early twenties, however, I wasn't impressed at all because I felt it wasn't visually appealing. After I moved to NY I missed traditional Japanese sweets, so I started making my own. The recipe for Minazuki is simple but I was not successful, consequently, I have been looking forward to this June after failing last June. 

While talking about such things, we really enjoyed having sweets, making matcha for each other, and being surrounded by beautiful green trees and grass.   Children were laughing and running around while young people were playing games. It was a very peaceful day, so much different from a year ago.   I find the taste and appearance of food are important, but the memories associated with the food make me more fond of it. This picnic made "Minazuki" even more memorable Japanese sweets for me. I wish you good health for the rest of 2021.

All the best,

Kumiko

Edited by Janice Ensminger

Spring colors

The spring mountains in the countryside of Japan west of Tokyo.

Dear friends,

My friend sent me a beautiful picture of the spring mountains in the countryside of Japan west of Tokyo. The cherry blossoms seem to have passed their peak there. The trees have begun to sprout new leaves, and are gradually changing their colors from light pink to tender green. We can enjoy the spring color change until all the trees are completely covered by new green leaves. 

Many traditional Japanese colors are named after elements in nature such as: very pale pink “cherry blossoms (桜)”, slightly purplish soft pink “pale red plum blossoms (薄紅梅)”, yellowish light green “new leaves (若葉)”, slightly bluish light green “young bamboo (若竹)”, and grayish brownish green “warblers (鶯)”. These are the colors of the mountains. These are not vivid colors, but slightly grayish and ambiguous ones with nuances which may be a result of the seasonal humid air in Japan. I recently made a traditional Japanese sweet using these spring colors. It is called “ukishima (浮島)” which is a sponge cake made with white beans.

A Japanese sweet “ukishima” with matcha

I have seen that cherry blossoms are fully blooming now in Washington DC, the Brooklyn Botanical Garden, as well as in Central Park in NYC. So please enjoy various appearances of cherry blossoms.

All the best,

Kumiko

A Happy New Year 2021!

Dear friends,

Wishing you a happy and healthy New Year 2021! This is a new year, and a new beginning. The things will change.

Japan is now in the Reiwa (令和) era, which translates to “Beautiful Harmony” in English. It is such a beautiful name.  This year, 2021 is Reiwa 3.

The two kanji characters of Reiwa were chosen from the Manyoshu (万葉集), which is the oldest existing collection of Japanese poetry compiled in late 8th century. At the beginning of Reiwa era, the former Prime minister said the Reiwa represents “people are coming together in harmony, creating and nurturing our culture.”

I hope that we will remember the meaning of Reiwa and that the year of 2021 will be a year of beautiful harmony in the world.

All the best,

Kumiko

"Beautiful Harmony" - Reiwa sakecup

Dear friends,

 There's only one month left in 2020, and it has passed so quickly, however, memories from earlier this year seemed to have happened such a long time ago. I'm wondering if you feel the same way?

I've already forgotten that a new era, Reiwa (令和), started in Japan almost a year and a half ago. Reiwa, in English, means "beautiful harmony". It is such a beautiful name and this is what's expected for the future. Unfortunately, it has been a challenging year, consequently, it was difficult to express it as a "beautiful harmony."

The Reiwa sake cup was created by the ceramic artist Kifumi Kawamura to celebrate the Reiwa emperor's birthday for the first time on February 23 of 2020. We finally begin to feel hopeful around this time of the year, so Ki-Chu New York starts selling the Reiwa sake cup which will bring "beautiful harmony" to you. This sake cup is limited and made exclusively for Ki-Chu New York. It makes a great gift for family member, friends, or even yourself.

 PLEASE GO TO: https://www.kichuny.com/new-products/sake-cup-m-ftfj3

If you have any questions, please contact me anytime.  

I wish your future will be filled with "beautiful harmony."

With Love,

Kumiko

Edited by Janice Esminger

An Art Progression from Buddhist Carving to Urushi ware, Kamakura-bori

We are very pleased to announce the virtual exhibition “An Art Progression from Buddhist Carving to Urushi ware” at the Japan Society. We hope you will enjoy the virtual exhibition.

https://www.japansociety.org/page/programs/talks/kanagawa/virtual-exhibition
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3IKjjNyPk9I&feature=emb_logo