346 results for 'Sakura'

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A Japanese pattern does not depict a flower; it depicts the wind that blows through it. If you have ever picked up a Japanese piece and wondered why a single maple leaf is painted on it, why the

Every spring, Japan undergoes a quiet transformation. The bare limbs of cherry trees flush pink almost overnight, and across the country, people set down their daily routines to gather beneath the bl

East Tokyo. The Sumida River bends, and the streets still carry the scale of a nineteenth-century working-class neighbourhood. In the small workshops along these streets, one sound dominates the d

Three flowers bloom across Japanese porcelain more often than almost any others — one in the snow, one in late spring's fullness, one in the clear light of autumn. Pick up a piece of Kutani or Arita

In Japan, the maneki neko — the beckoning cat — has welcomed guests, invited prosperity, and watched over households for more than a century. Walk into a family-run restaurant in Kyoto, a small paper

Every motif painted on Arita-yaki carries a meaning — a wish for long life, a symbol of good fortune, a quiet reference to a Chinese classic or a Japanese poem. This guide walks you through what the

The first time you pick up a properly made Japanese craft object — a lacquer tea bowl, a Suruga bamboo flower vase, a Seki kitchen knife, a Karatsu cup still carrying the marks of the wood-fired kiln

In Japanese, chopsticks and bridge share one word — hashi. To give chopsticks is to give a bridge: to happiness, to good fortune, to the people at the table. In Japan, chopsticks are not a utensil

Coming of age ceremonies are usually held at public halls.Depending on the area in Japan, some ceremonies are held at hotels or even at Tokyo Disneyland, as it is for those in Urayasu City in Chiba P

Maneki Neko, or the “Beckoning Cat,” is one of Japan’s most beloved lucky charms. Known for attracting good fortune, prosperity, and connections, these charming figures vary not only in color but als

Japanese Aesthetics · Home & Living 侘び寂び — Beauty in imperfection, impermanence & simplicity You've probably seen a cracked ceramic mug that somehow looked more beautiful because of its crack. Or a we

Kinkaku-ji, Kyoto — where gold speaks in whispers, not shouts. There is a particular kind of light you notice in old Japanese temples — not the blinding brightness of chandeliers or the cold shimm

Match the object to the way the person already drinks tea, and the gift cannot miss. There is a quiet advantage to giving a tea lover a vessel rather than tea itself. Tea is consumed and gone, and

Lacquer is a skin, not a stone — treat the surface the way you would treat good leather, and the rules become easy to remember. Lacquerware has a reputation for being delicate, and it is largely un

Kutani-yaki isn’t something you simply store away. It’s something you reach for — in the morning, at the table, in small quiet moments. And caring for it is much simpler than it seems: warm water,

The same sake, poured into a thin porcelain cup and a thick stoneware one, is no longer the same drink. The vessel is part of what you taste. There is a small, quiet truth that anyone who has spe