Connect Japan and the world through Japanese spirituality｜ Japan Cross Bridge｜Tokyo
Express Japanese art and culture to the world
I had a grateful opportunity to dedicate my RYU painting kakejiku to RYU temple.
With the early morning prayer by the head priest, and meditation, I had a precious moment at the temple.
It is such an honor to be able to dedicate my RYUJIN painting to the temple that has deep connections with RYUJIN.
Thank you so much.
ZEN circle ENSO
Zen circle is called “Enso”.(円相)
Sometimes different “Kanji”(Chinese character) 円窓 is used for “Enso”, represents “round window”, which means our mind’s window.
Enso is one of Sumi ink painting (Japanese calligraphy) in Zen.
Usually it is drawn in one brushstroke, and is sometimes called “Ichienzu”(一円図)、”Ichienso”(一円相).
~Enso symbolizes absolute enlightenment, strength, elegance, the universe and “mu”(無)(meaning void). It is characterized by a minimalism born of Japanese aesthetics.~
*Quaoted from Wikipedia
Japanese aesthetics seeking for simplicity is called Wabi-sabi.
Wabi expresses the happiness and mental abundance in the imperfect (hard) circumstances.
Sabi expresses the beauty we can find in imperfection.
So Wabi can be a symbol of inner abundance, and Sabi can be a symbol of outer beauty(simplicity).
When you draw Enso, you have to draw it in one brushstroke, meaning there is no time to stop, no chance to fix.
It is the moment when the mind should be free, and let go of everything.
This is ZEN meditation practice.
In other words, this spiritual practice of drawing Enso is the practice of self-realization.
Sometimes Enso circle is open, which means incomplete.
This incomplete allows more movement, development and practice.
When Enso circle is closed, which represents perfection.
However, how you look at Enso circle and what you have in your mind by looking at it, is totally up to you.
Enso circle is simple, yet really profound and teaches us a lot.
It never stops attracting us, because our entire life is a long trip of self-realization.
I love to draw Enso circle, but at the same time, I love to look at Enso.
Looking at Enso circle is a good meditation.
Finding small Kyoto in Tokyo – hidden Bamboo forest in Tokyo
Bamboo trees symbolize Japanese ZEN culture.
When you are in Bamboo forest, you feel very calm and helps you meditate.
Many bamboo forests are in Kyoto, or secluded area.
But you can find bamboo forests in central Tokyo too.
We would like to share some hidden bamboo forests in Tokyo.
If you are living in Tokyo, or if you visit Tokyo, you can experience small Kyoto in these small bamboo forest.
It is a good cycling day trip as well.
First bamboo forest is “Suzume-no-Yado Ryokuchi park” in Himonya, Meguro ward.
This park has many tall bamboo trees and traditional Japanese style house.
The traditional Japanese style house is open from 9:30 to 15:30.
But bamboo trees area is open for 24 hours.
Second bamboo forest is “Roka Koshun-en Gardens” in Setagaya ward.
It is located near “Roka-Koen station” of Keio line.
It is about 40-50 minutes cycling from central Tokyo.
This park is free, but open hour is 9:00-16:30.
There are lots of tall bamboo trees, cherry trees and a memorial house of a famous Japanese writer, “Roka Tokutomi”.
You can go inside this memorial house, which has Japanese old style, and very interesting.
Third bamboo forest is “Senzoku Ike” in Ota ward.
It is located beside “Senzokuike station” of Tokyu Ikegami line.
There is a big pond with Koi fish, cherry trees and a shrine.
Beside this park, there is a temple called “Myofuku ji”.
This temple has small but beautiful bamboo trees.
Lastly, we want to talk about “Todoroki Keikoku” in Setagaya ward.
This “Todoroki Keikoku” park is about 30-40 minutes bicycle ride from central Tokyo.
Or you can go there by train using “Oimachi line” to “Todoroki station”.
In there, you can enjoy nature here, with walking beside the river.
“Keikoku” means valley, and this is a unique small valley that you can experience in Tokyo.
This place has a temple and a Japanese garden area.
In the Japanese garden, there are some bamboo trees, plum blossoms and cherry blossoms.
Those places are bamboo forest spots that we discovered in Tokyo.
We hope you will add these spots to your “Tokyo explore list”!
Photos below are our Bamboo items.
Please visit our Etsy shop for those items and more.
Most of Japanese gardens have Koi pond.
Koi pond is the symbol of Japanese garden.
There are stones around Koi pond, sometimes there is even a stone bridge over the koi pond.
Pine trees, bamboo trees and other trees are around the pond.
In the water, usually colorful koi fish called “Nishiki goi” are swimming.
The color is gold, white, silver, red, orange, black, etc.
And especially red & white combination koi fish is highly valued.
We consider Koi fish as a good luck symbol.
Koi fish is believed to bring us a good luck as well as prosperity.
Just looking at those koi fish swimming in the water is very soothing.
Drawing koi fish has the same healing effect as meditation does to me.
They are beautiful and always give me the enthusiasm to draw them.
When I started doing calligraphy again, I did not think about painting.
Ink painting (墨絵 Sumie) is well known in Japan, and my grandmother used to do Ink painting art, so it was familiar to me too.
Plus I liked painting since I was small.
But my experience was only oil painting, and no Ink painting art experience.
When I started painting using ink, I realized how deep and intricate Ink painting art was.
Only using water and ink, gradation of black color to thin grey color can create amazing picture.
I was amazed by its simplicity yet, beauty and sensitivity.
The smell of ink is relaxing too.
I started drawing bamboo first.
Bamboo is the Japanese symbolic trees and great theme for meditation.
Then I received the request from customers.
“Can you draw Koi fish?”
I started drawing Koi fish, and found out this was more fun.
Koi fish is the symbol of Japanese beauty, and is believed to bring us a good luck.
I really love painting Koi fish.
Now my drawing themes are more.
Mt. Fuji, Sakura cherry blossoms, Pine trees, crane birds, etc., all expressing Japanese beauty.
When I draw more of these themes, I find more of Japanese beauty.
And I realize how grateful I am, as being a Japanese, being connected with Japanese culture and beauty.
After receiving calligraphy tools from our grandparents, I started doing calligraphy again.
Soon after, I realized doing calligraphy is a good meditation.
Calligraphy is one of the main Japanese culture, and related to our history.
In our Japanese history, calligraphy is always in our life, same as ZEN (禅), Buddhism, temples, and tea ceremony.
Tranquility, simplicity, mindfulness, humbleness, are very important elements in these Japanese culture.
Also purifying tools and taking care of each item, how you treat these tools are also an inevitable part of its culture.
When we do calligraphy, we need to pay attention to our posture.
(We used to sit on our knees on tatami mat room with our back straight, but relaxing our shoulders)
It is important to hold the calligraphy brush with three fingers properly.
Relaxing our arm, making our wrist flexible, and focus on our breathing.
We need to write in one-stroke, and we are not allowed to go back and fix the line again.
So First stroke is the last stroke.
That is why how much we soak our brush into black ink, how fast we write, how strong we put our brush onto paper, are all very important.
For example, I am not satisfied with one line, as it was not black enough and the color was little too thin, so I might want to go back and color on top with more ink.
However, if I do that, it will appear as a mark even after it gets dry, and it doesn’t look nice.
That means, we have to picture and simulate the writing in our mind, before we actually write on the white paper.
And once I start writing, there is no stopping, no going back, nor fixing.
First trial is the real performance.
This is “一期一会”(Ichigo-Ichie) “Once-in-a-lifetime-meeting”.
This one moment never repeat, everything we experience in every second, every minute is only one time.
So we have to treasure this one moment.
However if I think too much, probably I hold my brush too tight, that doesn’t give me a good result either.
So when we do calligraphy, we need to breathe deeply, empty our mind, listen to the sound of outside wind or birds(not car noise), relax our mind, and start writing.
This is the same procedure as meditation.
Of course, opening our eyes and keep writing our calligraphy is not exactly the same as meditation.
But while doing calligraphy, I find myself very calm.
Japanese culture is very sensitive.
We want to keep this sensitivity and beauty in our everyday life.