tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-91511299414409307272024-03-21T19:48:00.550-07:00Simple, refined and beautifulThe companion blog to http://www.sumikacrafts.comSumika Craftshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15651059160450553171noreply@blogger.comBlogger53125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9151129941440930727.post-52466945332601472372017-01-11T18:18:00.001-08:002017-01-11T18:18:57.698-08:00HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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We wish you all the best in 2017!!!</div>
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Sumika Craftshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15651059160450553171noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9151129941440930727.post-48371636500835774932016-08-12T05:33:00.000-07:002016-08-12T05:33:45.607-07:00News <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Hello everyone!<br />
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After having lived in Paris and San Francisco for the last several years, my husband and I moved back to Japan in this June. We started our new life in Kyushu region, Itoshima city in Fukuoka prefecture, the most southern part of the Japanese main islands. Japan is my country, but it is my first time to live in Kyushu and in the countryside. I am so excited to writing more about the life, the art scene, and the craft culture here. <br />
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Itoshima is located in the west part of Fukuoka prefecture, facing to the Japan Sea. It has beautiful beaches, holy mountains and rivers. It is surrounded by abundant nature, yet it is located only 30 min away to Fukuoka city which is the main and biggest city in Kyushu region.<br />
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Northern part of Kyushu is said to be the doorway to Asia, as it is very close to Korea, Taiwan and China. There has been active cultural exchange since old times in history. Someone said to me that people here have the identity as an Asian, rather than Japanese and it is more open to foreigners and foreign culture. Well, I will find more as I live...!<br />
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Sumika Craftshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15651059160450553171noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9151129941440930727.post-63120465646862859582016-04-19T21:05:00.000-07:002016-04-19T21:05:09.690-07:00What is Matcha?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Matcha is getting more and more popular these days and you may have heard of it or tasted it. Even if you haven't had Matcha tea, Matcha latte or Matcha ice cream are now quite common. Matcha is a kind of green tea, but do you know what exactly Matcha is? What is the difference between Matcha and other green teas?<br />
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Matcha is formally called 'Ten-cha'(碾茶). It is the grained tea leaves made into powder texture. If you go to a tea store, Matcha is normally the most expensive of all Japanese green teas. It is because this Ten-cha is produced only for a few amount at one season.<br />
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Also, the Matcha tea leaves are better cared for during the growing process than most of the other leaves on the tree. <br />
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Tea harvest season is in May. For about 20 days before that, the tea leaves for Matcha are covered by straw to protect them from the direct sun. After another 10 days, more straw is added to provide even better protection from the sun. By doing so, the tea leaves stay soft and stretch out very flat seeking the sun. This increases the chlorophyll in the leaves and stores the amino acid which is the source of the Umami taste and rich flavor. At the same time, this restrains the production of tannin, which causes a bitter taste, and so the taste becomes milder. Good quality of Matcha has more sweetness and less bitterness.<br />
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In the middle of May, these soft, thin Matcha leaves are gently plucked up by hand without using a machine. After much processing, at the end, the Matcha leaves are ground by millstone. Millstone is still the best way to ground Matcha to get the finest particles and draw its best flavor.<br />
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Sumika Craftshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15651059160450553171noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9151129941440930727.post-47402287650940072032016-02-18T08:57:00.000-08:002016-02-18T08:57:07.661-08:005 things that you should not do with chopsticks in Japan<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
In many Asian countries, people eat with chopsticks. However, while in some of them, like China and Korea, people use other cutlery such as spoons, Japan is a unique in that people use chopsticks for eating almost all food from rice, meat, vegetables to soup. <br />
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Over many years, an etiquette around use of chopsticks has developed in Japan. Many of them are not well known outside of the country, but they are considered the basic manners of Japanese cuisine. <br />
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Here is some of the taboos that you may want to avoid when you have meals with Japanese people.<br />
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5 things that you <u>should not do</u> in Japan when eating.</div>
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1. Stick the chopsticks in the middle of the bowl. (Tate-hashi or standing chopsticks)</div>
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In buddhist funeral, we place a bowl of rice with the chopsticks sticking in the middle as an offering to the dead. It is thought not to be appropriate that you do this as it implies someone's death.</div>
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2. Lick the chopsticks (Neburi-hashi)</div>
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Licking the chopsticks or putting them in your mouth unnecessarily is not proper.<br />
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3. Move a plate with using the chopsticks (Yose-hashi)</div>
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Also, dragging a plate on the table is thought to be bad. When you want to move the plate, you take it up and place it without dragging.</div>
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4. Point out someone with the chopsticks. (Sashi-hashi, pointing chopsticks)</div>
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You are not supposed to use chopsticks to point people or things.</div>
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5. Give food from chopsticks to chopsticks (Hashi-watashi)</div>
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I used to do this when I was little and I was often scolded by my mom... When you give food to your friend, you place it on the plate and a friend pick it up from it.</div>
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Sumika Craftshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15651059160450553171noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9151129941440930727.post-21635092387326860002016-02-04T13:44:00.003-08:002016-02-04T13:44:52.808-08:00The Japanese way of Valentine's Day<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
In Japan, the meaning of Valentine's Day is a little different from the one in North America and Europe. It is a day when a girl gives chocolate to a boy she loves. It is a big day of confession for a girl, but it is only a girl who makes action and not vice versa. <br />
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When I spent one year at the university in Canada many years ago, I was very surprised that I received flowers or little gifts from my friends of girls. It never happens in Japan. In Western countries, the meaning of Valentine includes gratitude for someone you care regardless of sex, but in Japan, it is solely about love and confession from a girl to a boy. <br />
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You may think that it is unfair that only girls give presents to boys, but to compensate this, Japan has something called 'White Day' one month after Valentine's day which is on March 14. In White Day, boys give gifts to girls in return regardless of whether it was from the girl he likes or not. It is manner to give back something to a person who gave presents on Valentine's Day. In return of chocolate, boys give something 'white' such as marshmallows or cookies.<br />
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There is also something called 'giri-choco', duty-chocolate often at work occasion. Lady workers give her men colleagues and bosses chocolates out of their sense of social politeness. Ladies think it 'nice' and 'pleasant' to give chocolates to men workers and this helps to make more smooth and harmonized work environment.<br />
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Sumika Craftshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15651059160450553171noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9151129941440930727.post-44851562259365859922016-01-12T14:52:00.000-08:002016-01-12T18:25:24.989-08:00Chirashi Sushi Party with Magewappa Hangiri<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Living abroad, <a href="http://blog.sumikacrafts.com/2016/01/new-years-day-in-japan.html" target="_blank">New Years Day</a> is the day that makes me feel most homesick, because it doesn't feel very special. So, this year, I decided to have a party on that day, preparing a variety of Japanese foods and share them with my beloved friends! These special foods involve a lot of detailed preparation like other special foods in any culture. It took me almost whole day to prepare all the ingredients on New Years Eve, but the result was great! Sharing time and a meal is always joyous and it was greater as it was the first day of the year.<br />
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Here is one of the dish I made called 'Chirashi-sushi'. <br />
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No fish nor seaweed nori? That's right, but this Chirashi sushi is a common type of sushi we eat especially at festive occasions in Japan. There is cooked rice mixed with various flavored vegetables underneath - shiitake mushrooms, kanpyo - a type of gourd, renkon - lotus root and fried tofu. On top of the rice, there are sprinkled fried eggs - first made as a very thin, flat omelette and sliced, boiled sugar peas, boiled shrimp, and salmon roe to finish! It is a good party dish to share. <br />
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To prepare this, <a href="http://www.sumikacrafts.com/products/named/magewappa/hankiri/001.html" target="_blank">Magewappa Hangiri</a> is used. It is important because it cools down sushi rice as it is mixed with vegetables and vinegar. Since the Hangiri's surface is unfinished cedar wood without any vanishing, the wood breathes and balances the moisture content in the rice. Hence the rice is preserved in a great condition after it is prepared.<br />
Also, this Hankiri is a beautiful way of serving this dish! </div>
Sumika Craftshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15651059160450553171noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9151129941440930727.post-81223711892160308492016-01-06T08:06:00.003-08:002016-01-06T08:06:26.065-08:00New Year's Day in Japan.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Happy 2016! I wish you all the very best this year, a year full of joy and happiness. <br />
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In Japan, Jan 1 is the day in a year when people have the biggest celebration. People decorate the front of a house with the special kind of wreath which is often made of straws of rice or hemp with a pine leaves and a kind of fruit. By placing it on the front door, it is said to protect the house from evil. <br />
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People prepare special meals called 'Osechi' (御節) meal for the big day spending the last few days towards the end of the year. It has many small dishes and each one has a special meaning, such as the prosperity of the family, becoming a dedicated person etc. <br />
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These foods are preserved for a few days, and the original idea was to give holidays to the house wives during 'Oshogatsu' (お正月) season. It is also the time we eat 'Mochi' (餅), sticky pounded rice in a savory soup. <br />
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Families get together to have the Osechi feast. Also, a lot people visit shrines on the New Year's Eve or the first days of the New Year to purify the mind facing to the higher existence and pray for the good year. This season is called 'Oshogatsu' and most people have holidays for about a week before/after the day. In the old times, January was called 'Mutsuki' (睦月) in Japanese. 'Mu' means intimate and 'tsuki' means month. This month is supposed to be the time when people spend good time with all the family and deepen their relationship.<br />
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Sumika Craftshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15651059160450553171noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9151129941440930727.post-20175844275099968822015-12-16T20:03:00.002-08:002015-12-16T20:13:25.061-08:00Japanese kids don't like cakes<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
In holiday season, there are many opportunities to go to parties. It is fun but some parents may be concerned that their kids eat a lot of sugar. <br />
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Living abroad, I see a lot of kids love sweets - chocolate, cake, cookies, candies and ice cream. But this is not true of Japanese kids.<br />
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Many Japanese kids don't like cakes or any desserts. I remember that when I was little, I wanted a cake for my birthday but didn't want anymore after one bite. I didn't like cakes or any sweets for a long time. In fact, it is common for Japanese mothers who have preschool-aged kids to give them salty crackers or dried fish as an afternoon snack. It is not because they don't want to feed them sweets but kids don't like them.<br />
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This may sound strange for those who live in cultures where children typically have a sweet tooth, but where does this difference come from?<br />
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The answer is Japanese food.<br />
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For Japanese, the main food is rice. Almost all Japanese kids eat rice regularly and love it from a very young age. As you chew rice, you will sense the subtle sweet taste in the mouth. Chemically speaking, the main ingredient of rice is starch. The starch is mixed with saliva when being chewed; the starch is broken down, and it turns into sugar by the work of amylase enzyme. This creates a natural sweetness.<br />
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Also, when you look at the recipes of Japanese dishes, a lot of them have a little bit of sugar or sweetener like <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mirin" target="_blank">Mirin</a>. The main ingredients of many recipes are soy sauce, sake, and sugar. Cooking sake is sometimes replaced with mirin, which is basically sake and sugar. The ratio of these can be different depending on the kind of dish , but with these three ingredients, we make many dishes such as <a href="http://www.japanesecooking101.com/nikujaga/" target="_blank">Niku-jaga</a> (meat and potatos), <a href="http://japanesefood.about.com/od/Easy-Japanese-Recipes/r/Japanese-Simmering-Sauce-for-Fish-Sakana-no-Nitsuke.htm" target="_blank">Nitsuke</a> (Stewed fish), and <a href="http://www.justonecookbook.com/kinpira-gobo-braised-carrot-burdock-root/" target="_blank">Kinpira-gobou</a> (stirred burdock).<br />
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After eating rice and these Japanese dishes, kids are satisfied with the sweetness that they had in the meal and don't feel like having more sugar. Also, compared to desserts, the amount of sugar taken in this way is considerably lower. <br />
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Now I am older, I like cakes and sweet desserts. But I don't crave for them after Japanese meals!<br />
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Sumika Craftshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15651059160450553171noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9151129941440930727.post-20389012930914145632015-12-08T18:03:00.000-08:002015-12-08T20:40:23.369-08:00Warm up winter with chai in a Ricotta Pan<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Coming of winter season - I love making my homemade chai with this <a href="http://www.sumikacrafts.com/products/named/4th/Ricotta/MilkPan.html"><span id="goog_2081450649"></span>Ricotta Pan<span id="goog_2081450650"></span></a>. <br />
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What is special about this pan? Well, first of all, it is absolutely beautiful - it is called 'banko' pottery from <a href="http://www.japan-guide.com/list/e1225.html" target="_blank">Mie prefecture</a> which is famous for its high quality clay soil. The plain form conveys the natural beauty of this soil. When in use, it gently and gradually heats the contents. The clay preserves heat quite well, so whatever is heated up stays warm for a long time while it is in this pan.<br />
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Have you had the experience of spilling water when pouring it into a cup? This pan's unique shape stops that from happening! <br />
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The surface is finished in matt-texture, and this gives the pan beauty and warmness. The combination of pottery and wood that goes into this pan requires great skill, but is possible because of the detailed and careful handwork of the craftspeople who make them.<br />
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I like to take it to the table and serve it there, leaving it for my second cup. It is such a treat to take time and have tea with this special pot. <br />
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Sumika Craftshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15651059160450553171noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9151129941440930727.post-55813808364221319392015-12-01T16:48:00.000-08:002015-12-01T16:48:04.170-08:00Let's make a seasonal lunch with Magewappa bento box<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
It is already December!<br />
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In Japan, in my home city, Kyoto, it is the peak of the red maple. People visit gardens in the temples and shrines to see the beauty and the change of the color that the Japanese maples show to us in this season. </div>
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Yes, we can still do picnic. Take a warm jacket, hot drink, and <a href="http://www.sumikacrafts.com/products/named/magewappa/round.html" target="_blank">Magewappa bento box</a> to enjoy it under the trees. What a great way to enjoy the season! Or if it's indoor, would you like to try bento box like this to bring the season to the room?</div>
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This is called 3-colors crumbles bento - or <a href="http://www.justonecookbook.com/soboro-bento/" target="_blank">soboro bento</a> in Japanese. On the top of cooked rice, there normally are minced stirred chicken or pork, scramble eggs, and a kind of green vegetables to make it to three colors. Once you are used to it, it is not troublesome, but nutritious and yummy!</div>
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The beauty to the eyes is the additional but foremost benefit of having this bento box.<br />
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First you please the eyes by appreciating it, and then please the tongue by tasting it. It is surprising that even the simple food impresses and satisfies you just because it is in this special box.</div>
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You can shape the boiled carrots with the cookie cutter of maple shape to enhance the feeling of the season. The bento cooking becomes an creative art. </div>
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This soboro bento and photos are done by my friend photographer and food <a href="http://magewappa-bento.com/en/" target="_blank">blogger, Nao Kondo</a>. Thanks to Nao for your beautiful works!</div>
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Sumika Craftshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15651059160450553171noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9151129941440930727.post-51776979332664469592015-11-29T21:20:00.002-08:002015-12-03T15:13:44.520-08:00Workshops of Magewappa in San Francisco!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Yes, it's true! There will be workshops by the craftsman of '<a href="http://www.sumikacrafts.com/products/named/magewappa/round.html" target="_blank">Magewappa Bento Box</a>' in San Francisco!<br />
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Shibata Yoshinobu Shouten will visit SF from Akita, Japan, to demonstrate and show how to make their exquisite cedar-wood box. They will bring the pieces of Natural Akita Cedar from Akita and show how to fold them into a bento box. Then, you can actually learn how to make your own nail-free bento box!<br />
It is an amazing opportunity to see a fantastic craftsman at work and perhaps get an early christmas gift! <br />
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Dec 10: 6:00 - 8:30 pm at <a href="http://workshopresidence.com/collections/workshops/products/workshop-4-bento-box-making-with-visiting-makers-yoshinobu-shibata-yoshimasa-shibata-from-japan" target="_blank">Workshop Residence</a><br />
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Dec 12: 1:00 - 4:00 pm at <a href="http://www.jcccnc.org/programs-events/workshops-2/" target="_blank">Japanese Cultural and Community Center of Northern California</a><br />
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Related blogs:<br />
<a href="http://blog.sumikacrafts.com/2015/06/yoshinobu-shibata-master-of-magewappa.html" target="_blank">Yoshinobu Shibaya, Master of Magewappa Making</a><br />
<a href="http://blog.sumikacrafts.com/2015/10/magewappa-master-part-1.html" target="_blank">Magewappa Master 1 - Constant Invention</a><br />
<a href="http://blog.sumikacrafts.com/2015/10/magewappa-master-part-2.html" target="_blank">Magewappa Master 2 - Interaction with the heart</a><br />
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Sumika Craftshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15651059160450553171noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9151129941440930727.post-6992471365216192332015-11-27T09:53:00.002-08:002015-11-27T09:54:59.512-08:00Kenji Miyazawa - the Japanese 'Farmer-Poet'<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #4f4f4f; line-height: 18.48px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">This follows from the last article that talks about <a href="http://blog.sumikacrafts.com/2015/11/ame-ni-mo-makezu-not-losing-to-rain-by.html" target="_blank">Kenji Miyazawa</a></span></span><br />
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Although in his later life he lived as a poor farmer, he was actually born into a wealthy family, and was educated at a school that is now called the Iwate University Agricultural Department. He was smart, humorous, and was honored by his classmates. But what appealed to most people about him was his genuine kindness and compassion towards people.<br />
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Iwate is located in the northern part of Japan, which has a severe cold winter. This was the area that was affected recently by the Earthquake and Tsunami in 2011. In his time, farmers suffered when there was a cold summer and crops didn't grow. His family ran a pawnshop and he saw the farmers coming to sell their kimonos and furniture when they had a bad harvest. Seeing these farmers deeply affected to his life. He came to have sense of shame of his wealthy environment and resisted taking over his family business.<br />
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After graduating from school, he left home to follow his dream of becoming a writer in Tokyo. During this time, he wrote many of his famous stories, including the collection novels later published as 'The restaurant of many orders' with the help of his friend from school, Shiro Oikawa. This was his only collection of novels published while he was alive - it became hugely popular after he passed away. <br />
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However, after 6 months living in Tokyo, he moved back to Iwate because of his sister's illness and became a teacher at a farming school. He was still writing children's literature and poems, including the poems expressing his deep grief when his sister passed away at the age of 24. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kenji - on the back right</td></tr>
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He had a lot of curiosity about art - he learnt Esperanto, played the cello and organ, painted, and composed music. Although he encouraged his students to farm, he saw it as a paradox that he was teaching farming while never actually cultivating the soil himself, so he left his career and started farming the waste land in the remote area from his home. There, he gathered the local youth and started teaching the rice cultivating method, soil science, and botany. He visited other villages as well to teach how to evolve the quality of soil for better farming. At the same time, he taught the importance of art to these farmers, and held art events such as western music listening and literature reading at his home.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtz1bK52nDkt7VhuD1AwN8XUm1AaDIlbhSxTMsXj8DKY3uL1dIfTM5_Fxj2nA_QrhHbxkthx_7AlApPuRLN7EDCoJlAJPinT_laC1DTwUOqriXID7sPCBC1yD3LynXxhk0BCdKneVRa-w/s1600/Kenji-stone-memorial.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtz1bK52nDkt7VhuD1AwN8XUm1AaDIlbhSxTMsXj8DKY3uL1dIfTM5_Fxj2nA_QrhHbxkthx_7AlApPuRLN7EDCoJlAJPinT_laC1DTwUOqriXID7sPCBC1yD3LynXxhk0BCdKneVRa-w/s320/Kenji-stone-memorial.jpg" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Epitaph to Kenji in Hiei Temple</td></tr>
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He wrote a paper, named 'Introduction to Art for Farmers'. He says, 'Once, our ancestors lived happily in their poverty. There were art and belief. But now, we exist only to labor. ..... Today, we have to open up the new path and create beauty from our life.'<br />
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After his death, a lot of his works were published by the poets and the writers who were deeply moved by and noticed his incredible talent. Now, he is known as one of the most prominent poets in Japan.<br />
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Sumika Craftshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15651059160450553171noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9151129941440930727.post-85236961258905767892015-11-18T11:09:00.000-08:002015-11-18T11:09:31.667-08:00Ame ni mo Makezu, not losing to the rain - by Japanese Poet, Kenji Miyazawa <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kenji_Miyazawa" target="_blank">Kenji Miyazawa</a> (1896 - 1933) is a famous Japanese Poet. He was from <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hanamaki,_Iwate" target="_blank">Hanamaki in Iwate</a>, and died young age at 37 years-old from pneumonia, but was quite talented and left many children's literature and poems that have been read and loved by both children and adults for nearly a century. However, like many other of the greatest artists in history, he had been poor for most of his life and unknown as a poet in his entire lifetime. He was closely connected to nature, and this makes his perspective of the world in his literature so attractive and profound.<br />
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He wrote about his local land of Iwate, described its plain beauty and respected the simple northern farmers' life. He converted to <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nichiren_Buddhism" target="_blank">Nichiren buddism</a>, became a vegetarian, and showed deep compassion for the poor, especially farmers who worked hard but suffered from the severe climate of the region. He also learnt Esperanto and called his local land, '<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scenic_areas_of_Ihatov" target="_blank">Ihatov</a>' which means utopia. Even today, many of the names in Hanamaki area are written in <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Esperanto" target="_blank">Esperanto</a> because of his influence. <br />
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Here is his most famous poem, Ame ni mo Makezu - Not losing to the rain.<br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.4px;">not losing to the rain</span><br style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.4px;" /><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.4px;">not losing to the wind</span><br style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.4px;" /><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.4px;">not losing to the snow nor to summer's heat</span><br style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.4px;" /><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.4px;">with a strong body</span><br style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.4px;" /><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.4px;">not fettered by desire</span><br style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.4px;" /><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.4px;">by no means offending anyone</span><br style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.4px;" /><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.4px;">always quietly smiling</span><br style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.4px;" /><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.4px;">every day four bowls of brown rice</span><br style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.4px;" /><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.4px;">miso and some vegetables to eat</span><br style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.4px;" /><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.4px;">in everything</span><br style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.4px;" /><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.4px;">count yourself last and put others before you</span><br style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.4px;" /><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.4px;">watching and listening, and understanding</span><br style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.4px;" /><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.4px;">and never forgetting</span><br style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.4px;" /><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.4px;">in the shade of the woods of the pines of the fields</span><br style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.4px;" /><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.4px;">being in a little thatched hut</span><br style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.4px;" /><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.4px;">if there is a sick child to the east</span><br style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.4px;" /><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.4px;">going and nursing over them</span><br style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.4px;" /><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.4px;">if there is a tired mother to the west</span><br style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.4px;" /><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.4px;">going and shouldering her sheaf of rice</span><br style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.4px;" /><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.4px;">if there is someone near death to the south</span><br style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.4px;" /><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.4px;">going and saying there's no need to be afraid</span><br style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.4px;" /><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.4px;">if there is a quarrel or a lawsuit to the north</span><br style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.4px;" /><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.4px;">telling them to leave off with such waste</span><br style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.4px;" /><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.4px;">when there's drought, shedding tears of sympathy</span><br style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.4px;" /><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.4px;">when the summer's cold, wandering upset</span><br style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.4px;" /><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.4px;">called a nobody by everyone</span><br style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.4px;" /><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.4px;">without being praised</span><br style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.4px;" /><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.4px;">without being blamed</span><br style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.4px;" /><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.4px;">such a person</span><br style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.4px;" /><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.4px;">I want to become</span></span><br />
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This is a poem that was found in his diary after he passed away. <br />
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The person he dreamt of becoming was not a great writer nor did wish for wealth or status. His hero was a simple, humble, hardworking, and genuinely kindhearted human being who helped people in need. His genuine wish while struggling with illness was to think of others and be of help to them. We tend to be occupied with our own situation and become unhappy. We tend to argue more rather than listening.<br />
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This poem seems to tell us something more important than achieving or becoming 'something' in life. He is not someone who achieved something in his lifetime, but a plain but dignified human being. And yet, he is still highly respected and unintentionally became a hero of his beloved land.<br />
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More of his life will follow in the next blog!<br />
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Sumika Craftshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15651059160450553171noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9151129941440930727.post-6098354634125435022015-11-05T21:08:00.000-08:002015-11-06T14:09:37.308-08:00The making of Sanuki Branding Iron <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"></span>This follows from the last article that talks about <a href="http://blog.sumikacrafts.com/2015/10/sanuki-branding-iron-in-kagawa.html" target="_blank">Sanuki Branding Iron</a>. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Unfortunately no one is making these branding irons anymore. I hear that they were last made in the 70's; the maker was 77 years old at that time. Now, when we see these marks on Japanese sweets or other objects, they are done by machine. </span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRmnmGlnSSZ9lR2Qm5uKWh1KlVG7H1IxxB0BDjACN8JjPM88GVHAHErwHXXB88uJNLZysotkVOGMZE9dc_41xka3kgeghr3LhYR7DrrRuz5n-sJ6gA2-8gPw_Xfdq116m6_YOCLMgrrLM/s1600/IMG_2050.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRmnmGlnSSZ9lR2Qm5uKWh1KlVG7H1IxxB0BDjACN8JjPM88GVHAHErwHXXB88uJNLZysotkVOGMZE9dc_41xka3kgeghr3LhYR7DrrRuz5n-sJ6gA2-8gPw_Xfdq116m6_YOCLMgrrLM/s320/IMG_2050.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The way to make the mold of yaki-in is quite unique - the mold is made of seaweed and a specific sand found only in a specific beach of Chiba prefecture. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_afxg84TALIjo8jF4gja4BF5fPOQN1u2mraqiPM5mk4AmzrtkvH_aY0hkRJ-T10bCvyncdyp6_J_jyMoMdex6sUQudyG9vWUV1XOkAjzOdwDBUfR34C9iVL7tBt_glzRjA9OH2du32wE/s1600/Ocean.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_afxg84TALIjo8jF4gja4BF5fPOQN1u2mraqiPM5mk4AmzrtkvH_aY0hkRJ-T10bCvyncdyp6_J_jyMoMdex6sUQudyG9vWUV1XOkAjzOdwDBUfR34C9iVL7tBt_glzRjA9OH2du32wE/s320/Ocean.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwKnd8wlHy9q3XQ25ZU4AlGo1CH4zs6KbzJfbJ9guS-fhVTcHWkSn72_b5k6uWLA28DbnFVYDzH_j0vG8m5AABhfUmWzDDgaK1VDhUtmyM8_tBSzEKSxHmBHVCm00wwdGMrrwj4ZJBDKI/s1600/Seaweed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwKnd8wlHy9q3XQ25ZU4AlGo1CH4zs6KbzJfbJ9guS-fhVTcHWkSn72_b5k6uWLA28DbnFVYDzH_j0vG8m5AABhfUmWzDDgaK1VDhUtmyM8_tBSzEKSxHmBHVCm00wwdGMrrwj4ZJBDKI/s320/Seaweed.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">These two ingredients are mixed together until it becomes like a clay. Then a motif or picture is drown on the clay-like material. After the mold is formed, iron is poured in the sunken parts. When the iron is fixed, you crack the mold of seaweed and sand and they break down. Since the form is made of 100% organic ingredients from the ocean, it can be reused again. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If someone is interested in reviving this beautiful handwork, please contact me!</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5ozGfO2xIinG2WdTeMlaVOX43mkK6l1iwGj6k5jK49RxMOru27JepjJyJVL7pZ43snOfHHU1ERAanodDYVHXLqEm6Bm0lk5HmXLHzmOELlRHdHTP3ZywYjFthx9FwxLrG2kgnutNonvI/s1600/IMG_2045.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5ozGfO2xIinG2WdTeMlaVOX43mkK6l1iwGj6k5jK49RxMOru27JepjJyJVL7pZ43snOfHHU1ERAanodDYVHXLqEm6Bm0lk5HmXLHzmOELlRHdHTP3ZywYjFthx9FwxLrG2kgnutNonvI/s320/IMG_2045.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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Sumika Craftshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15651059160450553171noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9151129941440930727.post-74779136858193922202015-10-17T00:20:00.001-07:002015-10-17T04:24:24.344-07:00Sanuki Branding Iron in Kagawa<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">I was visiting the large beautiful Japanese circuit style garden in Takamatsu City in <a href="http://www.japan-guide.com/list/e1233.html" target="_blank">Kagawa</a> called <a href="http://ritsuringarden.jp/en.Top/en.top.html" target="_blank">Ritsurin Park</a>. </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">Inside the park, there is a folk art museum called Sanuki Mingei-kan. I visited there to see </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">an exhibition </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">of old 'yaki-in', which is a stamp made from iron between 17th and 21st century.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">There are so many beautiful designs of hundreds years old!</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">They are all handmade and were often used to stamp <a href="http://www.suzukake.co.jp/yakiin.html" target="_blank">Japanese sweets</a>, or people stamped a company logo or a symbol on various objects. The iron was heated in charcoal and the heat burns the surface of the object. </span><br />
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All the motifs are so lovely - the line of design is round and gives a warm impression. The designs are often about nature that stands for the seasons or a letter that means auspiciousness at the occasion of a celebration. It is amazing to think that the detailed patterns were handcrafted hundreds years ago. <br />
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<span style="text-align: left;">This stamp is the picture of swallows returning to their home. </span></div>
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Sumika Craftshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15651059160450553171noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9151129941440930727.post-63209078399022176172015-10-06T15:21:00.000-07:002015-12-03T15:12:40.696-08:00Magewappa Master 2 - Interaction with the heart <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
This is the continuation of <a href="http://blog.sumikacrafts.com/2015/10/magewappa-master-part-1.html" target="_blank">Magewappa Master Part 1</a>.<br />
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Yoshinobu Shibata shows up in his daily uniform: traditional Japanese sandals and the toolbox that he has used for his entire life. He sets up his 'studio' in a small area at a fancy department store and starts making a Magewappa box quietly.<br />
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Shoppers notice his presence, look at what he is doing and ask questions. He loves to talk to people, and once he gets the opportunity, he happily starts describing his work in the tone of an old 'granpa'.<br />
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In today's Japan, this is often how people in cities encounter Japanese traditional crafts and arts. They learn of the skill and of the value of the fine handmade art in Japanese culture, which is not easily found in city life. His easy manner makes people feel like listening to him and they are drawn into his world.<br />
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When Japan grew rapidly in 60's and 70's, a lot of Japanese people left their rural homes and moved to big cities for work. Many of us who were born after that were cut off from the local craft culture, and handmade crafts were replaced by plastics.<br />
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He talks not just about his products, but also stories of old Japan, culture and how to have a happy family life.<br />
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<span style="text-align: left;">He asks whether you eat with your family everyday, talks about how rice put in a Magewappa is so delicious that family members will come home early to eat it in time. Having a family meal everyday should be a fundamental thing, but sadly, a lot of Japanese people cannot have this in their busy lives. It's not just a product demo - People feel uplifted after watching and listening to him to speak. </span></div>
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Sumika Craftshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15651059160450553171noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9151129941440930727.post-1502119690589951012015-10-01T15:59:00.001-07:002015-12-03T15:05:05.202-08:00Magewappa Master 1 - Constant Invention<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="http://blog.sumikacrafts.com/2015/06/yoshinobu-shibata-master-of-magewappa.html" target="_blank">Magewappa master, Yoshinobu Shibata</a>, having run his company, <a href="http://blog.sumikacrafts.com/2014/02/magewappa-dedicated-craftsmanship.html" target="_blank">Shibata-Yoshinobu-Shouten</a> (shouten means store in Japanese), has now left day-to-day work, after having made Magewappa since the 60's <br />
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Now the company is taken care of by <a href="http://blog.sumikacrafts.com/2014/01/magewappa-made-in-akita.html" target="_blank">his son, Yoshimasa Shibata</a>, but he is still active. He is constantly inventing new Magewappa products and travels to exhibit them in Japan and the wider world. In the last few years, he had exhibitions in Japan, flying from Odate in Akita to many other cities in Japan quite frequently. In addition, he has had major exhibitions in Paris and Helsinki.<br />
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This has been his regular work since the 70's. His purpose is to demonstrate Magewappa making at department stores. <br />
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His recent work is a box to keep the umbilical cord of a newborn baby. In Japan, this is a traditional keep-sake and families normally keep this in a high quality wooden box. It is believed that an umbilical cord has the special power to protect the growth of a child, as it did when he/she was in the mother's belly. The lid is marked with the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sexagenary_cycle" target="_blank">Asian year animal</a> of the year the child was born.<br />
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<a href="http://blog.sumikacrafts.com/2015/10/magewappa-master-part-2.html" target="_blank">In part 2</a>, I will describe his typical scene at one of his demonstrations.<br />
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Sumika Craftshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15651059160450553171noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9151129941440930727.post-19266310150149974912015-09-22T19:53:00.001-07:002015-09-22T21:40:22.469-07:00Miso-Making Workshop in San Francisco!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I am currently based in San Francisco, which is filled with foodies! I have been pleasantly surprised to find that so many people are open to new kinds of food, even if sometimes it sounds a little strange at the first encounter. Also, they are very much conscious about the impact that fresh food gives to people in the body and the heart.<br />
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My friend, Mariko, runs the company, <a href="http://www.aedansf.com/" target="_blank">Aeden</a> which makes the Japanese fermented foods from fresh organic ingredients. As I introduced the Japanese fermented foods and the power of Koji in <a href="http://blog.sumikacrafts.com/2015/09/the-secret-of-japanese-fermented-foods.html" target="_blank">my last blog</a>, Miso is such a nutritious superfood. But the fresher the ingredients are, the more nutrition and energy you get from these active fungus.<br />
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There was a Miso-making workshop by her at <a href="https://18reasons.org/" target="_blank">18 Reasons</a> the other day. All the tickets were sold out and there are many curious San Franciscans who came to try their first hand-made Miso-making. <br />
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The ingredients of Miso is simple; cooked soybeans, rice Koji and salt. You mash the soybeans and mix it with Koji and salt. The key to make good Miso is to exclude air from the mixture and keep the container air free. Simple recipe, but requires that you put your heart into it.<br />
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The rest of work is left to Koji, and your work is to wait at least for 6 months!<br />
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Mariko's miso has great flavor. It is because she takes care of her products with love, and only makes a small batch at a time to keep the quality. You can check more details on <a href="http://www.aedansf.com/" target="_blank">her site here</a>.<br />
Have a healthy happy life feeling the genuine power of food!<br />
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Sumika Craftshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15651059160450553171noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9151129941440930727.post-83470280204745459472015-09-15T21:08:00.001-07:002015-09-15T21:09:46.269-07:00The Secret of Japanese Fermented Foods<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Fermented foods - I hear the word very often these days. When you look into recipes of Japanese cooking, the ingredients are quite simple. They are often combination of soy sauce, miso, sake, mirin, sugar, vinegar and salt. Except salt, they are all fermented foods. By these magical sauce and paste, varieties of delicious Japanese meals are made, as they draw out the best flavor of vegetables, fish and meat, and create rich flavorful taste.<br />
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So, what are Japanese fermented foods? How are they made? What's the secret of its taste?<br />
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Miso is one of the most common Japanese food known all over the world. It is made from soy beans, koji and salt, and it is fermented for at least 6 months. <br />
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Koji is a starter and key ingredients to make all of the Japanese fermented foods. It is a culture made by growing fungus on cooked rice and becomes rice koji moulds. Fermented foods are made by breaking down these moulds. This is the mother of all tastes of Japanese meals. <br />
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Koji is an active enzyme that breaks the protein into amino acids, that is known as 'umami', a rich tasteful flavor, and the starch is turned into glucose, which creates natural sweetness.<br />
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Miso and other koji products are regarded as <a href="http://www.superfoods-for-superhealth.com/miso.html" target="_blank">superfoods</a> and <a href="http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=114" target="_blank">high in nutrition</a>. They are delicious and stay fresh for a long time.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4yQE6ueEXwhoRRAWsSgQbhsciXMjjFV1u9xGubzVP8GVtjMKp6GXrl2LX7UxybF1lpgn4YDaurfKL0lNtAjUmS2RAYmz0kk6DXNE5AcPXthyphenhyphen2gRCl-OCQNd8x5jhCy5q-9g3I9fSSUhc/s1600/blog+photo+koji+foods.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4yQE6ueEXwhoRRAWsSgQbhsciXMjjFV1u9xGubzVP8GVtjMKp6GXrl2LX7UxybF1lpgn4YDaurfKL0lNtAjUmS2RAYmz0kk6DXNE5AcPXthyphenhyphen2gRCl-OCQNd8x5jhCy5q-9g3I9fSSUhc/s1600/blog+photo+koji+foods.jpg" /></a></div>
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These fermented foods have a long history, going back thousands of years. Before the civilization understood the microorganism, the ancient people already knew the way of using it and bringing out the best flavor and nutrition from foods. It is wisdom that we have inherited over centuries. </div>
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Sumika Craftshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15651059160450553171noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9151129941440930727.post-32138759513677033402015-09-09T09:54:00.001-07:002015-09-09T14:47:20.754-07:00Serving Somen in Magewappa <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Magewappa Bento Box can be used for taking noodles or pasta to lunch. This <a href="http://www.sumikacrafts.com/products/named/magewappa/round.html" target="_blank">Magewappa Maru Round box</a> is one of the smallest size of our Magewappa series, but it can contain more food than you might think. This was my to-go lunch box when I worked in Tokyo. Today, I'd like to introduce a recipe using the Japanese noodle, somen.</span><br />
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<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/S%C5%8Dmen" target="_blank">Somen</a> is one of the many types of Japanese noodles; it is made from wheat and it is commonly eaten in summer time, often in cold dishes. It is thinner than <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Udon" target="_blank">Udon</a> or Spaghetti, less than 1.3 mm, similar to <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rice_vermicelli" target="_blank">rice vermicelli</a>. It takes less time to cook, so is nice to cook in summer time when you don't want to spend a lot of time around the heat. If you cannot find somen, there are some thin types of Udon and these would work for this recipe as well.</span><br />
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Today's bento lunch menu is:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">- Somen noodle marinated with chicken breast and cucumber in sesame sauce</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">- Omelette with green onion</span><br />
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Ingredients:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Somen (70g)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Chicken breast (50g)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Cucumber 1/2</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sesame seeds 1tbsp (15g)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Salt 1/2 tsp (2.5g)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Soy sauce 1tbsp (15g)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sesame oil 1tbsp (15g)</span><br />
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1. Add somen to boiling water for 3 - 5 min, or follow the suggested cooking time of whatever noodles you buy. Drain the water in a strainer and cool the noodles down by dipping in a cold water.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Once it's cool, drain the cold water and marinate it with sesame oil to avoid the noodles sticking together.</span><br />
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2. Boil the chicken breast and split it into small pieces.</span><br />
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3. Chop cucumber and rub with a little bit of salt to drain water from cucumber. (this salt is not included in the ingredients above) </span><br />
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4. Marinate somen, chicken, and cucumber with all the other ingredients in a bowl.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sesame oil and sesame seeds add the rich flavor on the simple ingredients, yum!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The recipe and photos are from my friend, <span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Nao Kondo, who is a </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">photographer and a food blogger. You can check her other recipes on her blog, </span><a href="http://magewappa-bento.com/en/" target="_blank">magewappana-hibi</a>.</span></div>
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Sumika Craftshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15651059160450553171noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9151129941440930727.post-17351935980249183642015-08-31T20:48:00.000-07:002015-08-31T20:53:13.291-07:00My to-go lunch made with LOVE<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I like to take my bento box when I need lunch. Often I don't have time to go out and get what I like to eat, or it can be such a rush in a limited time. Buying or eating out everyday is not the healthiest nor economical. Also, it is such a distraction for me to think what I want to eat for lunch during work.<br />
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My homemade bento box lunch is easy, simple and quick but made with LOVE. <br />
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<a href="http://www.sumikacrafts.com/products/named/magewappa/koban/medium.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRn6t2G5nvIf2e9u1N8y1AkgavCyN7TaX2bVERv51dtaU6Ya07rlEClR0aptCLrspTOmfHDfKirqtJP-aglcdhyVM2e_x_LKwfQ8E843I4-AV9Qs6Ndc2zBqJcypB0irnncRETrRdHk5M/s320/DSC02827.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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When I make my bento lunch in the morning, I feel that my self-dignity slightly goes up and I gain the sense of achievement - it is a good way of starting a day. It satisfies me more than buying something. I enjoy the color of the food, its simple beauty, and the fresh taste when eating from my <a href="http://www.sumikacrafts.com/products/named/magewappa/koban/medium.html" target="_blank">Magewappa bento box</a>.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieDuSmwW0KymPsiyMOjSidRiGPMqGjCP5zvQg_bydWsVJqtPpFGdJ3elypmxqMa7oxDUQ_EeO0jKSfI6jLGmoWfJQn0TtHXV2_VMaiY02i4ZDWS3-OcSqu0A7cVso-6h0Ilb8eBcJhwzM/s1600/DSC02840.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieDuSmwW0KymPsiyMOjSidRiGPMqGjCP5zvQg_bydWsVJqtPpFGdJ3elypmxqMa7oxDUQ_EeO0jKSfI6jLGmoWfJQn0TtHXV2_VMaiY02i4ZDWS3-OcSqu0A7cVso-6h0Ilb8eBcJhwzM/s320/DSC02840.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Today's lunch was made in less than 15 min. It was steamed rice and everything else was made in one frying pan.<br />
- chickpea brown rice with black sesame<br />
- egg rolls with green onion<br />
- stirred shishito-pepper marinated with katsuo bonito flakes and soy sauce<br />
- panfried king trumpet mushrooms with white sesame and sesame oil<br />
- stirred red pepper with onions with garnish<br />
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<a href="http://www.sumikacrafts.com/products/named/magewappa/koban/large.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0cLSmh45D38IGI-YAEbMMWRQtpDIXRM62iLQ0u1qSeAygKHlGuFK4GA3PbKG1Z9DJLsbCbW9xqQ1i0Yy9cwIh4NN13MHVOLLegaHrOYlvvoOIxEKQbKvT1cMCXd0n01TL85iD4_rvEwc/s320/DSC02831.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Sumika Craftshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15651059160450553171noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9151129941440930727.post-10828491595404301382015-08-21T14:25:00.002-07:002015-08-21T18:29:40.498-07:00Keeping Japanese tea fresh with the Sen Tea Leaf Container<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Tea is the most common drink in Japan. We drink tea everyday. Although we drink many different kinds of tea, most of the tea we make in Japan is green tea: sen-cha, maccha, houji-cha, ten-cha, kabuse-cha, kuki-cha, genmai-cha, ban-cha etc. They are all green tea.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Japanese loose tea is very delicate. It changes its quality by temperature and light, and it is easily affected by the scent surround it. </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Therefore, it is important to preserve it well. </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><br />
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<span id="docs-internal-guid-aa0a3940-791d-5ed3-d327-68b8da8927c9"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-aa0a3940-791d-81a1-b592-d009ce0bd16f"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggP5toSyhKDeX-vPNWyMAMLCJORgP2Cb7U2ydY27v_34M8qZCsphy2hde2J3KfEFCTq0Z7uA5PexwERbKNKp69STygdanNUuJ39N40JYo2XdyihfND4sHH35qpfJCqNMc9t3j8kxZs6sM/s1600/sen-cha.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggP5toSyhKDeX-vPNWyMAMLCJORgP2Cb7U2ydY27v_34M8qZCsphy2hde2J3KfEFCTq0Z7uA5PexwERbKNKp69STygdanNUuJ39N40JYo2XdyihfND4sHH35qpfJCqNMc9t3j8kxZs6sM/s320/sen-cha.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></span></span></div>
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<span id="docs-internal-guid-aa0a3940-791d-5ed3-d327-68b8da8927c9"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-aa0a3940-791d-81a1-b592-d009ce0bd16f">I recommend to finish the tea in a few weeks or a month after your purchase. If it's not open yet, I normally keep it in the freezer to avoid the leaves absorbing scents from other foods.</span></span></span><br />
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After it's open, <a href="http://www.sumikacrafts.com/products/named/teacontainer/m.html" target="_blank">this container</a> will do a great job of keeping the leaves fresh in a beautiful way. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">It is made of Japanese Sen wood, hand-shaped from a block of the tree. Since the surface is left unfinished, the Sen wood breathes. The wood adjusts the moisture and dryness of the environment. It has an inner lid which fits perfectly and it keeps out the moisture. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">It is quite light, so you can take it to the office, park or hiking with you to have a nice tea time anywhere. You can use different size according to the need - I like to put my maccha tea powder in the smallest one.</span><br />
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They are all designed to have the same height, so are stackable and beautiful to display them together.</span><br />
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Sumika Craftshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15651059160450553171noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9151129941440930727.post-61659564318889632722015-08-13T15:49:00.002-07:002015-08-13T15:49:27.262-07:00Embrace Your Towel Life with Imabari Towel <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I can say a lot of great things about <a href="http://www.sumikacrafts.com/products/named/imabari-towel/bengara-akane/stripe/bath.html" target="_blank">our Imabari Towel</a>. It is handsome, luxurious, yet functional. Finely woven with the finest cotton, the touch is exceptionally soft and smooth - like silk, yet it is enduring in everyday use. It looks beautiful and stylish, it is thin, light-weight and fast to dry, it absorbs water extremely well - it is a great travel accessory.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Lsi5o6R3UyM/U8-_wprJG7I/AAAAAAAAI7k/VnlN_1wELfU/s1600/_MG_6318.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Lsi5o6R3UyM/U8-_wprJG7I/AAAAAAAAI7k/VnlN_1wELfU/s320/_MG_6318.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NTM9vhKHAic/U8-_wnjJVHI/AAAAAAAAI7k/zbAGRpi8PmE/s1600/_MG_6320.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NTM9vhKHAic/U8-_wnjJVHI/AAAAAAAAI7k/zbAGRpi8PmE/s320/_MG_6320.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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So what makes Imabari towel so different from other towels? <br />
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Imabari Towel is made in Imabari area in <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shikoku" target="_blank">Shikoku island</a>. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCWFAMQ1p4n4j6Pc_qZDA6bpnaSuY1bqCA4yPu_JZItV0kPWGyhF0yP0M5JZlHMrcF1L12WmWje_spb85ETzCTGOWfrTdTv7PWuircYrBKBqra6mqNi22WC5sgDbYnXe6vtA7zTuUXy2E/s1600/blog+photo+imabari.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCWFAMQ1p4n4j6Pc_qZDA6bpnaSuY1bqCA4yPu_JZItV0kPWGyhF0yP0M5JZlHMrcF1L12WmWje_spb85ETzCTGOWfrTdTv7PWuircYrBKBqra6mqNi22WC5sgDbYnXe6vtA7zTuUXy2E/s1600/blog+photo+imabari.jpg" /></a></div>
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Not all the towels made in this area can be called as Imabari Towel. There is a strict standard that you have to meet to be certified as 'Imabari Towel'. There are a lot of components that the towel has to pass - durability by laundry, sweat and friction, and color fade rate etc. Also, it has to absorb water within 5 seconds - thus Imabari Towel is SO absorbent.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjawR06-DUzVhFapGV2UZlb1yTl6iJIg4YVqg5sME6VA1b_xCN3Rer3eVA1G2ywuuqy5OXDVns5x1btfoli38t89X7ij_cx6j9SfhE7BDefebVrlC0RmxFNhtmaAYXQmkYlYa12DE6iJ4/s1600/blog+photo+imabari+towel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjawR06-DUzVhFapGV2UZlb1yTl6iJIg4YVqg5sME6VA1b_xCN3Rer3eVA1G2ywuuqy5OXDVns5x1btfoli38t89X7ij_cx6j9SfhE7BDefebVrlC0RmxFNhtmaAYXQmkYlYa12DE6iJ4/s200/blog+photo+imabari+towel.jpg" width="153" /></a></div>
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But the top secret is water - towel making requires a lot of water - washing, dyeing, starching and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Desizing" target="_blank">desizing</a>. The Imabari area is rich in natural water from rivers and mountains that has very little heavy metal and is not hard - this soft, fresh water is the key. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH1iilOzui6xe7P52MFdn3k52j2bBoZUNzx8k2LMETBgFBez6CWil7VeeoEVBJJZHtKzmMjGJj0cn-1OaEshir7DLcPkkjCPuVOnlvIyQEPxfqW9YAj-cHyyr7o8bnByylRxmOO3Peq7k/s1600/blog+photo+seiryu.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH1iilOzui6xe7P52MFdn3k52j2bBoZUNzx8k2LMETBgFBez6CWil7VeeoEVBJJZHtKzmMjGJj0cn-1OaEshir7DLcPkkjCPuVOnlvIyQEPxfqW9YAj-cHyyr7o8bnByylRxmOO3Peq7k/s320/blog+photo+seiryu.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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The quality of towel is hugely affected by the quality of the water. The whiteness of the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pile_(textile)" target="_blank">piles</a>, the colors after dyeing, and the softness of the touch - all these benefit. The naturally beautiful water imbues the fabric with extraordinary characteristics. The blessing of nature creates the genuinely high quality of yarn that is woven into this magical towel.<br />
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Sumika Craftshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15651059160450553171noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9151129941440930727.post-89848542034405760712015-08-05T11:32:00.001-07:002015-08-05T12:52:33.302-07:00Experience the diverse programs at Japan Society!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For over 100 years, Japan Society has provided high quality activities that reflect the traditional and contemporary culture of Japan.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The current building opened in 1971 and was designated as a historically important landmark from New York city in 2011. It is an elegant but comfortable space with a beautiful Japanese indoor garden.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Photo by Peter Aaron/Esto</span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The building was designed by the renowned Japanese architect, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Junz%C5%8D_Yoshimura" target="_blank">Junzo Yoshimura</a>, who also designed numerous sites such as <a href="http://www.narahaku.go.jp/english/index_e.html" target="_blank">Nara National Museum</a>, and <a href="http://www.hiphotels.com/hotels/escape/asia/japan/tawaraya/" target="_blank">Tawaraya</a> - the finest Japanese inn (ryokan) in Kyoto.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsxH0qSojzv7MkVzMEcYXpFMO81erfummdYexJ0iIn1b5dCE000A-JdwFb-CyjrlAVvZlWO8xntEnuaEM1wZK6Y4kWbJO4AmVbctaI1b5Y2q3kEjpg8cfr9LlO6VAYCyJDt3EXAQLm4jg/s1600/JSBuilding_NYCLandmarksCommision.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsxH0qSojzv7MkVzMEcYXpFMO81erfummdYexJ0iIn1b5dCE000A-JdwFb-CyjrlAVvZlWO8xntEnuaEM1wZK6Y4kWbJO4AmVbctaI1b5Y2q3kEjpg8cfr9LlO6VAYCyJDt3EXAQLm4jg/s320/JSBuilding_NYCLandmarksCommision.jpg" width="256" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11.3333330154419px; text-align: start;">Photo courtesy of New York City Landmarks Preservation Committee</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The inside is furnished with a superb collection of furniture by George Nakashima - I was so excited to find and try some of his great pieces when I was there!</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Bench designed by George Nakashima</span><br /><span style="font-size: 11.3333330154419px;">Photo courtesy of Japan So</span></span><span style="font-size: 11.3333330154419px;">ciety</span></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsGasaXK9XH4KeQCORJD0tEfXw_vFSgP3HfGblUlKt4S6fWRWDoUWuMwtV4bkOssW0PFiLLePm0aUela9pCRiU97XdJ3ZFLDTBXTmRIpJpPyihqc4d8RMRBcQUTlGASBZ5-csiDGe247E/s1600/1_SKYROOM_large_CS.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="283" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsGasaXK9XH4KeQCORJD0tEfXw_vFSgP3HfGblUlKt4S6fWRWDoUWuMwtV4bkOssW0PFiLLePm0aUela9pCRiU97XdJ3ZFLDTBXTmRIpJpPyihqc4d8RMRBcQUTlGASBZ5-csiDGe247E/s320/1_SKYROOM_large_CS.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: 11.3333330154419px;">Photo courtesy of Japan So</span></span><span style="font-size: 11.3333330154419px;">ciety</span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If you wish to learn Japanese language but cannot actually visit there to take classes, Japan Society provides <a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/JapanSocietyNYC" target="_blank">many Japanese language programs online</a>. <a href="http://www.japansociety.org/webcast/waku-waku-japanese-lesson-1-meeting-people" target="_blank">Wakuwaku Japanese</a> teaches the conversation Japanese from a basic to a more advanced level. You can learn a lot of vocabulary in an amusing way. If you are a food lover, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Q3yEMufjac" target="_blank">Japan in the Kitchen</a> teaches the ingredients that are peculiar to Japanese cuisine and how to use them at home! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And last but not least, this year's performing arts season is starting soon! Check out <a href="http://www.japansociety.org/programs/performing_arts_program" target="_blank">their marvelous programs here!</a></span><br />
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Sumika Craftshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15651059160450553171noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9151129941440930727.post-37543185152419746652015-07-29T18:15:00.002-07:002015-07-29T18:15:58.183-07:00Summer festival in Kyoto - Daimonji Matsuri<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Kyoto, where I grew up has a very hot and humid summer - even at night it is still warm. August is the hottest month in a year so it is not an ideal summer destination if you want to chill out on the beach. However, in the middle of the month, there is my favorite and, I think, the most beautiful festival that is worth enduring the heat. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6GUizJzdkfj91Av4wA_3YiBWAd0QNPmRHNbCJlMhzuUHlU_0Y9cMfdhnhZjySQqCoeM-Wpduj71_CEBc0xkaiimOsxtl4ic8B1WURDYgzMd_inIGR5JVcqAkafZVlhBf_LLmqeQeHkFk/s1600/blog+photo+kyoto+summer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6GUizJzdkfj91Av4wA_3YiBWAd0QNPmRHNbCJlMhzuUHlU_0Y9cMfdhnhZjySQqCoeM-Wpduj71_CEBc0xkaiimOsxtl4ic8B1WURDYgzMd_inIGR5JVcqAkafZVlhBf_LLmqeQeHkFk/s320/blog+photo+kyoto+summer.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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It is Daimonji Matsuri on Aug 15. In Japan, we have a season called 'bon' or 'o-bon' between summer and autumn, when we invite the spirit of our ancestors to our house and celebrate for the gratefulness of our living. Daimonji festival is held on the last day of this obon season. On the night of the 15th, the letters and the shapes of ship and gate made in fire are lit on mountains surrounding the city. It is the day when our ancestors return to the spirit world again. By lighting up the fire on the mountains, we show the path to the spirit world so that they know the way to go back.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTC3ykMoNA76ziN1icZimAzSLWNlP_Fp7zhnh3UZ034f13JaTQyQjZZpQIWjpedZEYzE0flsjee1Xa5g-2B7vNi5OrAQ0gIoblx0JgEnOjyUlkZ-UWgRzWzCIErts0YMLQGNydF5q8gzE/s1600/blog+photo+daimonji.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTC3ykMoNA76ziN1icZimAzSLWNlP_Fp7zhnh3UZ034f13JaTQyQjZZpQIWjpedZEYzE0flsjee1Xa5g-2B7vNi5OrAQ0gIoblx0JgEnOjyUlkZ-UWgRzWzCIErts0YMLQGNydF5q8gzE/s320/blog+photo+daimonji.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlG2_HSxF8wzXEDQGgg55H0qgghqYEvA8hkRltF2AFuzO1XzK5ycsFT1-JZMHvKogPurUwR4PLa94MVh3sbIQUGKkf3A_5j4orHt9CPWGg0sUhyphenhyphenf0VNjochndLMRAwnIwwaPsa6idVEPA/s1600/blog+phot+daimonji+torii.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlG2_HSxF8wzXEDQGgg55H0qgghqYEvA8hkRltF2AFuzO1XzK5ycsFT1-JZMHvKogPurUwR4PLa94MVh3sbIQUGKkf3A_5j4orHt9CPWGg0sUhyphenhyphenf0VNjochndLMRAwnIwwaPsa6idVEPA/s320/blog+phot+daimonji+torii.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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It is not like a carnival or parade that people march around, but it is a serene and quiet one; it touches your inner self. The fire on the mountains are peaceful and beautiful. Whenever I return to Kyoto on this day, I go up to the top of the building and stare at the light until the fire goes out, as I used to do since I was little. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">There are 6 letters and shapes lit on the mountains in the city of Kyoto.</td></tr>
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As a child, I may have sensed that there is something more than what I can see. I am here not all for myself but I exist because there is always someone or something that overlooks and protects my life.</div>
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Sumika Craftshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15651059160450553171noreply@blogger.com0