WA BLOG

To tie means to be born. 結   "Musubi" is the Japanese word for "to tie". It derives from the term "musu" - to come into being and "hi" - spirit. Spirit in...

Origami is a Japanese art form that enjoys popularity across the globe. Perhaps one reason for its enduring appeal is that the art of paper folding is accessible to anyone,...

Shimekazari are rice straw rope decorations hung up inside and outside Japanese homes to welcome  "Toshigami" a New Year's god that is said to bestow fortune for the new year....

In Japan, "koma" - top spinning is a simple game that has been enjoyed by children and adults since as early as the 10th century. Traditionally, koma are played by...

Mizuhiki (水引) is an ancient Japanese art form that uses a special decorative cord  to create traditional decoration, given away at Japanese occasions. Mizuhiki embodies a range of significant cultural meanings....

A few years ago I showed a solo exhibition titled “Love Does(nt) Exist)”. The exhibition was inspired by the absence of a word for ‘love’ in Juhuri, a language spoken by...

Although I don't speak Japanese (which is a daily struggle), the Japanese language and the folded meanings it holds is fascinating to me.  Each time I reveal a certain word's...

  Lately I read an essay by the Japanese critic Kusamori Shin'ichi where he describes a scene of poetry reading in Kyoto University in the 1960's. What caught my attention is...