On this blog, you will find various of words and phrases written in Japanese symbols. I hope people studying Japanese kanji translation should find it helpful because it provides a wide-ranging informations about many cultural aspects of Japan. Also I hope you find it informative for your T-shirt fashion, kanji tattoos, body arts, hobbies and crafts, etc.

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Aesthetic Buzz & Humor Custom & Temperament Food Nature Poem & Haiku Proverb & Value words

Kabuki’s roots go back to an Izumo shrine maiden named Okuni who performed “kabuki” (the name taken from the word kabuku meaning to act in an unusual manner) dances in kyoto about four hundreds years ago. Kabuki is an actor’s theater and the actor’s skill is all. Many foreign observers have been drawn to kabuki for its women’s roles gracefully performed by male onna-gata.

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I was asked a question about this term. I knew nothing about Reiki, so I studied about it , and I could grasp the concept of Reiki in a vague sense. I have once produced an ESP program with Masuaki Kiyota, a famous person for his supernatural power in Japan, and I saw many clear-cut miracles with my own eyes. So I am a beliver in some amazing powers of human being, but I can’t confirm the reality of Reiki yet. To be honest, I am very concerned about “Tenki (weather)” today rather than “Reiki” for now. Thank you.

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Giri refers to the many social obligations which are needed for smooth relations in Japan’s vertical society. As such, giri is the moral duty to fulfill obligations and repay favors received, and to fail to meet the requirements of giri is seen as a majour moral shortcoming. In contrast, ninjou encompasses those all-too human feelings and inclinations that we all share. It is only natural that giri and ninjou should come into conflict at times, and in Japan giri has most often taken precedence over ninjou.

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A basic Buddhist tenet which teaches that all things of this world are transient and impermanent. Oneness with nature and the Buddhist feeling underlie the Japanese aesthetic. This concept appears repeatedly in Japanese literature, songs and dramas.

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Shouyu is the primary flavorings used in Japanese cooking. Shouyu is used in nearly all Japanese dishes, as a dip, as a sauce, and for seasoning, and it has played a major part in the development of Japanese cooking. Although other countries also have soy-based sauces, Japanese shouyu differs from its Chinese and Southeast Asian counterparts in both taste and fragrance.

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Originally meaning something too deeply hidden for human comprehension, this term gradually evolved into an aesthetic concept of mysterious and tranquil beauty. The Buddhist concept of transience and Zen teachings have given rise to the mysticism and rustic simplicity of yuugen.

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The cherry blossom is Japan’s national flower and the synonymous with the word flower. Generally, the cherry blossom is a felicitous symbol. Yet there is also a dark side. To old-time samurai, there was no greater glory than to die on the battlefield like scattered cherry blossoms. Resplendent in full bloom, cherry blossoms seldom last more than a week, and they are easily swept away with one strong wind, a fleeting beauty that suggests purity and transience.

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Written by Saigyou(1118～1190), a poet of the late Heian period noted for his verses on cherry blossoms. Saigyou did indeed die in the second month of the lunar calendar and cherry trees shade his grave.

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Born of the tea ceremony, wabi is an aesthetic of finding richness and serenity in simplicity. This was epitomized by the single wild flower and everyday plainness which decorated the tea house of tea masters. Sabi was a term for the beauty of haiku and it speaks of a quiet grandeur enjoyed in solitude. Both wabi and sabi are closely linked to the Zen striving for enlightenment through nothingness.

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