Long before Japan opened to the Western world in 1850s and Japonism became the latest trend, Europe already knew about Japanese lacquerware. The first items were imported to Europe by Continue Reading
Someone once said that when you spend a month in a foreign country and culture, you are likely to want to write a book, having spent at least six months Continue Reading
You may remember the movie “The Last Samurai”, where Tom Cruise was playing a US captain who joins to fight alongside the last samurais in Japan. What you may not Continue Reading
While Japan is already living the first day of 2019 and has already greeted the very first sunrise, I am still counting the remaining minutes of 2018 and keeping my Continue Reading
I always thought that Japan has four seasons, or maybe five, if we count the rainy one. It was just recently that I discovered it was not entirely true. Based Continue Reading
Some years back there was a movie called “Silk” with Keira Knightley. The story itself aside, it was about a Frenchman traveling to Japan for silkworm eggs, as at the Continue Reading
Even after almost three years in Japan, it still amazes me how seasonal everything is, starting from food, drinks, desserts, packaging, postcards, museum exhibitions and many other things. Also, the Continue Reading
It all started with a TED idea, or, to be precise, with its title – “The art of stillness in the Japanese wilderness” – it was the first time I Continue Reading
Happy Valentine’s Day! – my colleague from Philippines starts our call today. I am a bit surprised, as it is not exactly the occasion you would congratulate your colleagues with. Continue Reading
“The world breaks every one and afterward many are strong at the broken places” (E. Hemingway, A Farewell to Arms). When Japan was a country of wars and samurai, and Continue Reading