Tag: Japanese

You Experience Your Entire Life on It

You Experience Your Entire Life on It

by yellownblac ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

I really like these I read, a story on tatami artisan Mitsuru Yokoyama.

https://kyotojournal.org/online-special/interview-with-mitsuru-yokoyama/:

“I wanted something for myself that no one could take away from me, that manifested as a traditional skill.”

We all have things other people cannot take away. Most of the time, it’s the depths of love and more probably so, pain and suffering 

These are the very things we have gone through and learned to work with , sometimes with some progress sometimes with less achievement 

These very things people can’t take away are the very core of how we have built our lives or how our lives have been led consciously or unconsciously 

But these super experiences are super events , extremely extremely powerful in getting us to anchor into life and relook values mindsets and reflect. So how can we use these super events in our life ?

“People try to change it all the time (me included) but it generally always comes back to its original form, or a slight variation on that.”

So it’s important to get the basics right

Create something that lasts 

“In terms of art or furniture, tatami should be regarded a little differently I think, it is hard to categorize, it is a living piece, living with you, it creates an atmosphere. That’s the beautiful thing about tatami, it is so functional. It is hardy and clean while powerfully elegant. You can experience your entire life on it. We (Japanese) treat it with respect but tatami is daily, sure there are really special places but for the most part there isn’t a ‘special’ room you only use on certain occasions. This is because it is central to lifestyle. Essential in the functioning of a home; a space to sleep, for communication, dining, meditation, worship, entertainment, and so on. Because of this ability to gather experiences I think tatami is really more of a ‘space’ than an ‘object’.”

I like these especially:

powerfully elegant

You experience your entire life on it

tatami is really more of a ‘space’ than an ‘object

How can one become elegant and powerfully so in life? Inside out?

The unique perspective of seeing tatami as space n not just an accessory 

Using Anger

Using Anger

by yellownblac ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

Came across a number of prominent people who are using their anger /pain ….these few days.

I guess I really wanted to know how they did it?

The full story here https://www.google.com.sg/amp/s/www.vogue.co.uk/fashion/article/yohji-yamamoto-reveals-an-inner-anger%3famp

But first, a selection of quotes which called out to me.

“So I don’t change; at the beginning I was always angry, still angry, that is what makes my motivation power to create beauty.” Yohji Yamamoto says.

The writer for Vogue finds Yamamoto’s pieces peaceful

“I mostly find Yohji’s collections peaceful and I asked him if that was just an illusion.”

“An illusion – yes – sometimes I lose my anger, so sometimes I lose my power, the power to shout anti-something – and then it looks peaceful,” he said. “

“Yohji had started our conversation by saying that he was angry. So I asked him why.”

“It’s very simple – I was born as a war child and in the first year of high school I read about how my father passed away in the war. It was 1944, just one year before it ended. He was 36 years old. A 36-year-old man was sent to war. America already had won everything. So he’s on the boat, fishing boat, and it sunk.”

“About ten or fifteen years ago I started feeling maybe my father was pushing my back,” Yohji went on. “At the same time I felt angry. My country and its people were stupid. Because America already had a very modern army. My father’s army, they were all killed and finally the American army bombed Hiroshima. I spent my young life with only my mother. I don’t have the meaning of family.”

I saw his anger frothing. Inability to accept, pain, anger. But he used these somewhat, lucky for him.

“Yohji had once said to me that he was always fascinated by seeing women from the back – departing. Was that still true?”

“Please don’t leave! Don’t leave! That is the most important thing in my imagination,” Yohji replied. “Because I love women. Especially I love strong women. Independent women.”

“The designer also loves handwork, and looking at strokes of paint coloured on the clothes, I could see that some of this work was closer in spirit to couture, than to ready-to-wear.”

“I’m stupid,” said Yohji. “I’m still making clothing in my company. The staff – using their fingers. Other companies are using computers. I keep on doing everything by hand. And from hands come emotion, inspiration, sensitivity. I still believe in that. So until the end, I will keep making everything by hand.”

To answer myself—— just do it. It was the best choice and what the soul wanted.

It is dad’s birthday today. I found it hard to say happy birthday.

I did it.