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Making Asagao (Japanese Morning Glory) with Tsumami-zaiku
You can find Asagao, the Japanese morning glory, in almost all colors, but it is usually blue, purple, or pink. So today I would like to make a simple blue…
Asagao, Japanese Morning Glory
One of the most popular summer flowers in Japan is Asagao, the Japanese morning glory. We write it with the characters “morning” and “face.” Just like in English, it was…
Making a Hanabi-like Flowers “Peony” with Tsumami-zaiku
Have you tried making “chrysanthemum” flowers with Tsumami-zaiku? Today I would like to share how to make “peony” flowers. I’m going to use orange and yellow colors again like last…
Tsumami-zaiku
Making Hanabi-like Flowers “Chrysanthemums” with Tsumami-zaiku
In my last post I wrote about how Japanese hanabi (fireworks) are often described as chrysanthemums and peonies. So today I would like to show you how to use a…
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Tanabata, the Star Festival
Every July 7th is the Star Festival, called “Tanabata” in Japan. The original story came from China and arrived in Japan during the Nara era (710 – 794). The story…
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How to Make a Twofold Ken-tsumami
Last time, we used a twofold Maru-tsumami to make a Japanese plum flower. Today, I’ll show you how to make a twofold Ken-tsumami. Actually, I think this is the easier…
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“Risshun,” The First Day of Spring
Japan now uses the 12 month Gregorian calendar like the West, but that doesn’t mean our older, more traditional calendars aren’t still extremely important. We inherited the Chinese lunar calendar…
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Tsubaki – Japanese Camellia-
The “tsubaki” is the Japanese camellia. It is an ancient flower mentioned in Japan’s oldest collections of poems, “The Anthology of Myriad Leaves,” about 1250 years ago. One facet of…
Keep readingSeasonal events in Japan
Tokyo Olympics 2020 Emblems
Did you notice the emblems from the Tokyo Olympics 2020? The deep blue and white checkered pattern was called “harmonized chequers emblems.” It appears to be a very modern design,…
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Hanabi, Fireworks
Summer is here, and one of the most important things about summer in Japan is hanabi! Hanabi means “fireworks” in Japanese. It is written using the characters for “flower” and…
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The Coming-of-Age Day Ceremony
The second Monday in January is Coming-of-Age Day in Japan. Ceremonies are held in each city to celebrate people turning 20 years old. In Japan, people are legally considered adults…
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Yukata
A yukata is a thin kimono that Japanese wear for summer festivals and events. Nowadays, it has also become a kind of special summer fashion. It began as a garment…
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Mizuhiki Crafts
“Mizuhiki” is a thin cord made from starched Japanese paper. The starch makes them stiffer, but still bendable enough to fold and tie for decorations. Similar to how gifts are…
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