The biwa (琵琶) is a kind of lute, with a short neck and frets. Jetavana Vihara, for Biwa and Voice The biwa (琵琶) is a kind of lute, with a short neck and frets.   It is usually used in narrative storytelling. The origin of the biwa is the Chinese pipa. It arrived in Japan well…

Buaisou Indigo by Matt Gross from AirBnB Magazine. Introduction by Mora Chartrand Main Article: Buaisou Indigo from AirBnB magazine, written by Matt Gross If there is one color that epitomizes Japan for me, it is indigo — deep, mystical, midnight blue. The oldest evidence tells us that indigo dyeing first appeared in Japan in the…

by devapnek I knew we were in for a visual fest last spring, when we received an invitation to join our friend Masa to visit a temple and garden that is only open to the public for a short time in the spring and autumn. I didn’t know that the visit would prompt a spontaneous…

One of Japan’s more established contemporary glass artists, Ushio Konishi, is a world leader in the Venetian lace glass technique. This involves creating glass rods with a ‘lace’ pattern before blowing and shaping the final piece. The rods, also known as glass canes, are made by skillfully and delicately twisting molten glass of different colours,…

The largest gallery space in Tokyo (18000 sq. ft.) was recently home to 300 koinobori (carp streamers) designed by Japan’s Reiko Sudo (founder of Nuno Corporation), one of the world’s leading textile designers where the fabric fish powerfully splashed their way through the exhibit. Sudo had been inspired by the traditional annual event of flying…

by Amane Tatsumura, As a child, I used to play in a workshop where some of the world’s most talented weavers sat at wooden looms and created masterpieces. Today, I am a 4th generation weaver in Kyoto. I design and weave one-of-a-kind art pieces. Instead of paints and brushes, I have chosen to make original…

By Joan B. Mirviss The third solo exhibition of celebrated artist, Shoko KOIKE will be held at Joan B Mirviss LTD. September 11 – October 19, 2018 Joan B Mirviss LTD 39 E 78 Street, New York, NY 10075 Shoko KOIKE (b. 1943) has always taken inspiration from nature, especially from the sea and plants….

The work of Jin MORIGAMI is currently being shown in his first U.S. solo at Tai Modern Gallery in Santa Fe, New Mexico, until September 22nd, 2018. Morigami’s delicate designs are presented as a radical departure from traditional Japanese bamboo basketry.   “To materialize your vision in bamboo art, you have to keep working with…

by Elizabeth Andoh Botanically a fruit, not a vegetable, eggplant (Solanum melongena) is a member of the nightshade family (as is the tomato and potato). Thought to have originated in India thousands of years ago, the Chinese were probably the first to make use of eggplant in a culinary manner. Widely known throughout Asia, eggplant…