Today is about Sweden’s leading designer “Ingegerd Råman”, her exhibition is held at The National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo Crafts Gallery until 2018.9.14 – 12.9.

Generally she is known as “designer” or “ceramist”, but she calls herself not “ceramist” but “potter“, not “designer” but “form-giver“.

This is because she does not regard her creations as self-expression but is more aware of her craftsmanship, which is obliged to create vessels for everyday use. The term “designer” in Swedish is “formgivare (form-giver)“, but the term has more specificity in its meaning-to give a form to something, the presence of an object.

Today is the English series following “After You”

I think that there are times when you hesitate to do something new, but in those two courageous words for me: “Why not?” and “So what?”.

First, about “Why not?”

“Honey Bees”
“Honey Bees are Mathematicians”

I wrote about Honey Bees like above articles, speaking of honey bees is honey, speaking of hones is Pooh. So, today is about philosophy learned from Winnie the Pooh.

Last time I wrote about what honey bees do, the number of honey bees is decreasing drastically, and what can we do?. Today is also about Honey Bees on a different side.

I think there are many things to learn from that small and lovely creature such as working hard, carrying pollen, making honey, having a social structure where role sharing is properly done… What is more surprising is that they are excellent mathematicians.

Today is about “Honey Bees” which is becoming big news these days.
I am embarrassed to know recently, but as the number of bees is drastically decreasing, scholars say they will be extinct in 20 more years, and beekeepers say in ten years.

First of all, about Honey Bees work.

In the past, a traveler who is going to see Ise Shrine,
It was supported
To “enforcement” of Ise people who provide
Rice balls, baths, water, straw etc.
If you put a dipper
At the end of Gosa rolled into a tubular shape

That’s why “Going on a pilgrimage to Ise” is called “Thank you pilgrimage”

Beginning around the power spots, the number of people going around shrines and temples has increased, and there are also many nice stampbooks (to collect red ink stamps at shrines) in recent years. Among them, I think that there are many worshipers in particular “Ise Jingu (Shrine)”, I also love it.

Today is about the big news in the world which is about the case where the 12 boys of the football team and the coach in the cave in northern Thailand that was submerged were confined and it was rescued about two weeks later. I would like to introduce about their experiences in the cave and after discharge.

Today is the marine day in Japan! This holiday which came into effect in 1996, the date of enactment was July 20 and the date was fixed, but it was changed to the 3rd Monday of July by the Happy Monday system. Moreover, it seems that it was an anniversary called “Sea anniversary” before being holidayed as “Marine day”.

The day was known as Marine Memorial Day until 1996. Communications Minister Shozo Murata designated the day in 1941 to commemorate the Meiji Emperor and his 1876 voyage in the Meiji Maru, an iron steamship constructed in Scotland in 1874. The voyage included a trip around the Tōhoku region, embarking on a lighthouse boat in Aomori, and a brief stop in Hakodate before returning to Yokohama on July 20 of that year.

(from Wikipedeia)

By the way, it seems that only Japan is holidaying as “Marine Day”, I think that there is a unique feeling of the country surrounded by the sea on every side.

…The introduction has become longer, today is about the “Sea Song” named after the “Marine Day”.

“The Little Coconut” English words by Greg Irwin

There was a coconut

He fell down from his mother tree

Then a wave took that young coconut away

Far, so far from home, he landed on that seashore

And never ever could return home anymore

His mother palm tree

Now just a memory to him

Did she still sway in the sun or in tropic winds?

All alone there on the beach with sand as his pillow

Was he just a coconut or would he grow?

That little coconut

He grew into a fine palm tree

But he dreamed ever more of a distant shore

When the sun would set and waves would wash the sand

He dreamed of going back one day to his island

—–

It is a song composed by Toraji Onaka in 1936 to Toson Shimazaki’s poem written in 1901. It was also chosen as “100 songs in Japan”, I learned at elementary school. Even though I do not understand the meaning of songs that I learned at elementary school, I still remember well. I recall this song as summer approached.

I thought that the sound of the lyrics was beautiful, I did not think much about the meaning while I’m singing this song. (For the first time in decades!?) When I see what I characterize, there is something new to see.

It is said that Kunio Yanagida, who stayed at Irako Cape in the summer of 1898, was a poem born at the beginning of telling Toson about a story the fruit of the palm flowing to the beach. Cape Irako is located in Tahara City, Aichi Prefecture, facing the Pacific Ocean at the tip of the Atsumi Peninsula, which overlooks the Pacific Ocean and Mikawa Bay.

Toson’s imagination is amazing to make such a wonderful poem by listening to the story that palm fruits have flowed on. And that Japanese beauty (It is classic style, some of the words are not used now). Many things can understand meanings for the first time by reading in kanji like this (sweat), I fall in love as to what a beautiful expression.

Please imagine the scenery with the atmosphere of the poet as a whole.

A song was attached in 1936, it seems that Taro Shoji was the first to sing, but its sound is here.

Here is a modern singer version.

Today is an introduction of Japanese sweet shop “wagashi asobi” in Ota Ward, Tokyo.

The brands of three Japanese sweets craftsmen based on this philosophy
“Make wagashi (Japanese sweets) with feeling to one moment and one grain (one by one)”. I have the opportunity to hear stories about the brand from representative Motoshiro Inaba, they have been working with very nice ideas.

He worked for a long time at Toriya (Traditional Japanese sweet shop) and he was also working at a New York branch, then he has been independent after returning Japan and seventh in this year. There are only two items at “wagashi asobi”. The one on Mr. Inaba’s work “Herbal Rakugan” and his partner Asano’s confidential work “Dried fruit yokans”.

Today is the introduction of New York/Brooklyn brand “Out of Print“.

They produce and sell T-shirts etc printed on the cover page of masterpieces of the world at the online shop based on the concept “Wear Literature”. It is a brand whose mission is to ‘make the world’s great novels known to the world through fashion’, a wonderful brand that has commercialized high sense goodness of the analog brilliantly in the digital age. And they donate books to Africa by donating one book to “Books For Africa” ​​every time one item is sold.

You might think the brand is orthodox and serious brand by this explanations but it was born in Brooklyn, New Your you know. It is so cool and the products are very fashionable.