It is good to do this when your mind is antsy, twitchy or restless somehow.

Think the moon reflected on the surface of the lake at a quiet night.

Imagine overlapping the moon reflected there with the state of your mind.

Breath deeply, and then imagine the fretful surface is settling down.

The state of your mind regains composure when you see the moon reflected on the surface of the water makes beautiful shape.

A few years ago I knew Mr. Teiichi Sato at the contemporary art school event. He operates a seedling shop (Sato Seed Shop) at Rikuzentakata-city in Iwate prefecture, Japan and who is victim of the East Japan great earthquake tsunami, and he recorded the first edition of the disaster issued on March 11, 2012. The title is ”The Seed of Hope in the Heart”, it is written in English. Despite being not good at English, the reason why he wrote it in English was too hard to record it in Japanese (mother language). He said that he wanted to put a little distance between heart and word. Mr. Sato thought that it should tell the fact and he wanted to tell that in his own words. The English version is now 5 version (as of 2017), and he records it in Chinese and Spanish as well because he wanted to tell his thanks to people who gave huge supports in those whose own languages.

I was very impressed by his action “Leaving the facts and tell” and “Writing in English (other language)”. I respect for his sense of mission that telling the fact, and I’m touched by the honesty of writing in English because it is too sad write it in Japanese, also I sympathized for his choice.

I was in Tokyo at the earthquake, even in Tokyo I was panicked by an unprecedented disaster and I remember the fear of death. After that, there were opportunities to go to Tohoku several times and there were times when we talked with the victims. I felt the strength of the core that they take the facts and go live, and the kindness who had various experiences from people in Tohoku. I have never met Mr. Sato directly, but I feel his personality through the movie (Mr. Sato’s activity was also a movie “Traces of Breath“).

Sumimasen (Sorry)
Word of saying apologize when you make someone to put in effort on, receive care from someone or cause trouble.

– googleより

I hear “Sumimasen (sorry)” often hospitality country here in Japan. I think people at shops or restaurants are very polite and wonderful, but sometimes they say “Sumimasen” too much I think.

Different one was offered when I ordered coffee at the cafe, so I told the person in the cafe that to change it to what I ordered, and he said “Sumimasen” very politely and game me a small sweet. I thought it was over at that time but he said “Sumimasen” some times after that. I felt like I had to get angry when he said “Sumimasen”, it was strange experience as my feeling changed, the feeling misunderstood? Am I getting angry more and more? I felt that my attitude also hardens, or I wonder if the feelings of anger have came up against being told many times?

Today, I write about two memorable interpreters for me.

In Japan, BS1 broadcasts the top news of each country with interpreters such as – Singapore CNA, South Korea KBS, China CCTV, ShangHai Dragon Television, Hong Kong TVB, Thailand MCOT, Viet Nam VTV, Philippines ABS-CBN, UK BBC, Germany ZDF, Australia ABC, Russia TV, India NDTV, France F2, Qatar Al Jazeera, US Bloomberg, Brazil Rede Bandeirantes, US ABC, Spain TVE, US PBS etc.

The first interpreter is in charge of Korea KBS and Korean Central Television Lim Hye-seong (not sure the alphabet is correct or not).

I listen to the news more than watching it, it is like a radio for me, but I watch the screen when Mr. Lim interprets. Because most of the interpreters of the news interpret neutral and convert different languages ​​to Japanese without emotion but his way is acting, big intonation and dramatic.

Especially, in case of someone’s speech (e.c. president’s etc) it is remarkable, he interprets as if he/she so it sounds like a skit. When I look at the screen, there is the person of the news not Mr. Kim, so it makes me feel like I’m watching a dubbed version of a movie. If there are 2 people, he uses different voices and talk properly, so I enjoy a little Mr. Lim’s play.

The opportunity to actually write letters decreases because the advent of computers that can input characters, such as word processors and personal computers. It has been becoming convenient and the accuracy of convenience increases. On the other hand, I do not think that the opportunity to actually write letters will be completely lost, and I do not want to lose it.

If I say so, I sometimes forget about how to write Kanji (Chinese character), make mistakes to write kanji or sometimes I am stunned by the poor character I wrote. It has been a few years since I need to face to write letters by hand… I tried practicing with the pen writing exercise book, but it does not last long and loses the temptation of convenience.

While watching Japanese paintings, ukiyoe prints, picture scrolls, old documents at the exhibition of the times, I thought “Vertical writing looks beautiful” as I felt restless with my hand writing for a while. And I thought, okay I try! then I went to the stationary shop. It is high level to write Japanese with brushes, and I found a nice fountain pen. I bought a nice one, it is perfect for writing comfortable, the appearance and the price is good. ” rel=”noopener” target=”_blank”>This one. It is very easy to write because the pen tip is heavier, and the look is cool.

The news of the eruption of the Kilauea volcano of Hawaii is reported every day, but it was temporarily paused when I visited the island of Hawaii this month (2018.5.6-11), and the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park (which you can be near the crater) was also closed until the day before I visited the tour. The park was resumed on the morning of the day I participated in the tour, but the area that I could enter was limited.

I share the “Timelapse captures ‘blue’ glow from Hawaii’s Kilauea volcano” movie today, it was the pictures of Kilauea volcano taken from the clouds on the night of May 21 and 22. It was taken at Hawaii’S Gemini Observatory of Mauna Kea Volcano at an altitude of about 4,200 meters, located 64 kilometers from Kilauea Volcano.

The camera’s infrared filter has been removed, making the volcanic glow look blue.

How is it?

Today is about a rule that I remember when I start something new, get to know new people or go to a new shop.

I was taught by a copywriter of a company I worked in before, it is called “The rule of 0･1･2”.
The numbers mean the number of times to contact something new, and it is like this:
0･1･23456789…

For example, about “Hina Cafe”.
0 ← You don’t know the cafe
1 ← You know the cafe and went
2 ← You went there again
3456789… Nearly no difference between 2 and 3

Do you understand what I mean?

I visited the exhibition “Léonard Foujita Private on Works(only in Japanese)” at Meguro Museum Art. As the title, the exhibition focuses on his book works or private works such as book design or illustrations or post card to his friends. Many works were painted with pens and thin brushes, and the impression was simple with few colors because most of them art small works.

I like the masterpieces of artists, but I also like sketches to get glimpses of their everyday life like postcards to their family or friends. You need preparation and physical fitness to face to art works such as expressing the artist’ impulse rising in their lives, but there were more relaxed works at this exhibition.

One of my favourite was 5 illustrations called “la fleur aux mille pétales d’or”. The five Japanese women were drawn in each, one looks down, one looks far away, one looks straightforward etc. Precise line drawing captures the soft curves of women brilliantly, the color scheme of making use of the plain background and women who feel the strength of the core somewhere despite grief. And their Japanese hair and kimono seem to complement their beauty more. Also, his touch like a foreign pain like a Japanese painting is also mysterious. I was drawn into a wordless mysterious world.

Today is about just what I came up with, I think you can read it lightly 🙂

Is there anything you pop into your mind in your daily life? I often come with images (visuals), but some people may be sounds or smells.

For example, One scene from the movie “Fantastic Planet” comes to mind when I feel everything is going well, feeling alive, the weather is great, thank you for everything etc.

It is an animation movie, a 1973 animated science fiction film directed by René Laloux. The movie is known to those in the know, it is the legend movie. It is also said that the animation film director Hayao Miyazaki was influenced by this movie.

I saw it in the picture theory class at the university, it is famous as its creative and strange visuals and surreal and striking stories, also can not be forgotten once it is seen.

As a one of picture book lovers, I am happy as long as many picture book of animals or plants titled “The most beautiful xxx” have been published recently in Japan. The charm is the plant illustration, it catches the veins faithfully and seems to draw vividly up to one of the hair growing on the leaves. For the insects, the detailed description of the captivating eyeballs or delicate touch that dramatically reproduces the iridescent beauty color. I am attracted to the mysterious beauty that appears in the microcosm.

Great museum for picture book lovers is “The Intermediatheque” where is near from Tokyo station Marunouchi exit. The feeling that the heavy and academic atmosphere is very nice as if I entered the university’s laboratory. I saw the current exhibition Special Exhibition“The Art of Natural Science in Sweden — Treasures from Uppsala University”.

It is anniversary year 2018: the 150th Anniversary of Japan–Sweden diplomatic relations. And this presents the world of Natural History which bloomed in 18th-century Sweden, as well as its connections with Japan.