Today, I would like to start with a riddle.

“What is me which disappears at the moment of calling my name, although it exists when it is quiet?”

I was surprised of the news of June 30, “The 42 th World Heritage Committee of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) to the World Cultural Heritage of ‘Hidden Christian Sites in the Nagasaki Region’ (Nagasaki, Kumamoto Prefecture) , the rare religious culture that continued faith in the Christianity repression of the Edo period was appreciated”. Because it was right after I wrote the blog “Movie ‘Silence’” on the 29th of the previous day!

Latency Christian related heritage is an asset group that shows the cultural tradition of hidden Christianity who secretly continued faith while harmoniously coexisting with existing religion and society under the Christianity prohibition of about 250 years in the 17th – 19th century. It consists of 12 assets such as Nagasaki prefecture mainland, Goto islands, Amakusa archipelago that keeps the scenery at the time, and “Ohoura Cathedral” (Nagasaki City) where latent Christian confessed faith to French Father after opening the country.

Today it is about Japanese world heritage, receiving this news!

A man who embodied Dandyism who decorates the cover of the magazine even after thirty years after his death, which is described as such “The man who wore jeans for the first time in Japan”, “Japan’s coolest man”, “The only Japanese who is obedient”, “Oily boy”, “Principle guy”, Jiro Shirasu. I went to his and his wife’s house (Buaiso) the other day.

In 1943, the couple moved and lived in “Buaiso”, naming it because of the desire to twist Jiro’s unique in addition to this land in the border of Musashi and Sagami.

After walking down from Tsurukawa station and walking for about 15 minutes, you will see a green covered mountain. “Buaiso” which has come to be ahead of the wide walking path. On the right hand side of the reception building, the Jiro’s favorite agricultural equipment is placed in the barn, the semi-outdoor area like a barn was renovated, it became a cafe, the atmosphere of the British such as a favorite car and a bar was good. In addition, the cafe & restaurant which renewed was also a mixed Western and Japanese atmosphere.

Today is June 30th. Half of the year passed in 2018. The remaining half of the year starts from tomorrow.

It is an event called “Nagoshi no Harae (Summer Purification Ceremony)” in Japan, that is done on such a day of separation. It is called “Kayano wa kuguri” to pass down the thatch ring created in the shrine and to reduce sin and impurity. Chigaya ring is a ring knitted with grass called Kaya. This is the event that thanks to appreciate being able to spend safely with excellence of the first half of this year, and pray for spending well the rest of the year. What is done at the end of June is “Summer Purification Ceremony”, and “Year end Purification Ceremony” at the end of December.

In the last blog I wrote about lost in translation (it is impossible to correctly transcode different cultures altogether and something will always be lost), today is about understanding and belief in cross cultural thought when I saw the movie “Silence”.

Original piece was written by Shusaku Endo, the movie director Martin Scorsese. It is a masterpiece that was translated in more than 20 countries and was finally made into a film after 28 years since Scorsese first read the original. Since it is 2 hours and 40 minutes, you also need physical fitness to watch, but I think there is a reasonable response.

I have not read the original and I do not know much about Christianity, perhaps my thoughts would change if I study the original and study Christianity more, but I write obliviously watching movies without various knowledge and information and write what I thought.

As an English learner, when I learn English or when I talk to foreigners, I feel lost in translation (it is impossible to transfer the whole culture correctly perfectly, something always is lost). After all, there are limits to words, and it is hard to convey to the context that this word after understanding the background deeply is hard to convey.

Today is about the word “Culture” I often use.

Culture (in Japanese)
Sometimes it means human intellectual refinement and spiritual progress and its outcome, in particular products of art and literature, but today it is wider, including the behavioral styles and material aspects shared by members of a society It often refers to a lifestyle. The culture defined in this way consists of languages, thoughts, beliefs, customs, taboos, laws, institutions, tools, techniques, works of art, rituals, rituals and so on.
(Britannica International Encyclopedia of Encyclopedia)

As I wrote a blog of “Beethoven Symphony No. 5” “I want to be a sound” I remembered a thing and I write about it today.

It is said that excellent artists and top athlete people reach different dimensions by immersing in their respective acts, and they produce excellent results. Because it is said that achievement comes by having the self identical with the act. When entering the zone there is no memory, just a state of act itself. You will not even be conscious of doing something (Do), to be identical (Be).

This is not just a special person’s experience, I think that everyone is in Be state as long as it is nothing enthusiastic. When walking, when cleaning, when cooking, when knitting, when jogging, even in these everyday acts, concentrating the mind present and without thinking, and nothing comes to mind. The feeling is being sharpened very much and is comfortably filled with peace.

It is still good if results are obtained, but life is about enjoying the process, and if so, I think that it will be OK if I stay in Be forever. In English “Now” is also to express Present. How about that?

Today I write about a person I remembered as dancer Maki Morishita said “I want to become a sound” while she is dancing in the last blog.

The person is Canadian pianist Glenn Gould.

I have heard of the name before, but until recently I did not know well. And, I knew Gould was at a school to study contemporary art. Person who immersed in music, that life, of course was all artistic.

In words that describe Glenn Gould, there are geniuses, geniuses, geniuses, etc. In addition to the performance evaluation, it seems that such behavior was also said from personality and behavior of private life.

– Graduated from the Toronto Royal Conservatory at the youngest age of 14
– Beethoven’s piano concerto No. 4 first movement played concert debut
– The first album Bach’s “Goldberg Variations” recorded at NY at the age of 23 records the best sales of classic records in 1956
– At the age of 32 declaring suddenly stopping the concert activity at the peak of popularity, staying in the studio, becoming a pianist specializing in recording and enhancing his art
– In an extremely cold weather, even in the summer, he wore a thick sweater under a thick jacket, wearing a old coat, muffler, fur hat
– Fidelity abnormal
– Absolutely do not drink tap water
– He was a very small meal, usually taking only a small amount of biscuits and fruit juice, supplements (vitamins, antibiotics)
– Refused to play unless it was a dedicated chair
– Leaning towards Bach

I watched the dance performances that I performed at Aoyama’s spiral hall. “Beethoven Symphony No. 5 Dance the all movements -One body one piano. Beyond the fate opposes-” *I translated the title in Japanese to English

In June 1918, Beethoven’s symphonique was played for the first time in Japan by the German captive held in Tokushima’s Bando Prison Camp. Now that 100 years have passed, The symphonic no. 5 “Destiny” which gives an impressive impression to everyone’s heart is choreographed by four choreographers who index the era through the body of a single dancer. Destiny moves when Hikaru Ebihara is welcomed as a music director and Yasuhiko Imanishi’s piano and Mokori Maki’s body confront each other.

（from Official flyer）

It is the continuation of the last “What kind of dream is Yumeji‘s dream?”

I introduce the impressive contents from the book “Takehisa Yume bi-art book collection” that summarizes Yumeji’s poems and essays, related to the exhibition “Takehisa Yumeji: Master of Japanese Modern Illustration” held at Tokyo Station Gallery until 7/1.

Last time I was talking about poetry, today I pick up “Yukata should wear casually” from the essay.

Many women appear in Yumeji’s paintings, most of them are wearing kimonos and yukata. As expressed in organic lines, the suppleness of kimono and the curvaceous beauty of the women imagined from it are very impressive, Yumeji seems to have been committed about dressing.