Thorsons
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This edition published by Thorsons 2018
FIRST EDITION
Text © Erin Niimi Longhurst 2018
Illustrations © Ryo Takemasa 2018
Cover layout design © HarperCollinsPublishers Ltd 2018
Cover illustrations © Ryo Takemasa 2018
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Source ISBN 9780008286040
Ebook Edition © 2018 ISBN: 9780008286057
Version 2018-03-27
Contents
Wabi-sabi (The beauty of imperfection and impermanence)
Kintsugi (Finding beauty in imperfection)
Shinrin-yoku (Nourished by nature)
Ikebana (The art of flower arranging)
Onsen (Hot springs and bathing)
Calligraphy (Penmanship and sumi-e)
© Scott Webb on Unsplash
I grew up straddling several cultures. Born in London to an English father and a Japanese mother, I lived in Seoul, in London and then, for several years, in the cultural melting pot that is New York. But all the while, I always had a strong connection to Japan through my mother and my extended Japanese family, with whom I would spend the sticky, humid summers.
Over the past few years, I’ve written extensively about Japan on my blog, mostly covering recipes, lifestyle and travel tips. And while I’ve lived in many places dotted across the globe, I feel as though I always return – in every aspect of my life – to the same frameworks, rituals, habits and traditions: those from my upbringing, family life and time spent in Japan.
The word ‘Japonisme’ was first used in the late nineteenth century to describe the craze for Japanese art, culture and design in the West – an interest that has grown exponentially in the past few years to include anything from music to film, to food and art.
I think the thing that makes Japan’s culture and traditions so uniquely special is its long history of isolation. Japan has acquired such a strong, distinct and rich identity because it lacked external influence for so long. For over 220 years, Japan had an isolationist foreign policy, known as sakoku, meaning it was a ‘closed country’. Under the Tokugawa shogunate, relations and trade between Japan and the rest of the world were strictly limited. Few were allowed to leave the country, and few were allowed in from the early 1600s, in an attempt to counter the perceived threat of foreign, religious and colonial influence.
Sure, the two-century-long period of national seclusion occurred