Gates at the Fushimi, Inari Shrine, Kyoto, Japan

Kyoto, Japan is the ancient home of the Imperial Court and considered the center of Japanese religion, aesthetics, music, theatre and dance.

The city holds about 20 percent of Japan’s national treasures including more than 1,700 Buddhist temples and 300 Shinto shrines.  The Japanese aesthetic of serenity is felt as you visit the Imperial Gardens, the Golden Pavillion and the Toji Temple.

My friend, Gary Arndt photographed this walkway while he visited the Fushimi, Inari Shrine.  Gary is taking a global journey, his website Everything-Everywhere has amazing first-hand insights into Kyoto and Japan.  This picture reminded me of the Gates in New York City and the belief that the arts can bring ages and cultures together.

I have learned that Japan’s Ministry of Education is responsible for most official support and patronage of the arts.  The ministry has a conservative position favoring traditional arts and crafts and “high culture.”  The Ministry designates “National Treasures”  which include not only great works of art—paintings, sculptures, or architectural masterpieces but also art forms and artists.

Many traditional artistic forms and aesthetic genre are regarded as distinctively Japanese: ukiyo-e woodblock prints, dramatic forms such as No’ and Kabuki, landscape gardening, architectural styles, poetic genre such as haiku (the 17-syllable verse form), Zen philosophy, flower arranging (ikebana), tea ceremony, and taiko drum music are a few examples.

If you are traveling, Kyoto is the place to immerse yourself in Japanese culture.   Here at home, we can look beneath the surface and realize Japanese culture is already a part of our lives.  I have a “Zen Rock Garden” on my desk which was a gift to help soothe my weary mind.  A hand-painted teapot and matching cups reminds me of the beauty of a Geisha tea service.  My silk robe is embroidered with Japanese cherry blossoms.

Our world may seem very large, but we’re all connected.  Today, let’s appreciate the aesthetic beauty and serenity of Japan.  Joy

Traditional Architectural Design

When you visit Morocco you can’t help notice the design of buildings and detail in the mosaics.  The architectural style is a reflection of the mix of cultures influencing artists since the first century.

Previously the Phoenicians and Romans controlled the Northern African region.  As time passed, the Berbers, who were the native people of the Atlas Mountains adapted Islam and Arabic culture became dominate in the land.    In 788 (yes, over 1,200 years ago!)  the first Islamic State was formed by Moulay Idriss I, the Idrisside Dynasty began in Fez, Morocco.

“What is beautiful is never too expensive. What is glorious has no price”. Thus spoke the Merinid Sultan Abu Inan when he was presented with the final costs of the monumental Bou Inaniya, a medersa or religious Muslim academy, that he had built in his capital, Fez, in the 14th century.

I won’t continue the history lesson, you know it goes back and forth with battles between Spain and Morocco.  What happened is a mix of cultural influences on both sides of the Straits of Gibraltar.

One example is a Riad, which is a traditional house or palace with an interior garden, modeled after the Roman courtyard dwellings.  The Riad is inward focused allowing privacy and protection from the weather.  The interior gardens and open roof provided air and light which is lacking in a mud brick wall construction.

Entrance to these houses is a major transitional experience and encourages reflection because all of the rooms open into the central atrium space.  In the garden there are often orange or lemon trees and possibly a fountain.  The interior walls are decorated with intricate geometric mosaic tiles.

The Moroccan culture is rich and diverse – Spanish, Italian, French, Arabic, African, Catholic, Jewish, Islamic.  Each region possesses its own uniqueness, contributing to the national culture.   Today, Morocco has set among its top priorities the protection of its diversity and the preservation of its cultural heritage.

In celebration of that diversity, I am going to bring Moroccan Design into my home.  While I can’t rebuild my home, I can bring a fountain and mosaic tiles onto my back patio.  The geometric patterns are mesmerizing and yet calming, the blue and black on white is spectacular.  I’ve got the citrus trees, maybe a little belly dancing music… What do you think?  Can you incorporate this design into your life?

Patterned Mosaic Tiles