Mikiko Takase
Mikiko “Micky” Takase Tamamura, Sawa-Gun, Gunma, Japan “Before Jim Hay began teaching me about Art Quilts, I had studied traditional quilt-making for a long time here in Japan. I first became impressed with quilts from watching an old American TV program “Little House on the Prairie”. Now I enjoy making
Neighbors at the Well
In my Grandmother’s Day Japanese houses were small, very close together and had no water supply. Each neighborhood shared a well. Women gathered at the Well to do laundry and prepare meals. They exchanged information, talked about family, discussed festivals and passed along rumors and gossip. Wells are gone now,
Ecosystem Tree
The ecosystem measures the round and round circulation of living things within their environment. Think of the food chain and the cycles of animals and plants. This has resulted in a system where the strongest gravitate to the top. When this system works well, the world goes along smoothly. However,
International Handcraft
The Silk Road wound across the Middle East, India, China and Korea. It brought craft techniques that evolved into the unique crafts of Japan. I always seek out simple crafts during my own travels. It is a pleasure to buy souvenirs from each country and they help me keep memories
International Handcraft
The Silk Road wound across the Middle East, India, China and Korea. It brought craft techniques that evolved into the unique crafts of Japan. I always seek out simple crafts during my own travels. It is a pleasure to buy souvenirs from each country and they help
Internationalization
“The Olympics are Coming, The Olympics are Coming.” Japan is excited to welcome the Olympics to Tokyo. People are quickly studying English to welcome everyone to the Olympics. Japan wants to be an International nation, but the truth is that most people are poor English speakers.
Fireworks Reflection
The dead people of Japan are said to return to this world for a short time during the summer. Many cities and towns have fireworks displays as a way to guide the dead back to their world. Fireworks are launched at the waterside and their reflections illuminate
“I’m Here” Identity
There is no word that accurately represents “Identity” in Japanese language. People in Japan relate as community. The name written above was not intentionally written with all capital letters for the family name. I was surprised to see I had done that. Japanese people usually address me as
LINE Marks Identity in Japanese
By Sharaku, 1794 Portrait of a famous Kabuki actor from the Edo period (1600-1868). This “ukiyo-e” woodblock print was made more than 200 years ago. One can see at a glance that it is Japanese. It has no shadows and features outline. Chōjū-giga, literally,
Seven Masks
There are “Seven Lucky Gods” of good fortune in Japan. They evolved over time from the beliefs of many countries along the Silk Road; India,China,Tibet,the Middle East and Far East. They are an international blend of many Peoples and religions. I wanted to make human faces. I
Disunity Of The Earth
It has been getting terribly heat lately in Japanese summer. And cherry blossoms bloom in April every year, but this year it ended in March. I’m worry about the global warming. There are big problems in the world such as Religion, Race, Politics, Gender, Gun, and Family…. People always
Disunion
Japanese people know about “Halloween”from the recent past. An unforgettable shooting incident happened in October 1992,in Louisiana, USA. A Japanese overseas student named “Hattori “entered a Halloween decorated house, mistaking it for his friend house. The owner drew on him in the dark and said, “Freeze” The Japanese