〜Painting of Tyrol scenery いただき物〜

My first calligraphy teacher and his wife gave me this picture of his own composition.  One of their daughters says she remembers her father painted a number of pictures of the same motif and she feels the most youthfulness out of this one because of its use of colors and tone.

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初めの書の先生ご夫妻からいただいたチロルの山の絵です。娘さんのお一人によると、先生は同じ主題の絵を何枚か描かれたけれども、色使いや調子から、これが一番若々しい感じがするとのことです。

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〜One day trip　神在祭〜

Yesterday I paid a visit to Izumo Taisha Shrine https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Izumo-taishabecause I heard they are having an annual grand festival now.

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年に一度のお祭りだと聞きましたので、昨日出雲大社に行って来ました。

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So, this is it/

Huge sacred straw festoon of/

Izumo Taisha Shrine/

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Translation and calligraphy by Chio

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〜Postcards collection　字って地味なんですが〜

These are for the postcards collection to be held from this Saturday and will last for about a week.  This is my second participation in it.  I am fully aware that calligraphy looks much more somber (plus sober, maybe), however, I would like many people to be exposed to this amazing tradition, culture and art.

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今週の土曜日から約１週間開かれるポストカードコレクションに出品予定のものです。参加させてもらうのは2回目です。字というものは地味ではありますが、この素晴らしい伝統であり、文化であり、芸術である書道に多くの人たちに触れてほしいと願っています。

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〜Tale of the bamboo cutter ラジオの英会話番組〜

These days, I have been greatly enjoying listening to my favorite English learning program on the radio which now features The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter.　　Here is one of the ways of the heroine’s name in Chinese characters.  The first letter 赫means “radiant” and the second one 映, “reflected beautifully”. Thus, literally, her name indicates she is a radiantly beautiful princess 姫.  Thick bamboos draw my attention while I take a walk.

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今、大好きなラジオの英会話番組で放送されている竹取物語がとても面白いです。かぐや姫の漢字表記はいくつかあるようですが、そのうちの一つがこれです。『光り輝いて美しく映える姫』。太い竹を見ると気になります。

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〜Phrase from a sutra 『大』がすごい〜

Yesterday, I went to the temple my family has belonged to for a lecture by the main priest about a well-known Buddhist sutra.  Honestly, I didn’t quite understand the lecture, but I was truly happy to see this phrase.  I would be happy to read only “delightedness”, however, to my greater happiness, the word has “great” as a prefix.

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昨日のこと、お世話になっているお寺さんで、よく知られたお経についてのお講義を聴きに行きました。実は住職さんのおっしゃったことの全部は解りませんでしたが、これはそのうちの一節で、慶喜だけでも嬉しいのに、大が付いているのでとても嬉しく思いました。

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〜Preparation for gift giving ポチ袋〜

Yesterday I made these in a workshop at a paperer.  Actually, I only folded what they have prepared beforehand.  Since I don’t have any great-grandchildren, I am wondering who I should give them to.

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昨日のこと、ある表具屋さんでのワークショップで作りました。いえ、実際には折っただけですが。私には曽孫はいませんので、誰にあげたらいいでしょうか。

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I am placing new year’s allowance/

For my great-grandchildren/

Into little envelopes/

Translation and calligraphy by Chio

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〜Flower smiles　とても小さな額〜

The two letters are “flower” and “smile”, that is, “flower smiles”, which means “flower blooms” and is my favorite phrase.  The little sasanqua bud that is about to bloom is from the corner of my garden.

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『花』と『微笑み』です。つまり『花が微笑む』ですが、『花が咲く』という意味で、私の大好きな言い回しです。小さな山茶花の蕾はうちの庭の隅から摘んできました。

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〜One way of expressing beauty 華道展〜

As I got an invitation to a big exhibition of flower arrangement or Ikebana, I visited it yesterday and enjoyed seeing many arrangements.  There were many people, as well.

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招待券をもらいましたので、昨日大きな華道展に行ってきました。たくさんのお作品を見て、人もたくさん見ました。

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〜Old ink stick　龍の絵〜

The ink stick I bought quite some time ago but forgot completely appeared from somewhere.  It is a common pattern but I wonder if I chose my favorite, a dragon design in an unconscious manner.

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ずっと前に買っていながら忘れていた墨が出てきました。よくある図柄ですが、大好きな龍の絵を無意識のうちに買っていたのかな？　と思いました。

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Finished grinding the ink stick/

Saw the winter mountain just opposite away/

Translation and calligraphy by Chio

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〜Big dream　師からの贈り物〜

The photo shows a gift from my first calligraphy teacher who was an amazing calligraphy master, “Happy occasions and a big dream”.  I certainly have an exceedingly big dream to spread to the whole world what my teacher and his wife gave me.

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書の大家だった初めの先生からいただいたものです。『吉寿大夢』。確かに、私には先生ご夫妻からいただいたものを世界中に広げたいという限りなく大きな夢があります。

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〜Warmer days ahead　落ち葉・過去へ〜

Yesterday I wrote that in Kyoto we are have been having cold days of this winter.  However, the weather forecast says warmer days will continue for several days from tomorrow.

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昨日京都は寒さの底と書きましたが、天気予報によると、明日からしばらくは暖かい日が続くそうです。

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One step at a time/

Dancing fallen leaves travel/

Back into the past and into the past/

Translation and calligraphy by Chio

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〜Pink is my life! ピンク大好き〜

I have always liked pink color.  Then I found out there was an exhibition perfectly for me, for its theme color was none other than pink.  The venue of this “Pink Exhibit” was indeed all pink!

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ピンクという色が大好きです。そうしたら、そんな私にピッタリのピンクをテーマ色にしたグループ展がありました。会場はピンクだらけでした。

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Piece of a dream at year-end/

Pink key/

Translation and calligraphy by Chio

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〜Seasonal phrase for the first half of November つばき〜

The phrase for this season around the first half of November is “camellias growing naturally begin to bloom”.

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この季節の七十二候の言葉は、『山野に自生するつばきの花が咲き始める』。

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〜Fruits on a tree お庭の木の実〜

Yesterday I watched a couple in my neighborhood reaping a lot of fruits on a tree in their garden.  Then, the lady came to my house with these yellow fruits, a kind of citrus with very good fragrance.

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昨日、ご近所のご夫妻がお庭のたわわに実った木からその実を収穫しておられるのを見ていました。するとその後、奥さまがこの柚子を持ってきてくださいました。

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Five or six, are there?/

Yuzu or small citrus fruits/

Have become their best time/

Translation and calligraphy by Chio

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〜Hurry up, love!　愛が　いそいでる〜

This love happened to have a head forward posture a little.

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少し前のめりの愛になりました。

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〜Winter begins　立冬〜

〜Winter begins　立冬〜

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Fragrance of chrysanthemums and the moon; autumnal symbols are still around, however, according to the old calendar, today marks the first day of winter.

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菊の香や月夜、アイテムは秋だけれども、暦の上では今日から冬。

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Moonlit night/

Scent of chrysanthemums/

Already winter begins/

Translation and calligraphy by Chio

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〜A little bigger paper screens 新作です〜

About two and a half months ago, I wrote on very small paper screens.  And these are my new ones which are a little bigger than the ones before.

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２ヶ月半ぐらい前に、小さな屏風に書きましたが、これら新作はもう少し大きいものです。

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〜Complimentary remark to calligraphers, Pt. 2 書家への賛辞 その２〜

The other day, I wrote that it is a superb compliment for a calligrapher to describe the movement of the arm with a brush is like “dancing in the air”.  And here is another one that describes the movement as “flowing on the water”.

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先日、筆を持つ書家の腕の動きを『宙を舞うようだ』というのが書家への最高の賛辞だと書きましたが、もう一種類、『水の上を流れるようだ』というのもあります。

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〜Going back to the basics 昔のお手本〜

I practiced with models my teacher gave me when I was very young, which filled me with warm feelings.

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子供の頃に先生からいただいた手本で練習してみました。気持ちが暖かくなりました。

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〜Autumn colors　カエデやツタ〜

This is the phrase for this season, beginning of November.  And surely the leaves on the trees in Tadasuno Mori in my neighborhood are beginning to change colors.

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11月の初めを表現する言葉を書きました。確かに近くの糺の森の木の葉も色付き始めています。

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〜I am very happy! 嬉しい出来事〜

An acquaintance of my longtime, very good friend of mine happened to like my calligraphy and offered to buy one.  I sent this long and thin piece with a Zen phrase and received the photo kindly sent by that person to let me know she received it.

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ずっと昔からの親友のお知り合いがたまたま私の書を気に入ってくださいました。それで、小さいものをご購入くださると伺いましたので、禅語を書いた短冊作品を郵送したところ、受け取りましたということで、この写真を送信してくださいました。

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〜Vast expansion　宇宙の宙〜

A little signal made me interested in this character.  As its form is bilaterally symmetric, it looks kind of sedate, however, a Chinese character dictionary says it expresses the extent of both space and time.

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ふとしたきっかけでこの字に興味を持ちました。形は左右対称で落ち着いてしまっているように見えますが、漢字辞典によると、この字は空間と時間の広がりを表すそうです。

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〜Happy Halloween!　母のお気に入り〜

My mother liked it at once.  So, for her enjoyment, I asked my paperer if it was possible to frame it to be displayed.  But they instantly refused.

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母はひと目で気に入ってくれました。そこで、いつもの表具屋さんに何とか展示できるようにできませんかと尋ねましたが、速攻断られました。

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〜 Seeing through the essence 憧れの女性 その２〜

Yesterday I wrote that my first calligraphy teacher’s wife has always been my admiration. And the reason is she had this extraordinarily keen insight to people’s essence.

I practiced copying the calligraphy she left, hoping to obtain the same kind of touch as hers.

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昨日、初めの書の師の奥さまが私の生涯通しての憧れの女性だと書きましたが、それは人の本質を見抜く類稀な洞察力をお持ちだったからです。

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同じような作風を身に付けたくて、お稽古してみました。

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〜 Cherishing and loving; illuminating and lighting 憧れの女性 〜

I picked two characters from the Buddhist afterlife name of my first teacher’s wife, my greatest adoration in life.

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私の生涯通しての憧れの女性である初めの書の師の奥さまの法名から２文字選びました。

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〜 Comprehensive virtue 師の書の臨書 〜

I practiced copying the calligraphy my teacher left.  In his opinion, “comprehensive beauty” should be found over harmonies, that is, harmony with nature and harmony among all people with a different individuality.

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師の遺した書の臨書です。先生によると、「綜合美」とは調和、すなわち、自然との調和やそれぞれに個性を持つ人々の調和上にあるものです。

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〜 Modern haiku コンビニの俳句 〜

Writing haiku poems has been interesting me for some time.  Still, I really can’t do it well.  Instead of writing haiku myself I found this one on the internet.

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俳句を自分で作りたいと思っていますが、うまくいきません。代わりにネットで見つけました。

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Outside the convenience store/

Is depth of the ocean/

Loud chirpings of the insects (of autumn)/

Translation and calligraphy by Chio/

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〜 Phrase of the season キリギリス 〜

This phrase, “bush crickets at the door stridulate” may have missed its timing.  However, in any case, I can’t tell what their chirping is like.

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この「キリギリスが戸に在る」は少しタイミングを外してしまったかもしれません。いずれにしても、私はキリギリスの鳴き声というのは分かりません。

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〜 Dancing in the air 宙を舞う 〜

This best compliment for a calligrapher describing the movement of the arm with a brush came from a very important friend of mine I met in Poland about three years ago on the occasion of the calligraphy exhibit I was allowed to participate.

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書家の筆を持つ腕の動きを表現したこの最良の褒め言葉は、3年ほど前に参加させていただいたポーランドでの書展を機に知り合った大切な友人からいただいたものです。

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Fragrance in the air もったいない

Osmanthus flowers are in full bloom here and there.  We should be immensely enjoying their pleasant fragrance now.  However, this year we usually wear face masks when going out, which seems to deprive us of this entertainment.

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My late mother used to say that she liked those trees because they were around without being too obvious until people notice them by the scent.

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あちらこちらで金木犀が満開になっています。それでいい匂いが立ち込めているはずなのですが、もったいないことにマスクをしているといつも程には折角のいい匂いがあまり感じられない気がします。

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「気がついたらそこでひっそりと香っている金木犀が好き」と亡母がよく言っていました。

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I had a dream like this….

Sometime ago, I had an impressive dream.  In that dream, a number of horses were running energetically.  It was a really pleasant dream.  The weather was fine and the world was bright.  And all the horses looked very happy.

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The horses were running down the Kawabata Street near my house, actually though.

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Back of my house

I don’t clean back of my house very often, but whenever I do I feel very refreshing.

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Raking the fallen leaves/

Still/

Finding last years of my life stimulating/

Translation and calligraphy by Chio

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Phrase of the season

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“A flock of geese begin to fly in.”

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This phrase is allocated roughly to the first half of October.

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Flowers blooming in profusion of course mark the change of seasons, and on top of that, migrating birds both fly in and out also give the same effect to people’s minds and lives, I suppose.

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Dragon

Both my first calligraphy teacher and my mother were born in the year of the dragon according to the Oriental Zodiac.

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And here is “dragon”, a result of my copying practice of the work by my first calligraphy teacher.  I am afraid mine lacks dynamism that the original one innately possesses.

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Light

“As light flows”.

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Somehow, I feel something fluid, so it flows but not just goes.

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Large frame

I put small postcard size works into a large frame.  Then, they don’t look like just postcards, oddly enough.

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I am now wondering how I could use this big frame in the prospective art events I am going to participate.

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Same lines, different styles

I practiced calligraphy following the models by my teacher that he left many years ago.

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These are the same lines from a poem by Li Bai in two different writing styles.

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I just wonder how I managed to practice these difficult tasks when I was a high school student.

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Old memory

Old memory

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I visited Chikubu Island in the northern part of Lake Biwa the other day.

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I had a very vague memory from my very early childhood that my parents took me there.

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However, this memory became even more obscure right after the boat docked at the port of the island’s entrance because the scenery was quite different from the one in my memory.

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Oh, reed warbler/

Lake water can’t/

Get out of the lake/

Translation and calligraphy by Chio

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Harvest time

This phrase means “water drains”.  It is allocated roughly to the first part of October according to the solar terms.

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It describes the scene that farmers drain water from rice paddies in preparation for harvesting.

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New way of presentation

These are examples of wonderful way of presenting calligraphic works on tanzaku, or elongated pieces of paper invented by my long-time, valued friend.

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You can also hang them using the little devices on the back side.

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They are “early, autumn, cool, evening” (right) and “gateway to great success” (left).

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Incidentally, the second character on the left one is a little unusual from the one most generally used nowadays, that is, the two right-left parts are put in reverse.

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The two characters, the modern type and this reversed type are considered to be the same character, irrelevant to the two parts’ positions.  In other words, Chinese characters have more flexibility than most people would think.  And I like this character in this unusual form.

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