The photo shows my work I created at someone’s request.
Knowing someone’s existence that highly appraises my calligraphy marks my supreme happiness.
＜To the homepageof this website.>
字を書いて欲しいとの依頼を受けて、書きました。
わたしの字を気に入ってくださる方がいるのは本当に嬉しいことです。
＜このサイトのホームへ。>
Yesterday, for the first time in a long while, I went out in the evening to listen to lectures on tarots; their origin, history, various kinds…I enjoyed listening to the lecturers and agreed with one of them who attached weight on how their designs look fascinating.
O, cherry blossoms at night!/
It is only a hundred yeas/
Since I died/
Translation and calligraphy by Tomoko
＜To the homepageof this website.>
昨日は久しぶりに夜に外出しました。タロットカードについての講義を聴きに。タロットの起源や歴史や種類など、など・・・面白かったですし、講師の先生のおっしゃっていた通り、あの図柄って何故か心惹かれるものがあるのですよね。
＜このサイトのホームへ。>
Because the task for today’s practice session was to choose and write one letter from our own name, in other words, the same as the last time, this time I chose one from my mother’s name.
＜To the homepage of this website.＞
今日のお稽古の課題は、先日と同じように自分の名前から一文字とって書く、というものでした。それで、私は母の名前から一字書きました。
＜このサイトのホームへ。＞
In our garden, primula flowers are beginning to bloom year in, year out. My mother told me my granddad liked this flower and when she got married and came to our house to live, the flowers were already there.
My mother and I didn’t know the name and used to call this flower “granddad’s flower” until the lady next door who is a keen gardener taught us it was “primula”.
Granddad/
Is a very warm/
Stub/
Translation and calligraphy by Tomoko
＜To the homepage of this website.>
今年も毎年のように庭のプリムラが咲き始めました。母によると、祖父がこの花が好きだったようで、母がお嫁に来た時には既に咲いていたそうです。母も私もこの花の名前を知らなかったので、「おじいちゃんの花」と呼んでいました。ガーデニングがお得意のお隣の奥さまに教えてもらうまで。
＜このサイトのホームへ。>
According to the old Japanese tradition, young women were allowed to wear clothing of cherry blossom color, however, women of middle aged or over shouldn’t wear the color of cherry blossom while the flowers were in full bloom and should be wearing the color after the period of their best was over.
Now I wonder what about I who am wearing pink color all year round.
I will dye my kimono deep cherry blossom color/
In order to make a reminder of the blossoms after they are gone/
Poem by Kino Aritomo
Calligraphy by Tomoko
＜To the homepage of this website.>
昔の日本の考え方では、桜の盛りの季節には、若い女性は桜色の着物を着てもいいけれども、中年以上の女性は花の盛りが過ぎてからでないと着るべきでないとされていたそうです。
年がら年中ピンクを着ている私はどうなるのでしょう？
＜このサイトのホームへ。>
The task for today’s practice session was to choose and write one letter from our own name. You can write it any way you want, because it is your own name. I did this remembering that I heard my father named me.
＜To the homepage of this website.＞
今日のお稽古の課題は、自分の名前から一文字とって書く、というものでした。自分の名前だからどう書いてもいい。私は、父が名付けてくれたのだということを聞いたな、ということを思い出して書きました。
＜このサイトのホームへ。＞
Today I paid a visit to the grave of my mother’s family, which I do twice a year.
In my mother’s hometown, I have always felt more sunlight, that is, less shaded areas, and the air with much more dusts compared to Kyoto, my hometown.
In the spring sunlight/
Only dusts are/
Rising up/
Nothing has changed/
In mom’s hometown/
＜To the homepage of this website.>
今日は、母の実家の墓参りをしてきました。だいたい年に２回のペースでしますが。
母の実家の町は、私が生まれ育った京都に比べるといつも陽射しが多くて、つまり日陰が少なくて、埃っぽい気がします。
＜このサイトのホームへ。>
A couple of weeks ago, a good friend of mine came to my house, saying “tonight is our girls’ night!” with lots of good things to eat.
I had simply too much to eat because the food she brought was so good, however, somehow “drinking” too much would not happen to me.
At a girls’ night party/
A falcon of perfume/
Asking for happiness/
Translation and calligraphy by Tomoko
＜To the homepage of this website.>
少し前のこと。
「女子会をやろう！」と美味しいお料理をたくさん持参して来てくださった方がいました。
食べ過ぎました。美味し過ぎて。でも、私の場合、どういうものか、飲み過ぎ、というのはあまり起こらない。
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I have really been trying hard to escape from anything predictable, but just in vain. Ordinary layout. Lingering cold….
＜To the homepage of this website.>
枠からはみ出たいな、という気持ちはずっとあるのですが、出られない。平凡な散らし。去っていかない風邪。
＜このサイトのホームへ。>
As I have been suffering from a cold, I haven’t practiced calligraphy for some time. Today, I resumed this activity by using two brushes, two brushes with extremely long tassels, that is.
The motif is a typical phrase for this season, “a caterpillar turns into a butterfly”.
As a matter of fact, I wish to have skills to express something wilder, unheard-of and unseen.
＜To the homepage of this website.>
風邪で暫く筆を持っていませんでした。
久しぶりに墨を磨って書いてみようと思ったら、つい筆を２本、それも長鋒を２本持っていました。
題材はごく普通に、この季節を表す「菜虫化蝶」。
本当は、もっともっと破天荒になりたい。
＜このサイトのホームへ。>
In the eastern world, calligraphy and paintings almost always have used portrait-oriented sheets of paper.
However, in order to match the taste of the people in Western world, we may try expressions on land-scale materials.
“Flower smiles” : Poetic expression of “Flower blooms”
“Fresh breeze”
＜To the homepage of this website.>
東洋の書画は昔から縦長の紙に書かれるのが常でした。
けれども、西洋の人たちに楽しんでもらうためには、横長に書くのがいいでしょうか。
＜このサイトのホームへ。>
The task for today’s practice session was this.
Cleaning comes first:
Followed by piety.
Cleaning, especially wiping, will lessen your distresses, as they say, because it is almost impossible to worry about trifles while using a dustcloth or a map. However, among all kinds of household chores, I hate cleaning the most. My biggest trouble at the moment, I am afraid, is that it will certainly enlarge the volume of my distress.
＜To the homepage of this website.＞
今日のお稽古の課題。
一に掃除。
二に信心。
掃除（取り分け拭き掃除）をすれば悩みもなくなる：悩みが気にならなくなる、ということらしいですが、私は家事の中で掃除が一番嫌い。余計に悩みが増えそうなのが悩みです。
＜このサイトのホームへ。＞
My mother’s name is Kinue and mine is Tomoko. I put these sounds Ki, Nu, E, Tomo, and Ko at the beginning of each line and wrote a poem.
I got this idea from a wonderful poem with a warm taste I found at a calligraphy exhibition I visited the other day.
Apparently, a mother wrote a poem putting the sounds of her daughter’s name at the beginning of each line, which I heard made the daughter so very happy. I tried the same manner.
Who are you?
What a strong bond we have had!
Like a coloring picture/
Let us continue painting together/
This picture of our lives, so VIVID/
＜To the homepage of this website.>
母の名前は、絹江。私の名前は知子。それで、その文字を行の頭に置いて歌にしてみました。
このアイデアは、先日見学した書展で、お母さんがお嬢さんのお名前でほのぼのとした良いお歌を書いておられるのを見て、ちょっと真似したものです。それで、お嬢さんはとても喜ばれたそうです。
＜このサイトのホームへ。>
The task for today’s practice session was the very first part of the preface to Kokin Wakashu.
Although our teacher told us to write it as our own “creation”, you may notice my growing desperate a little.
＜To the homepage of this website.＞
今日のお稽古の課題は古今和歌集の序文の、そのまたごく初めの部分。自分の「作品」にするように、とのことでしたが、ちょっとやけになっているのも感じられるかも知れません。
＜このサイトのホームへ。＞
In November last year, a heaven-sent opportunity enabled me to participate in a calligraphy exhibition in a foreign country far away from home.
I also got a new friend there. The photo shows my pieces I wrote by request from this new friend for her and her friend.
Being asked to make a calligraphy work is the greatest delight for me. I am principled to respond to this kind of request. I have never failed to.
＜To the homepage of this website.>
昨年１１月に願ってもないチャンスがあり、遠い異国での作品展に参加させてもらいました。
新しい友人にも恵まれ、彼女とそのお友達のために書きました。
「書いて欲しい」と言ってもらえるのは何よりも嬉しいです。書いて欲しいと頼まれれば、絶対に断りません。断ったことはありません。
＜このサイトのホームへ。>
It is often pointed out that in Japan, Valentine’s Day is celebrated in a quite different manner from other countries.
Thanking through LINE/
Reflecting memories from long-lasting bonds/
On friendship chocolate/
I feel very happy to receive Valentine’s Day gifts of chocolate from female friends of long standing.
Every year, I spend a long time looking back at old school days and days in old workplaces.
Memories are fantastic, just because they don’t weigh or grow voluminous.
＜To the homepage of this website.>
旧い知り合いからの友チョコは嬉しいです。
学生時代のこと、旧い職場のこと、たくさんの思い出に想いを馳せながらいただきます。
思い出は、重くないし、嵩張らない。
＜このサイトのホームへ。>
Tomorrow is a day of LOVE, after all.
＜To the homepage of this website.>
やはり明日は愛の日だと思うのです。
＜このサイトのホームへ。>
Tomorrow is a day of LOVE, after all.
<yushokai.com>
やはり明日は愛の日だと思うのです。
<yushokai.com>
Today’s task was this; Time and tide wait for no man.
If literally translated, it would be something like “Years and months will not wait for people.”
That is THE difficulty.
＜To the homepage of this website.＞
今日の課題はこれ。
歳月人を待たず。困るのですよね、それが。
＜このサイトのホームへ。＞
It is Risshun, beginning of spring today according to the old lunar calendar.
The phrase 立春大吉roughly means “Beginning of spring; Excellent fortune.” I read somewhere that all the letters in this phrase are symmetrical, which is supposed to bring good luck.
I am afraid my pretending to be a sort on avant-garde calligrapher has spoiled the effect, though.
＜To the homepage of this website.>
今日は立春ですが、字全部が左右対称なところがめでたいのだと何かで読んだように思います。
こんな風にしてしまったら台無しですけどね。
＜このサイトのホームへ。>
“Drive away ogres! Invite happiness into the house!”
When I was a small child, I used to hear the above phrase from houses in the neighborhood. People did shout while scattering roasted beans on Setsubun, the last day of winter, and I remember my father used to do that. However, these days in usual homes, the custom is seldom observed.
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私が子どもの頃、節分には普通の家庭でも「鬼は外！ 福は内！」というのをやっていましたよ。
＜このサイトのホームへ。>
“Solve your problems by yourself.”
For the first time in a long time, I drew out a book of examples my teacher gave me more than 40 years ago. The page I happened to open was this: “Solve your problems by yourself.”
I must say the message is so true!
＜To the homepage of this website.>
「自分の問題は自分で片づけよ」
４０年以上前に師からいただいた折手本を久しぶりに取り出して、ふと開けたところがこれ。
確かにそうなんですよね。
＜このサイトのホームへ。>
“Calligraphy is amazing! It gives you wonderful relationship with others.”
I chose these words by my precious friend as a material for calligraphy today, if he kindly considers me as his friend, that is.
＜To the homepage of this website.>
書の縁を讃える、大切な友人の言葉を書きました。彼が私を友人だと思ってくれていれば、ですが。
＜このサイトのホームへ。>
Combination of Chinese characters and kana characters, again.
On top of that, one is practicing copying classics; while the other is creation. The idea is being one-sided is not interesting.
＜To the homepage of this website.＞
漢字と仮名の組み合わせ、再び。
漢字と仮名というだけでなくて、片方は臨書、片方は創作、という対立。どちらかに偏ると面白くない、という考え方です。
＜このサイトのホームへ。＞
“Your uniqueness hasn’t been very prominent these days. Your works should be more amusing and intriguing as before!” was my teacher’s comment in today’s practice session.
＜To the homepage of this website.＞
「この頃貴女らしさが感じられない。以前のように、もっと面白く！」と言われてしまいました。
＜このサイトのホームへ。＞
Someone praised my work to the skies that I wrote for my first solo exhibition held in the beginning of 2009. I have no idea how I could express my delight.
“It will take some more time for another flower to bloom.”
＜To the homepage of this website.＞
２００９年初めに開いた初めての個展のために書いたものを大いに褒めてくれた人がいました。嬉しい！
＜このサイトのホームへ。＞
This is another one I sent to the exhibition. It has my own tanka and haiku about my mother and looking after her. However, as I was afraid my poetry writing was not good enough to convey my feelings and present situation, I put a commentary as well.
Star and Moon/
Facing each other like smiling at each other/
To their beauty/
Mother offers/
Gratitude/
Taking old mother’s hand/
Flying in the universe together/
Starlit night/
I was pleasantly surprised to see my mother offering her gratitude to the beauty of the Venus and the Moon facing each other as if they were smiling at each other, when I put her in her wheel chair and went out for a short walk, because she became fretful after dinner one evening in fall.
＜To the homepage of this website.>
新春書藝展に出品したもう一つの作品です。母のこと、介護のことを短歌と俳句に書いて、それだけでは拙くて分かってもらえないといけませんから解説も付けました。
＜このサイトのホームへ。>
We had the first practice session of the year.
A combination of works; one, a kanji piece of a Zen words on old pine trees, the other, a kana piece of a waka on young pine trees.
Everyone in the class did a good job, which pleased our teacher.
＜To the homepage of this website.＞
今日は稽古初めでした。
古い松の木についての禅語と若松を詠んだ和歌の組み合わせ作品。皆がいい作品を書いたので先生が喜んでおられました。
＜このサイトのホームへ。＞
My mother and I went to the new-year exhibition of the works by our teacher and her students. My mother is smiling so delightedly. Just as the last year, I asked her to write one letter, this time “flower”.
＜To the homepage of this website.>
先生のお弟子たちのグループ展で。
今年も母に一文字だけ書いてもらいました。今回は「花」。
＜このサイトのホームへ。>
At the start of the year, it is an established tradition to begin practicing calligraphy on January 2.
＜To the homepage of this website.>
1月2日ですから。
＜このサイトのホームへ。>
I look forward to your continued support and friendship for the coming year.
＜To the homepage of this website.>
今年もよろしくお願い申し上げます。
＜このサイトのホームへ。>
This should have been posted yesterday.
The photo shows two of my calligraphy works and the one composed of four Chinese characters is a kind of motto of the Winter Solstice, meaning swinging from the negative to the positive, because the days will certainly be longer with the midwinter day as a turning point.
The other one shows my haiku poem about “yuzu-yu”, or bath with Japanese citron. In Japan, it is a traditional custom to put scentful yuzu (Japanese citron) fruits in the bath on the Winter Solstice. People have believed it works to keep your good health during the cold season.
It is the soft steam/
That plays the leading role/
Bath on the Winter Solstice/
＜To the homepage of this website.>
昨日書けば良かったんですけどね。
「一陽来復」と柚子湯を詠んだ（つもりの）私の句です。
＜このサイトのホームへ。>
Copying classics is difficult. It is too difficult for me. I would really like to be working on my own.
＜To the homepage of this website.＞
臨書は難しい。難し過ぎる。好きな創作だけをしていたい。
＜このサイトのホームへ。＞
The task for today’s lesson was to write something on a 2018 calendar. After all, time seems to pass quicker and quicker as growing older and older.
＜To the homepage of this website.＞
今日は来年のカレンダーを書きました。やはり年をとると時間の過ぎるのが早い！
＜このサイトのホームへ。＞
In today’s lesson, we practiced characters symbolizing next year’s Oriental Zodiac, the dog. Somehow time seems to pass quicker and quicker as growing older and older.
＜To the homepage of this website.＞
もう来年の干支のお稽古をしました。年をとると時間の過ぎるのが早い！
＜このサイトのホームへ。＞
I chose a tanka by Hakushū Kitahara for a collaboration work with my mother. As I did last year I asked her to write the last one letter meaning “flower”.
＜To the homepage of this website.>
白秋の短歌を書きましたが、最後の一文字だけ母に書いてもらいました。去年と同じです。
＜このサイトのホームへ。>
On Saturday, I went to see the exhibition of the original pictures by Ms. Moto Hagio. It was such a thrilling experience. She certainly is a great talent.
In comparison, my calligraphy looks so commonplace and uninteresting.
＜To the homepage of this website.＞
土曜日に萩尾望都さんの原画展を観に行きました。やはり天才だと思いました。
それに引き換え、私の字のつまらないこと・・・！
＜このサイトのホームへ。＞
In today’s lesson, we all had a fulfilling time. However, that means we were all exhausted at the end.
＜To the homepage of this website.＞
今日のお稽古は、充実していましたが、その分疲れました。
＜このサイトのホームへ。＞
In today’s lesson, I realized how poor I am at planning ahead a number of times.
＜To the homepage of this website.＞
今日のお稽古では、何度も自分の計画性の無さを感じました。
＜このサイトのホームへ。＞
The phrase says this is about the time chrysanthemums bloom.
Now, I remember my late father was pretty pleased with my flower arrangement of only chrysanthemums displayed at our entrance when I was young and practicing Japanese style flower arrangement, Ikebana, like many other Japanese young women. And I was extremely surprised, because my father was a kind of person who would not notice flowers or any other decorations, if there were any. I realized then the flowers had a big presence.
＜To the homepage of this website.＞
若かった頃のこと、お花のお稽古で習った菊だけの盛り花を玄関に飾っておいたら、普段は花があるのかないのかにも気づかない亡父が喜んでくれたのを覚えています。存在感のある花なのだと思いました。
＜このサイトのホームへ。＞
I tried this task several times. However, unfortunately, this maybe the best I can do now.
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何度か書いてみましたが、今のところ、こんな感じにしか書けません。
＜このサイトのホームへ。＞
“The moon” is a seasonal word for autumn in haiku composing. The photo shows my work of six or seven years ago. The third letter from the last represents “the moon”. The last three letters are “the moon”, “near” and “the people”.
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月は秋の季語のようですから、月が出てくるものを探しました。６〜７年前に書きましたが、最後の３文字は、月が人の近くにあると言っているかなと思います。
＜このサイトのホームへ。＞
One is a hanging scroll with a haiku written in kana or a calligraphy style with Japanese alphabet, and the other is a scroll to be spread on a table with kanji or Chinese characters work. Will these serve as samples to show to the people in the Western World?
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壁に吊り下げる軸装で仮名のものと、テーブルに置く巻子で漢字のもの。西洋の人たちに見てもらう見本はこれでいいかな、と考え中です。
＜このサイトのホームへ。＞
Both have same motif, a tanka poem <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tanka> with a dash of grotesqueness by Chūya Nakahara. < https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chūya_Nakahara
>
For the yellow paper, I used a brush with a batch of longer tissues than normal ones, while for the white paper, I used a normal type of brush.
As you may be aware, it is difficult to handle a brush with long hair skillfully. But if you succeed, it can create interesting lines, and I like using those brushes.
When I open my eyes on a winter night/
I fancy an apparition of a girl with silver eyes/
Stands in the darkness/
Translation and calligraphy by Tomoko
＜To the homepage of this website.>
ちょっと怪奇趣味の中原中也の短歌です。黄色い紙のは長鋒で、白い方は一般的な長さの筆を使いました。
長鋒を使いこなすのはとても難しいですが、うまくすると面白い線が書けるから好きです。
＜このサイトのホームへ。＞
We learned that the phrase meant “taking a walk cheerfully and leisurely under the blue sky”. However, unfortunately I haven’t enjoyed that kind of feeling these several months.
＜To the homepage of this website.＞
青空の下、朗らかに、且つのんびりと散歩するといった意味らしいですが、この数ヶ月間、そういう気分ではありませんでした。
＜このサイトのホームへ。＞
I was inspired by e-mail and posting on SNS by my friends and enjoyed writing haiku for the first time in a long time.
Wafting/
To a different dimension/
Sweet osmanthus/
Passion flower/
In the morning/
After awaken from a dream of Dali/
Translation and calligraphy by Tomoko
＜To the homepage of this website.＞
久しぶりに俳句を楽しんで書きました。それぞれ友人からのメールやSNSへの投稿からヒントを得ました。
＜このサイトのホームへ。＞
I like the kanji for “dance” 舞. And I wrote the one used nowadays in light black ink first, and then, I placed three ancient letters for “dance” on it. I hear dancing originally was offering to deity. However, as this one looks a little eerie, I wonder if this one was a kind of magical dancing.
＜To the homepage of this website.＞
「舞」は好きな字です。それで、背景に現代使われている字を薄墨で書いて、その上に、古代文字を濃い墨で載せました。舞は元々神聖に捧げるものだったと聞きますが、これはちょっと不気味な感じになってしまったので、呪術的な舞かな、と思いました。
＜このサイトのホームへ。＞
It is often said that all expressionists, including fashion designers and people in the film industry should be able to imagine and express a different season from the reality.
I wrote the one in the photo in the beginning of September when it was still the lingering summer heat was intense, expecting it to be presented in November. I think I did a reasonably good work. However, I have to admit it has a kind of stifling summer feel, although its motif is a haiku about the Christmas Eve.
Christmas Eve deepens/
Earth is filled with/
People’s prayers/
Translation and calligraphy by Tomoko
＜To the homepage of this website.＞
ファッションデザイナーや映画関係者などを、表現者は実際の季節とは異なる時候を想像して表現できなければならない、とはよく聞きます。
これは９月の初めの残暑が厳しかった頃に、１１月に発表することを念頭に書きました。出来としてはまあまあかと思いますが、聖夜の俳句にしては余りにも暑苦しい雰囲気で・・・。
＜このサイトのホームへ。＞
I have completely forgotten when or how many years ago I did the one in the photo. For some reason I don’t really know, only its image data remains and the work itself is nowhere to be found.
Summer passed away/
Painting the whole sky/
In dark red/
Translation and calligraphy by Tomoko
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これはもう何年前に書いたものか忘れてしまいました。何故か画像データだけが残っていて、実物がありません。
＜このサイトのホームへ。＞
We were supposed to practice copying an ancient text of reisho style. However, as my mind drifting a little, it began looking more like kaisho style.
＜To the homepage of this website.＞
隷書の臨書のはずが、ちょっとぼんやりしていると、楷書になってしまいます。
＜このサイトのホームへ。＞
Today I practiced calligraphy with one of my old friends, if she kindly considers me to be her friend, that is, and a young pretty woman from Finland. I had so much fun and just hope they did, too.
＜To the homepage of this website.＞
旧い友人と（彼女が私を友達だと思ってくれるなら、ですが）フィンランドから来た若い可愛らしいお嬢さんの三人でお稽古しました。楽しかった！ お二人もそうだといいですが。
＜このサイトのホームへ。＞
