The Ancient Japanese | History | Articles Jomon Period: 10,000 B.C. – 400 BC Stable living patterns began to appear in Japan with the arrival of the Jomon people around 10,000 B.C. People during this period began to make open-pit fired clay vessels and decorated them with patterns made by pressing wet clay with unbraided or braided sticks and plaited cord. The pottery techniques of the Jomon were very advanced and characteristic of Neolithic cultures although the Jomon were a Mesolithic, Middle Stone Age, people. The Jomon period is typically divided into six different eras; the Incipient, Initial, Early, Middle, Late, and Final periods. Incipient Jomon: 10,000 B.C. - 8,000 B.C.The only archaeological evidence found for the Incipient Jomon era is pottery fragments found in the Kanto plain. Initial Jomon: 8,000 B.C. - 5,000 B.C.Pots were produced for cooking and boiling food. Early Jomon: 5,000 B.C. - 2,500 B.C.During this period, the average global temperature was 4-6 degrees Fahrenheit higher than today's temperature.
Wabi Sabi: An Unusual Children’s Book Based on the Japanese Philosophy of Finding Beauty in Imperfection and Impermanence Wabi sabi is a beautiful Japanese concept that has no direct translation in English. Both an aesthetic and a worldview, it connotes a way of living that finds beauty in imperfection and accepts the natural cycle of growth and decay. Wabi Sabi is also the title of a fantastic 2008 picture-book by Mark Reibstein, with original artwork by acclaimed Chinese children’s book illustrator Ed Young, exploring this wonderful sensibility through the story of a cat who gets lost in her hometown of Kyoto only to find herself in the process. (For, lest we forget, we only find ourselves by getting lost.) The book reads like a scroll, from top to bottom, and features a haiku and a Japanese verse on each spread, adorned with Young’s beautifully textured artwork. Reibstein paints a historical backdrop: A true wabi sabi story lies behind the book: When Young first received the assignment, he created a series of beautifully simple images.
The history and origins of traditional Irish music Trace the evolution of Irish music. Ireland may produce big names such as U2 and the Script that tour popular music all over the world but we also know how to keep in touch with our traditions. Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann (the Music Festival of Ireland), the world’s biggest traditional Irish music celebration, still sees over 400,000 attendees each year with dozens of nationalities arriving in Ireland to celebrate our 2,000 year old traditions. We know that once a tin whistle is pulled out of the handbag it’s going to end with a good night but where did it all start? Paul Murphy, Managing Director of Murphy of Ireland, an Irish clothing retailer, created this detailed infographic tracing the history and origins of our tunes and melodies to explain more about the ancient traditions that can still set a crowd alive. Irish traditional music began as an oral tradition, passed on from generation to generation by listening, learning by ear and without formally writing the tunes on paper.
Traditional Music of Japan — Encyclopedia of Japan Ancient Japanese MusicAlmost nothing is known about music in Japan's prehistory, through the Jomon and Yayoi periods, but there are ritual figures of musicians, suggesting the early importance of music. The late Yayoi period is marked by the building of immense tombs, and there were probably many powerful clans that gradually culminated in the dominance of the Yamato clan. The state that they built used language, religion and legal systems from the Asian continent and resulted in the high development of the imperial court as a political and cultural center in the Nara (645 - 710) and Heian (794 - 1185) periods. Even when the political power of the imperial court declined after this time, the court retained its cultural traditions, many which continue to this day. The little that remains from the prehistoric period seems to be some songs, legends and rituals recorded in the "Kojiki" and "Nihon Shoki," the first chronicles of the new state. The Importation of Foreign Forms of Music Imayo
This 390-year-old bonsai tree survived an atomic bomb, and no one knew until 2001 Moses Weisberg was walking his bicycle through the National Arboretum in Northeast Washington when he stopped at a mushroom-shaped tree. The first thing he noticed was the thickness of the trunk, estimated at almost a foot and a half in diameter. And then there was the abundance of spindly leaves, a healthy head of hair for a botanical relic 390 years old. But it was only when he learned the full history of the tree, a Japanese white pine donated in 1976, that he was truly stunned. The tree, a part of the Arboretum’s National Bonsai and Penjing Museum, has not only navigated the perils of age to become the collection’s oldest, but it also survived the blast of an atomic bomb, Little Boy, dropped over Hiroshima, Japan, during World War II. “For one, it’s amazing to think that something could have survived an atomic blast,” said Weisberg, a 26-year-old student at the Georgetown University Law Center. In the winter, the tree is moved to the museum’s climate-controlled Chinese Pavilion.
In Praise of Shadows: Ancient Japanese Aesthetics and Why Every Technology Is a Technology of Thought – Brain Pickings By Maria Popova At least since Plato’s Allegory of the Cave, we’ve seen shadows as a metaphor for the illusory and wicked aspects of life, for that which we must eradicate in order to illuminate the truth and inherent goodness of existence. And yet we forget that the darkness they cast evidences the light — palpable proof without which we might not appreciate or even notice the radiance itself. The 1933 gem In Praise of Shadows (public library) by Japanese literary titan Junichiro Tanizaki (July 24, 1886–July 30, 1965) belongs to that special order of slim, enormously powerful books that enchant the lay reader with an esoteric subject, leaving a lifelong imprint on the imagination — rare masterpieces like Robin Wall Kimmerer’s love letter to moss and Glenn Kurtz’s paean to the pleasures of playing guitar. Tanizaki, translated here by Thomas J. At the heart of this philosophy is a fundamental cultural polarity. It would surely have had a tufted end like our writing brush.
Music Traditions in Indonesia More than 17,000 islands make up the Indonesian archipelago, and the nation has a cultural diversity that reflects this enormous size. Although the gamelan is the most recognized musical style in Indonesia, there are literally hundreds of distinct musical traditions, some kept alive by only a handful of people. In addition to traditional musical modes, Indonesia also has a vibrant popular music scene, integrating aspects of traditional arrangements with styles borrowed from the West and Asia. History The gamelan is a large collection of percussion instruments played as an ensemble. Integration with Theater Gamelan is most commonly seen integrated with ornate puppet theater. Cultural Integration Gamelan is also widely used in ritual performances, accompanying visits from heads of state, weddings, and religious ceremonies throughout Indonesia. Instruments Indonesian music makes use of a wide range of instruments, drawn from Indian, Chinese, Khmer, and Arabic sources. Modern Music Photo Credits
japan Article MT088 An overview of solo and ensemble development [Introduction] [Aesthetics] [Teaching] [Historical Background] [The Biwa] [The Koto] [The Shakuhachi] [The Shamisen] [Ensemble Music] [Conclusion] [CDs of Japanese Music] [References] Introduction Although Japan is obviously the most Westernized country in all of Asia, Japanese people are known as being great guardians of tradition. Japanese music is extremely diverse: solo music, chamber music, court music, festival and folk music, different types of theatre music, percussion music, epic singing, and many more. I will start with describing the most important principles in Japanese aesthetic, principles which are used in all forms of art. Aesthetics Traditional Japanese music is basically meditative in character. The performance of Japanese music has traditionally been of a spiritual character, similarly to martial arts and other art forms of arts such as the tea ceremony and calligraphy, for example. Teaching in Japanese Music
Japanese mythology Japanese myths, as generally recognized in the mainstream today, are based on the Kojiki, the Nihon Shoki, and some complementary books. The Kojiki, or "Record of Ancient Matters", is the oldest surviving account of Japan's myths, legends and history. The Shintōshū describes the origins of Japanese deities from a Buddhist perspective, while the Hotsuma Tsutae records a substantially different version of the mythology. One notable feature of Japanese mythology is its explanation of the origin of the imperial family which has been used historically to assign godhood to the imperial line. Note: Japanese is not transliterated consistently across all sources, see: #Spelling of proper nouns Creation myth[edit] In the Japanese creation myth, the first deities which came into existence, appearing at the time of the creation of the universe, are collectively called Kotoamatsukami. Kuniumi and Kamiumi[edit] From their union were born the Ōyashima, or the eight great islands of Japan:
Come scrivere un senryū, di Valeria Simonova-Cecon – CINQUESETTECINQUE Ecco alcuni consigli pratici per chi vuole provare a scrivere un senryū: 1. Cercate di descrivere le situazioni concrete, le persone reali e non generalizzate. Se dovete scegliere tra il plurale ed il singolare, tendete a scegliere il singolare. Non descrivete la situazione “in generale”, cercate di mostrare un esempio (evento, azione, situazione) concreto e distinto che rappresenterà meglio il pensiero/concetto generico. Magari anche di me ti ricordassi cosi, tutto il giorno! Nataly Levi Riunione familiare – un tuono rimbomba mentre cerco le parole giuste Metod Češek Una splendida metafora dei sentimenti che possono sorgere durante una riunione di famiglia. Ripetendole solo ora capisco bene le parole di mio padre Norman Darlington Solo dopo aver fatto i tuoi sbagli personali (e insegnando a tuo figlio) capisci veramente cosa intendeva tuo padre mentre cercava di darti gli stessi insegnamenti. In questi orecchini oggi non sono né mamma né moglie Yamamoto Kikuko 2. Luca Cenisi Vladislav Vassiliev
KLEZMER MUSIC Klezmer music originated in the 'shtetl' (villages) and the ghettos of Eastern Europe, where itinerant Jewish troubadours, known as 'klezmorim', performed at joyful events ('simkhes'), particularly weddings, since the early middle age till the Nazi and Stalinian prosecutions. It was inspired by secular melodies, popular dances, 'khazones' (khazanut, Jewish liturgy) as well as by the 'nigunim', the simple and often wordless melodies, intended by the 'Hasidim' (orthodox Jews) for approaching God in a kind of ecstatic communion. In (mutual) contact with Slavic, Greek, Ottoman (Turkish), Gypsy and -later- American jazz musicians, using typical scales, tempo and rhythm changes, slight dissonance and a touch of improvisation, the 'klezmorim' acquired the ability to evoke all kinds of emotions, through a very diversified music. back home "Klezmer: it's not just music - it's a way of life!" (Hankus Netsky) A klezmer kapelye (~1910) Attention, please: Pronounce 'kleZmer' and not 'kleTzmer'! Feidman