We had a long-awaited holiday of a lifetime to Japan this year; one week in Tokyo, a few days south in Hakone and then up to Osaka where we could get to Kyoto, Kanazawa and Hiroshima.
Tokyo was full-on! Partly because its a 14hr direct flight with some jet-lag but also the scale of Tokyo needs to witnessed – it’s BIG. Which means lots of subway connections to get to places.
I always enjoy an art gallery but was particularly interested to see what would be on show.
Typically Japanese it was a modest curation of the very best – a little of everything – in a quiet, understated way.
I did enjoy seeing how Japanese artists responded to the Impressionists – we hear so much about how the French artists were inspired by Japanese woodblocks that it was interesting to see that the dialogue flowed both ways.
Hakone was a relief of tranquility, water and greenery and the first sight of shrines with red Torii gates.
Which set us up nicely for more to come in and around Osaka: sunlit gardens where shadows played on the limited green palette but were still delightful for all the simplicity, traditional wooden houses and lanterns, Koi Carp in fishponds and ancient trees lovingly nurtured and supported through time.
There was also shopping! Japanese paper, stationery – which the Japanese do extremely well- artisan woodblocks and pottery, Cute Things (if you can personify something by putting a face on it, the the Japanese do) and a four story art shop where I modestly only bought a set of Gansai Tambi paints and some Japanese brushes – I think the Japanese nature of self restraint had affected me! I’ll need to return 🙂
