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Wednesday, March 26, 2014

The day of Sakura March 27, with " Spring " Japanese calligraphy



Japanese people to feel specially cheerful when it comes to this time of the year.
However, it is a period of about one week.

Cherry blossoms will bloom on this day approximately on average.




From south to north the Japanese archipelago.
That period will continue to move for one month.

We look forward to this season.




しき島の やまとごころを 人とはば  朝日ににほふ 山ざくら花
本居宣長 (1730 – 1801)

Country of the Emperor  Japanese traditional heart  if asked   shining in morning sun  wild cherry tree
Motoori Norinaga (1730 – 1801)




 "春" (shun, or haru). It is translated as spring.   
This character is written by Kanzi, Seal Sript. 

Etymology : Phono-semantic compound 
「萅」simplified form. 
semantic 艸 (grass) +  日 (sun) + phonetic 屯 (village) 


Weather piles up in the underground. 
And the state that the trees and plants grow from there is expressed. 


   此心  天つ虚にも  花そなほ  三世の仏に  たてまつらなん
道元 (1200 – 1253)

This faithfulness  Clear far-off sky  Beautiful flowers Past, present, future Buddha  I want to present it.
Dōgen  (1200 – 1253)







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 Japanese three major giants of cherry trees.
These three of them are registered as the first natural monument of the country on October 12, 1922.  

yamataka jinndai "God days" sakura  (Age over 2000 years old)   
Hokuto-shi,
Yamanashi Prefecture  Height of the tree 13.6m, trunk lap 10.6m.  
A giant tree of the maximum grade oldest in Japan.  

neodani awasumi "light sumi" sakura  (Age over 1500 years old)   
Motosu-shi,
Gifu Prefecture  Height of the tree 17.2m, trunk lap 9.1m, the spread are East-West 24m, north and south 21m  

miharu taki "Cascade" sakura  (Age over 1000 years old)   
Miharu-town,
Fukushima Prefecture  Height of the tree 19m, trunk lap 9.5m, spread east and west 22m, north and south 17m

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Sunday, March 9, 2014

Weeping Japanese apricot with " Beauty " Japanese calligraphy




The color and the appearance is elegant.
It's like a messenger of spring.

Blooming has begun.





Gardener spent long years in pruning. 
for its small period. 

Light scent wraps us....





During few thousand years, apricot was the flower on behalf of Japan.
Many Waka has been dedicated to it.

To the crystal of the beauty



紅に 色をば変へて 梅の花  香ぞことごとに 匂はざりける
紀 貫之 (872 – 945)    後撰和歌集

to rouge  change the color  apricot blossom   scent will come floating around each 
Ki no Tsurayuki (872 – 945)  Gosen Wakashū




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"美"(bi, or utsukusii) It is translated as Beauty.
This character is written by Kanzi, Semi-cursive script.

Etymology :  羊 (sheep)  +  大 (big, great)

The sheep has the meaning of the animal of the sacrifice with it used as a gift in religious service.
This letter may have expressed the beauty of the religious service.


梅の花 匂の深く 見えつるは  春の隣の ちかきなりけり
三統元夏 (? – ?)    拾遺和歌集

Flowering apricot  deep scent  I can feel   next to spring  approaching itslf   
Santou Genka (? – ?)  Shūi Wakashū







梅が香を たよりの風や 吹つらん  春めづらしく 君がきませる
平兼盛 (? –991)      後拾遺和歌集

scent of apricot  such as mail  wind is blowing   curiously thing  You visited in spring
Taira no Kanemori (? –991)  Goshūi Wakashū





Apricot is the blessed tree as the myrtle. And it may be similar.


いとすぎは、いばらに代って生え、ミルトスの木は、おどろに代って生える。これは主の記念となり、また、とこしえのしるしとなって、絶えることはない。
旧約聖書 イザヤ書 55章13節

Instead of the thorn shall come up the fir tree; and instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle tree: and it shall be to Yahweh for a name, for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.  
Old Testament Isaiah 55:13


God bless you.


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