Happy Girl’s Day
Today March 3rd is Girl’s Day in Japan. I was thinking about this all day today. Girl’s Day. I don’t…
Recent Posts
Omiyage, the Japanese Custom of Gifting
Omiyage, is the Japanese custom of gifting that is ingrained in our culture. When we are invited over to someone’s…
Lessons from the Japanese Culture of Ikebana
Ikebana is the known as Japanese flower arrangement. As a student of ikebana of many years, I want people to…
The Cultural Perception of Tattoos or Irezumi in Japan
My very limited knowledge of tattoos comes from my experience of growing up in Tokyo. In Japanese, the word for…
Shichigosan: The Japanese Festival for 7, 5, and 3 Year Olds
The Japaneses Shichigosan festival celebrates children who are 7,5, and 3. The word, Shichigosan is literally a combination of three numbers…
Happy New Year to All!
Wishing everyone a very Happy and Healthy 2015! Selling our home in July was a big move for our family….
Ikebana is Not a Zen Flower Arrangement
Ikebana, the art of Japanese flower arrangement, is now quite well-known in most parts of the world. I have been a student…
Japanese Design – Art, Aesthetics & Culture by Patricia J Graham – Book Review
As I love and appreciate Japanese Design, this a book review. Japanese Design – Art, Aesthetics & Culture by Patricia…
Japanese New Years Traditions
Now that Christmas has come and gone, in a Japanese household, we have to start thinking of the biggest holiday…
The Season for Gift Wrapping – Asian Accents with Origami
Gift wrapping in Japan is an art. However, many of us don’t have the talent or fine motor skills to…
Three Asian 80/20 Rules for Health
Many in the West may know the 80/20 Rule, also known as the Pareto Principle. It states that “80 percent…
Sogetsu Ikebana Exhibition
Ikebana, the Japanese art of flower arrangement, has many different schools of thought. On Asian Lifestyle Design, we have shown…
Ikenobo Ikebana Grand Master Demonstration
Ikebana, the art of Japanese flower arrangement has a history of over 500 years. Last week my girlfriend invited me…
The Japanese Aesthetic of Wabi Sabi
In the design world, I have heard many Westerners talk about the Japanese wabi-sabi (侘 寂) aesthetic. It’s difficult to…
Salt in Japanese Culture
In ancient Japan, salt was considered an important commodity, because of the laborious and time-consuming process it took to make….
Ryuseiha Ikebana
Last month we had a Japanese celebration for the Hyakudo Kai Club in Seattle. On display were some Ryuseiha Ikebana…