Close your eyes and imagine yourself in a long dark wooden hall, standing in front of an army of more than 1000 many-armed kannon statues.
They are about the same height as you and are staring directly at you.
They stand proud, several rows deep.
How do you feel?
Tucked away down a side street near the Eastern Mountains of Kyoto is this lovely garden, in the grounds of Murin-an Villa. Simple, peaceful, and more than often yours all to yourself…
Today’s shared story comes from Traci Penrod. After 17 years in the pharmaceutical industry Traci decided that her career just didn’t tap into her creative side enough. She enjoyed scrapbooking so much that in October of 2011, she decided to take a leap of faith and start her own company.
Housed in an old bath house in the north of the Nishijin textile district, Cafe Sarasa oozes character. The old wash taps remain on the walls, which still bear glossy mosaics from a time when they would be splashed daily.
The Imperial Palace gardeners have brilliantly designed the garden so there is always something in bloom. These late summer flowers made me smile as I took a final stroll through the grounds…
The Japanese word for brush calligraphy – shodo – literally means ‘the way of writing’, which I think perfectly captures the essence of it.
When I went to the kimono design studio to work on my noren curtain (more on that soon), I was not expecting to have a geisha come in for a spot of shopping…
I am thrilled to share this interview with a warm and generous soul who has inspired me for some time. A fellow retreat organiser, Ali DeJohn started The Makerie in her hometown to give people the gift of uninterrupted creative time shared with a loving community that is often hard to carve out of our everyday lives. Ali is constantly inspired by anything handmade, homemade and everything cozy. The smallest, most meaningful moments in life are the most magical to her and she feels quite lucky to live in beautiful Boulder, Colorado with her husband and two young children. Today Ali shares an insight into what makes her tick, and just how she has made it possible to do what she loves.
Although we have just left Japan, I still have a lot of adventures to share with you here on the blog so I will continue to share these over the next few weeks, starting with Ohara…
Do you ever go into a particular cafe and feel all the tension leaving your shoulders as you give a sigh of happy comfort? That is how I feel when I go into Sagano-yu cafe in Arashiyama, a beautifully restored old Japanese bath house which is now a cafe and shop.