Author Archives: Louisa Kania

(Traditional) Art in (My) Life

Posted on January 30, 2017 by Louisa Kania

As I reflect on our trip to Kyoto, I can’t but draw parallels to a Noh performance. The trip hadn’t been ‘rehearsed’ because it was the first time it was being offered, and bringing the trip into reality took months … Continue reading →

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Behind the mask of Noh

Posted on January 17, 2017 by Louisa Kania

Carl, Ayami, and I decided to spend our free morning today visiting Kiyomizudera Temple, a famous Buddhist temple and UNESCO World Heritage Site that is built up into the hillside. The temple offers beautiful, panoramic view of the city, and … Continue reading →

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Layers of Nishiki

Posted on January 16, 2017 by Louisa Kania

When our translator impressed upon us that Nishiki Weaving represents the pinnacle of weaving not only in Japan but also in the world, I couldn’t imagine what makes it so special, and I wasn’t sure what to expect from our tour. But after … Continue reading →

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Surreal worlds

Posted on January 15, 2017 by Louisa Kania

This morning when I woke up and looked outside, I was thrilled to see that yesterday’s snow had stuck to the ground and, what’s more, it was still snowing really hard. We didn’t have anything on our group itinerary until … Continue reading →

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The sun, the snow, and a simple cup of tea

Posted on January 14, 2017 by Louisa Kania

The multifaceted experiential element of tea is something that I hadn’t understood until today. I drink a lot of tea, and I love green tea, but I’ve always thought about I’d always thought of tea as something to be consumed. Moreover, … Continue reading →

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Meanings and Metaphors in Art

Posted on January 13, 2017 by Louisa Kania

Today was a very busy day that consisted of three distinct and, on the surface, fairly disconnected experiences: a lecture on Noh by Diego Pellecchia, a lecture on Japanese Nehan paintings by Professor Ludvik, and then a visit to the … Continue reading →

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Meditation in motion

Posted on January 12, 2017 by Louisa Kania

Starting out the morning with a run by the river set the tone for the day. I think that running outside is a nice way to connect to a new environment because you can see more than when you’re walking around, but … Continue reading →

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Miyamoto-san, Tenryu-Ji, and Markets

Posted on January 11, 2017 by Louisa Kania

Today was another full and rewarding day. We started out with a fascinating visit to the Buddhist sculptor Miyamoto-san. He told us how he makes the sculptures (with over 150 tools!), what his personal philosophy and goals are, and what … Continue reading →

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PS

Posted on January 10, 2017 by Louisa Kania

We had a delicious vegetarian lunch at Izusen. As a vegetarian, I eat lots of different vegetarian food, but this was unlike anything that I’ve ever had. There was a large assortment of small dishes, all beautifully prepared, and each … Continue reading →

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Harmony at Daitoku-ji

Posted on January 10, 2017 by Louisa Kania

As we walked around the temple complex of Daitoku-ji today, I felt a deep sense of calm and appreciation for my surroundings. We’d been warned to expect very cold weather, but it was actually a beautiful, sunny day. Strolling down the … Continue reading →

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