I have long had an ignorant Westerner’s fascination with Japanese culture and history. From shinto to anime, from wakame to samurai, I just find it all interesting and appealing. And then there’s the aesthetic side of it, of course – the ink paintings, the cherry blossoms, the silks, the lacquer boxes, the calligraphy… I could go on and on.

I am, unfortunately, by nature entirely unsuited to all this. As you can witness from the pictures (or even more so if you’ve actually met me), as a clumsy straw-haired giant I’m visually pretty much as far from a Japanese person as you can get. And when the Japanese culture is (as a generalization, but still) associated with discipline, patience, minimalism, restraint and precision, I can not be described by these characteristics even by a very benevolent observer. I have also never been to Japan.

What I am, however, is enthusiastic. If I like something, I cannot avoid being influenced by it, even if the result mostly reflects my own personality. So, I cannot travel to Tokyo, but I can still bring in some cherry branches. I may not own a kimono, but I do own a kimono-sleeved dress! I can drink Japanese tea, although I’m pretty sure I’m brewing it all wrong. I can make ginger pork the way Harumi Kurihara makes is (I believe I’m pretty close to the original with that one).

I do realize that all this is not exactly ‘authentically Japanese’, but that’s not the point. It brings me joy and hopefully doesn’t insult Japanese people too badly. I tend to think that even tiny connections to other cultures and enjoying the bits that speak to you are in the end positive, as I don’t believe in isolation (Japan gave it up, too). Also, I think more kimono-sleeves is always a good thing.

Pictured:
– dress by Liisi Eesmaa
– lips by YSL Orange de Chine (yes, I’m aware that it’s a different Asian country)
– Tokyo Bloom by The Different Company (review here)
– a Japanese sheet mask
– Shincha green tea with Yuzu by Palais des Thés (I have no matcha at the moment, so went with my latest purchase of Japanse tea and it’s lovely)
– tea cup by Palais des Thés
– The Book of Tea by Kakuzo Okakura (I talk about it here)