Spring has arrived and with it, the cherry blossom season. The blossoms have already begun to open but it will be several days before they reach their full beauty, and are what is called “mankai” (fully in bloom) in Japanese. This Saturday we have been invited to take part in a traditional Japanese Hanami, a cherry blossom viewing party, at the house of a very kind Japanese family who opens their doors to foreign students every year at this time. Their house is on the banks of the beautiful Kamo river, which runs from north to south through Kyoto, and is lined with cherry trees.

Our East Asian Studies class this Friday will look at some of the different ways the Japanese have of keeping track of the passing of days, including the Gregorian calendar, the lunar calendar, and a calendar based on the reign of the Emperors.

Below are some photographs from last week’s visit to Daitokuji Temple where we learned about Zen and aesthetics:

The stone lantern is often meant to represent a lotus which begins its life in muddy waters. There its strong stem grows up through the murkiness, a metaphor for the sullied waters of life, but still manages to culminate in the beautiful lotus flower.

Zen Rock Garden

One of many buildings within the Daitokuji complex.

Jizo