It turns out that Japan can appear anywhere, even in Pskov in mid-December - no need to fly anywhere, just imagine... Have you tried it? Does not work? Then there is another method, which was used in the Central City Library of Pskov, where the day before they gathered all those interested in immersing themselves in Japan and presented: “Here is a samurai, but a geisha. And here is their shogun."
When the employees of the Central City Library of Pskov thought about how to complete the cross-year "Russia - Japan" so that this eastern country was remembered for a long time in Pskov, then they turned to young designers. To the students of the Department of Design and Technology of Materials Processing of the Faculty educational technologies and design of Pskov State University and offered to embody their attitude to Japanese motifs in a series of posters. The students liked the idea - third-year students took up the work: Tatyana Beskhlebnaya, Veronika Pak, Ekaterina Gerasimovich, Elena Kirillova, Yulia Vishneva, Maria Usova, Andrey Rusakov, Anastasia Fedorova, Yana Sumkina. Liliya Momotova became the curator of all the preparations for the exhibition - her works are also presented in the exposition.
Let's say right away that samurai, geisha, shoguns had to be imagined, to strain the imagination, and now they are already here. They look at you from the walls, hide behind frames and glasses, and listen to what people who have gathered here are talking about far from them. Japanese house city. There was no sake either, so all impressions are absolutely sober.
Design students, of course, well done, were transported with enthusiasm to the Land of the Rising Sun. And they have even acquired the features of a Japanese attitude to what is happening. When they were criticized at the opening of the exhibition: “All the painting there is built on the line, and here you have spots in the composition”, “The Japanese and Chinese have never worked on dark colors". “You didn’t feel Japan, you treated it in a Western way.”
The samurai-style authors withstood the pressure of the critics, while calmly looking at those around them, none of them sparkled with their eyes and grabbed the sword ... Criticism, "we" in Japan, is a test of stability. It was, they endured. The defense side of the designers had their own very weighty reasoned arguments, including very obvious and well-known ones - contrast and non-linearity oriental symbols"yin" and "yang" were also "for" the presented creative view. And also “for” the fact that the guests have already heard questions: “is it possible to purchase works?”.
Poster art has always stood in a separate row. And this time was no exception. In addition to the picturesque embodiment, the poster always has an idea, an appeal to the viewer, a message - political, economic, pacifist, ideological - there are always many reasons for the appearance of a poster.
What helped to reproduce Japan on posters, because most of you have never seen this country? - we ask the designers.
Associations. Personally, I did everything according to associations, because apart from Mount Fuji, we know enough of them, - says Andrey Rusakov.
And I've known for a long time Japanese art, with the culture of the country, and many of us are well aware of the music and poems of Japanese poets - all this, of course, is reflected in the works, - Yana Sumkina shares.
Some of them are already dreaming, others only in this project got acquainted with the peculiarities of the outlook on the life of the inhabitants of the Japanese islands. Painting, poetry, music of Japanese masters have always had many fans and followers, and today is no exception. Of course, one might say that Japanese style, the Japanese view of reality is not our reality, not the Russian circumstances of life. But this is wonderful. Such creative experiments show that today in Pskov you can do a lot, including creating any environment for yourself, learning any art and understanding of creativity. There would be a wish...
Do these guys need Japan? Yes, of course you need it. They, in general, need the whole world. And they will comprehend it with pleasure, because it is in their power to resurrect it, to recreate it in their imagination. And we also need them to look at the world - because then they will be able to show it to us through their creativity.
And to think in associations for an artist is no less important than to be able to write from nature. Associations are often stronger than impressions.
All the participants of the program were presented with an original postcard by the artists for reading the original Japanese haiku - the legendary Japanese tercet. Our readers have not read Japanese haiku, but we are giving you a postcard wishing you a good future. And you can see the exhibition of works in reality - Pskov, Konnaya st., 6.
And with best wishes you hieroglyph of happiness
The features of life in Japan listed in the post are our subjective opinion. We do not want to offend anyone 🙂 There are more pluses in Japan than minuses.
Come and see it with your own eyes 😉
For those who are interested in life in Japan, not only from the cons:
The "face" of Japan is well known to everyone: sushi and sashimi, geisha and samurai, sakura and Fuji, Toyota and Panasonic. What is hidden on the "Reverse Side of Japan", only experts know. Political scandals and the world of Japanese toilets, the reasons for the popularity of anime and the secrets of the yakuza mafia, Japanese weddings and the hopes of Russian wives of Japanese husbands, the peculiarities of Japanese geography and Japanese "sickness" in football - became the main topics of the book by journalist and Japanologist Alexander Kulanov. The second edition of "The Other Side of Japan" was replenished with "Aftershock" - forbidden revelations about Japanese management, unusual comparisons of Russians and Japanese and reflections on the causes of the accident on nuclear power plant"Fukushima-1" - all those things that are not customary to talk about in Japan, but without which the idea of this country would be false.
On our site you can download the book " back side Japan" Kulanov Alexander Evgenievich for free and without registration in epub, fb2 format, read a book online or buy a book in an online store.
“Tamara and I go as a couple” - this is a little about them :)
On December 13, they began to create kadomatsu all over Japan - magical twins, without which the New Year is impossible in this country!
"Kadomatsu" translates as "pine at the gate." They decorate, in fact, the entrances to temples, shops, houses and even just apartments. They are placed in pairs, on both sides of the door.
Japan is a relatively small country. But how gracefully its inhabitants play it up! Therefore, kadomatsu is a multifunctional item. This is not just a popular New Year's decoration, it is also a greeting to the deity of the coming year, and a wish tree.
The Japanese believe that the deity chooses kadomatsu as a temporary home. In some areas it is called "Mr. Pine", hence the use of pine in the creation of this decoration. Leaves with desires are tied to kadomatsu at the entrances to temples.
This object revered by the Japanese is created not only from pine. Fern, oak, bamboo, oranges, chestnut, algae, apricot branches and much more are used.
As a rule, kadomatsu looks like this. In the center are pine branches or, for example, bamboo stalks, they are arranged in 3, 5 or 7 rows. Around - a decoration of flowers and greenery, all this is tied up with a straw rope. The composition is placed in wooden pots.
The size - from desktop to floor. A shimenawa amulet is hung between two pots; it is a rope woven from rice straw, hung with paper ribbons. In those places where the pine tree is especially revered as a totem, Christmas decorations they don’t make it out of it, they take bamboo or something else.
Sometimes kadomatsu is placed not at the entrance to the room, but inside, then the decoration should not be paired. They also decorate home altars and gardens.
Interestingly, more than half a century ago, artificial kadomatsu appeared.
And this bamboo seems to be laughing :)
Out of reverence for the deity, materials for kadomatsu are prepared on the lucky day of December 13th. The “twins” are removed, as a rule, on January 14, and burned on a festive fire. Its flame is a farewell to the past year, a cleansing before new life. By the way, along with kadomatsu, all holiday decorations are burned. In rural areas and now it is a great national event.
And there are also these:
During New Year's and New Year's days, kadomatsu are kept clean and tidy, they are served with symbolic portions of festive dishes - zoni soup with mochi cakes. It reminded me of this offering to our brownies :)
Of course, kadomatsu are made according to all the rules of ikebana art: each element carries its own special meaning, its location is also symbolic. So, pine is a symbol of longevity, bamboo speaks of stamina, straw rope is a talisman against evil spirits and diseases.
The decoration at the entrance is placed in pairs because it represents the union of a man and a woman. Bamboo stems are placed at different levels, which means heaven, humanity, earth. Well done Japanese :)
This tradition is spreading in other countries as well. Very beautiful!
I congratulate everyone on the upcoming holidays, and wish the same as kadomatsu - longevity, stamina and no adversity! And translating into the language of needlework - free time for pleasant creativity, motivation for the development of skills and only good reviews at the Craft Fair!
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Before leaving for Japan, make sure you are familiar with the culture of your own country. The duty of every Russian who finds himself in Japan is to wade through the wilds of stereotypes and explain that not all toilets in Russia are dirty, not everywhere there is snow all year round and not everyone drinks vodka. As I said, some Japanese people have a good knowledge of other countries, and you need to be ready to answer their questions, sometimes quite difficult ones. Get ready to talk about how weddings or funerals take place in Russia, what the national costume is like, what are the features of Russian Orthodoxy. Things that were always obvious to you may cause bewilderment. For example, the Japanese are surprised that we celebrate Christmas not on December 25, but on January 7.
Russian girls are often perceived as hostesses, that is, those who work in nightclubs, entertaining men. Russian men, on the other hand, have earned a reputation as a mafia that makes money on the resale of cars. I want to break these stereotypes.
Compared to other countries, Russia is more or less known in Japan. At least thanks to Cheburashka, popular among Japanese girls. Bulgaria, for example, for the Japanese is nothing more than a country of delicious yoghurts. And all this is because a series of dairy products under the brand name Burugaria - Bulgaria is widespread in Japan. If not for these yogurts, Bulgaria in Japan, perhaps, would not know anything at all. However, in Japan there is a category of people who are fond of small countries and unusual languages. I met Japanese people who spent their free time studying Polish or Uzbek.
To feel comfortable in Japan, you need to have compatriot friends. No matter how much you love the Japanese language and the Japanese, sometimes you feel an unbearable desire to speak mother tongue. Why, I want to talk with people who come from the same cultural environment as you. Once in Japan, I dreamed of a complete immersion in the atmosphere of the country, and the neighborhood of other Russians seemed to me an obstacle, but then it was precisely this that more than once helped me to feel like myself again. However, excessive abuse of communication with “ours” also does not lead to anything good. It is better to know the measure in everything.
Once in Japan, everyone adapts in their own way. But all foreigners need to keep in mind that they will attract attention and play an important role in shaping the image of their homeland.
TOKYO AND OSAKA
A Japanese friend of mine from Osaka once came to visit St. Petersburg. After some time, nostalgia and homesickness began to torment him, therefore, once colliding with a group of Japanese tourists on Nevsky Prospekt, he beamed and involuntarily headed towards his compatriots. However, almost at the same moment, his expression changed dramatically, and it became clear that he was deeply disappointed. The thing was that the tourists spoke the Tokyo version Japanese language, which Osaka residents consider colorless and boring. It turns out that a native of Tokyo, being, at first glance, the same Japanese, can hardly dispel the longing of an Osaka, abandoned to a foreign land.
From Tokyo to Osaka, or vice versa, can be reached in two and a half hours using a modern high-speed train shinkansen. Just a couple of hours separates two cities with such different characters. Probably, it cannot be said that there is some enmity between the inhabitants of Tokyo and Osaka. It would be more correct to call their relationship an opposition, there is a very big contrast between the cities, and the charm of each of them is very strong. The influence that both cities have on each other is also great. Everything is different: language, demeanor, style of dress... In addition to large-scale differences, the difference between Tokyo and Osaka is felt in small things. For example, hairdressers in Tokyo are closed on Tuesdays, and in Osaka they are closed on Mondays. Even the voltage in the network of cities can vary, so when moving, you should be careful with electrical appliances.
The broth in which the noodles are cooked udon or soba Osaka is brighter than Tokyo...
The difference between Tokyo and Osaka is reminiscent of the relationship of many other cities in the world, occupying a north-south or east-west position in a pair. You can compare Tokyo with Moscow, and Osaka with St. Petersburg. By the way, Tokyo and Osaka are the most expensive cities world, and Moscow is on their heels. By the way, the distance between Moscow and St. Petersburg is about the same as between Tokyo and Osaka. In addition, Tokyo, like Moscow, is the capital. The percentage of population concentration in the main city is impressive both in Japan and in Russia. In both countries, people go to the capital in order to advance their careers and earn money. Of course, in Japan the difference in the standard of living of the inhabitants of the capital and the inhabitants of the outskirts is not as strong as in Russia. However, in the Land of the Rising Sun the last word remains throughout the main city. 80-90% of all printed publications in Japan it is published in Tokyo, less than 10% - in Osaka, the remaining few percent - in other cities of the country. The main news of the country also comes from Tokyo, while Osaka news is regarded as local. Undoubtedly, from these figures it follows that information is filtered through the view of life and prejudices that exist precisely in Tokyo. Osaka, like St. Petersburg, is the number two city in the country. Interestingly, they are similar in that both are large ports. The similarities between Osaka and St. Petersburg are so obvious that they were given the status of sister cities more than twenty-five years ago.
Tokyo is often compared with New York, referring to the fact that in both cities a huge number of people who have come there from all over the country are striking. They are all in a hurry about their business, and they do not care about each other. This feature again reminds of Moscow. Osaka is sometimes compared to Chicago, because both cities are famous for their excellent sense of humor and delicious cuisine. Chicago, like St. Petersburg, is also Osaka's sister city. It is sometimes also said that Osaka is a large village, although densely populated. There are a lot of people, but they are more open and good-natured than in Tokyo, and they like to talk about life or swear from the heart.
In Tokyo and Osaka, people stand on the subway different sides escalator, so different way of life of their inhabitants.
I happened to do an internship in Osaka, and, to be honest, if I had not been warned about the existence about: sakaben(“Osaka dialect”), I could have panicked a lot if I realized that I was taught some other Japanese language at a Russian university. I was afraid that after a year of living in Osaka, I would lose the habit of “correct” Japanese, and upon returning to Russia, I would shock university teachers with the use of the Osaka dialect. However, this did not happen, and both versions of the language equally settled down in my head. Collision with about: sakaben rather than harm the “correctness” of my Japanese, on the contrary, it broadened my understanding of the Japanese language environment. You can learn a standard language at your own university, but enjoy the sound of a bright, original about: sakaben in Russia, the chances are not enough!
The Japanese language is extremely rich in dialects, so that, for example, residents of Tokyo and Okinawa or Osaka and Aomori may not understand each other if they use only the local dialect. However, there are no problems with mutual understanding, since everyone is familiar with the standard language - the so-called hyo jungo. It is based on the exact Japanese language spoken in Tokyo and is used in education and the media. The difference between dialects can be traced at the lexical, grammatical, phonetic and intonational levels. Most different from standard Japanese is the dialect spoken in Okinawa. The Osaka dialect can be mastered quite quickly, remembering only some grammatical features and specific vocabulary. However, it will be more difficult to rebuild intonation.
