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Hello, everyone. It's Teacher Asuka.
Today, I'm talking about 'Finding Beauty in the humblest things'.

‘Because your heart is beautiful, you can think everything is beautiful’. This is one of my favorite poems written by Mitsuo Aida, famous Japanese poet and calligraphy artist.
https://blog-imgs-112.fc2.com/m/y/t/mytribute12lord/20170716201109857.jpg

When it comes to the ‘Sense of Beauty’, Japanese people seem to grow strong sense from the ancient times. As you know, there are four beautiful seasons in Japan.

In spring, you can enjoy beautiful cherry blossom viewing everywhere all over Japan.
In summer, you can enjoy eating ‘Kakigoo(-)ri’, which is known as crashed ice desserts with colored fruits source as well as eating watermelon, going to some summer festivals in the shrines, seeing fireworks at night with friends and family.

fireworks

In autumn, you can enjoy nice view of colored leaves and grateful for great harvest from nature. In winter, you can spend entering ‘Kotatsu’, which is a Japanese style table with a built-in heater and heavy blanket on top of it.

Kotatsu

Moreover, especially around Christmas season, for example, you can enjoy seeing light-up events named ‘Kobe Luminarie’ at night,

Kobe Luminarie

and you can spend calm during New Year season with enjoy eating Japanese new year dish called ‘Osechi’ with colorful foods in it.

’osechi'

In the Japanese lifestyle, you can find various beauty in the daily basis as well as turning four seasons.  

According to one of the Japanese thinkers, Mr. Yanagi Soetu, who discovered ‘Folk Arts’ in 1926

Mr.Yanagi Soetsu

showed us ‘ Beauty lies in the people’s lives itself’. For example, he introduced as follows: ‘pottery’, ‘textiles’, ‘lacquerware’, ‘wood, and bamboo crafts’ from all over Japan, and ‘daily miscellaneous goods’ that become works of unknown workers. He insisted that these are also beautiful as much as general art works.

From the above, I remembered the Le Corbusier, who is Swiss Architect sayings, “The home should be the treasure chest of living.”

I think that 'finding beauty in the humblest things' every day would make our lives much happier than ever.

Thank you for staying with me as well.

See you next time. 

Teacher Asuka