11 June 2025
“Five tones of scent, like five footsteps of the enemy.”
I know—if I use the expression “the scent of a warrior,” I risk ridicule and evoking associations with a bad
10 June 2025
Is suffering a decoration, or a desperation?
Natsuko Tanihara is perhaps the closest to darkness of all living Japanese female artists. But her darkness is not nihilism – it is
09 June 2025
Gratitude is not just a feeling – it is a practice
Gratitude in Japanese culture is not a fleeting emotion but a ritual embedded in the structure of relationships and
05 June 2025
A Truly Personal Moment
There are moments in the year that do not bear names in any calendar, yet they stay with us for a lifetime. The chirping of cicadas
03 June 2025
Just when we thought nothing in Japanese folklore could surprise us anymore…
Tanuki is a creature that holds a place in Japanese culture as honorable as it is… incomprehensible to
02 June 2025
Being Open to the Possibility of One’s Own Error
Six blind men, one elephant, and an endless dispute over what reality truly is. One touches the side and perceives a
30 May 2025
Ancient Japan
Today’s Japan is a land of silent trains, tea-scented vending machines, autonomous drones, colossal cities, and deserted villages. But close your eyes for a moment and surrender to
28 May 2025
Mastery is not achieved in a single lifetime—it takes generations.
In Japan, some words are like scrolls—they unfurl slowly, not revealing their full meaning at once. One such word is
27 May 2025
And all it takes is courage.
Our everyday life resembles an overexcited fair—filled with garish messages, chaotic shouting, and compulsive activity. The stimuli we pack into every hour and minute
26 May 2025
May 26th, or 紅花栄 ("the time when safflower blooms")
To be mindful of everyday life and to live in close connection with nature — these are not merely slogans in
22 May 2025
Grief that destroys; grief that builds
Some kanji resemble deeply symbolic seals of the soul—and the character 怨 (urami) is among the most poignant. It is constructed from the “heart”
21 May 2025
Solitude more as a role than a feeling
At dawn, Hirata Orise’s home was bathed in twilight—the warmth of the fire had yet to dispel the chill of the night,
20 May 2025
A yōkai who brewed perfect sake
On one of those intoxicated nights, when the moon reflects on the surface of sake in a small ochoko cup, and the sound of
19 May 2025
The Essence of Japan – the Most Foreign to Us
In a world where every emotion must be named, photographed, and published, and every identity declared and defended, the noh
16 May 2025
First, Formalities – Then, Bloody Vengeance
In feudal Japan, revenge was not an impulse. It was a duty, a ritual, and at the same time a cold legal construct deeply
14 May 2025
「もっと踊ってよ、アメノウズメさん
腕ふり回し、汗かき散らし、
首しならせて、
踊って、踊って、もっと、もっと」
"Dance for us again, Ame no Uzume
Swing your arms, shake off the sweat
Tilt your head toward the heavens
And dance, dance, again, again"
—
13 May 2025
Kuuki wo yomu – “reading the air”
There are words that cannot be translated with a single equivalent—not due to a lack in vocabulary, but due to a lack in
12 May 2025
山霧を重ね重ねて隠れ里
“Mountain mists,
layer upon layer—
and you shall not find the hidden village.”
– Ōsaki Natsumi, 2011, Ugetsu (雨月)
Japan comprises over 6,800 islands, with its four main islands—Honshu,
08 May 2025
“Japanese emotions do not express themselves in words; they rarely reveal themselves even in tone of voice – they manifest above all in acts of exquisite courtesy and kindness.”
—
07 May 2025
蝸牛そろそろ登れ富士の山
(Katatsumuri sorosoro nobore Fuji no yama)
O snail, slowly, slowly
climb
Mount Fuji
– Kobayashi Issa, circa 1820, Kashiwabara
In an era where the pace of life resembles an
ukiyo-japan.pl/en
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「心は風の歌に乗せて。」
(Kokoro wa kaze no uta ni nosete.)
„Carry your heart with the melody of the wind.”
— Japanese saying
"Strong Japanese Women"
see book by the author
of the page
未開 ソビエライ
An enthusiast of Asian culture with a deep appreciation for the diverse philosophies of the world. By education, a psychologist and philologist specializing in Korean studies. At heart, a programmer (primarily for Android) and a passionate technology enthusiast, as well as a practitioner of Zen and mono no aware. In moments of tranquility, adheres to a disciplined lifestyle, firmly believing that perseverance, continuous personal growth, and dedication to one's passions are the wisest paths in life. Author of the book "Strong Women of Japan" (>>see more)
Personal motto:
"The most powerful force in the universe is compound interest." - Albert Einstein (probably)
Mike Soray
(aka Michał Sobieraj)
Write us...
Ciechanów, Polska
dr.imyon@gmail.com
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