Obama, Hosshinji (“Temple of the Great Awakening”) and environs

"A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step." - Lao Tzu

The intimate relationship between traditional Japanese architecture and Shinto, plus my five-year reunion with my Japanese family.

“Shinto is the belief that there is a god in all things in nature. Trees, minerals, dead grass and invisible things feel the will of life.” - Masaru Eguchi

Wood Part 1: its extensive use in traditional Japanese architecture, plus an overview of life in Satsuma.

“Japanese architecture is preeminently, almost exclusively, an architecture of wood." - Yukio Futagawa

Wood Part 2: Timber frame joints, plus a conversation with an American architect 25 years in Japan, and a visit to Satsuma's only Buddhist temple. 

"Of all the lessons most relevant today, Japanese flexibility is the greatest." - Stephen Gardiner

Interiors Part 1: Shōji doors, natural lighting, etc., plus Sogi Falls, two Shinto shrines, and my grandmother's neighbors' full renovation of their traditional house.

“In the traditional Japanese room, guests are surrounded by the soft colors of earthen walls, paper screens, and wooden finishes. Lighting is gentle, provided by paper-covered lamps or ceramic lanterns. The overall effect is soothing, peaceful, and calm.” ~ Michael Lambe

Interiors Part 2: Tatami mats, plus a real samurai residence from the late Edo Period (1603 - 1868)

“The tatami mat made possible for the first time the standardization of proportions for all elements of a structure—in short, prefabrication, and in the 16th century! The systemization of the tatami mat remains one of the most remarkable and fundamental characteristics of Japanese architecture.” ~ Yukio Futagawa

Roofs and verandas (engawa), plus the long-awaited apprenticeship gets underway.

“The traditional Japanese roof was the greatest challenge to the craft-proud builder. It not only established the character of the structure from afar, but had deeply symbolic value as a link between heaven and earth, reaching for the sky yet firmly anchored to the earth that gives us life.” ~ Teiji Itoh

The Entranceway (genkan) Part 1: Physical features, etiquette and significance in the home, plus a visit to a hot spring hotel, Kirishima Shrine and Kareigawa Station.

“In Japanese Zen Buddhist monasteries, genkan designates a physical space where monks take their first step in a life of devotion, compassion and service on the path to enlightenment. In private residences, it serves as a gateway between the household’s public and private worlds where visitors are screened with ritual challenges. And, you leave your shoes.” ~ Gordon Hutchison

The Entranceway (genkan) Part 2: Mythical and symbolic significance, what it means to be Japanese, and the final days of Japan Apprentice.

“The Japanese pride themselves on maintaining an air of mystery, of ‘something deeper,’ which, lends them a certain power. In Japanese homes, the genkan is the gateway to this mystery.” ~ Gordon Hutchison