Why Learn Japanese Language Essay

facilities, residential complexes, office towers, department stores, and high-tech structures are some excellent examples of Japanese Architecture (hkuhist2.hku.hk).

The Plum Garden at Kameido, is a woodblock print that focuses on the branch of a plum tree with a background consisting of varying washes of color. A reddish-pink sky gradually fades into white, in turn transferring once more into the green hue of the ground. The middle ground of the piece shows twelve people on the other side of a fence and it appears as if they are going about their daily business. The middle ground also possesses several other plum trees, all of which seem in the beginnings of their bloom. Closest to the viewer, the focal point of the piece, stands the main Plum tree with its branches swinging from the left at sharp angles and moving to the right. Although most of the shapes appear flat, with limited shadows, the estate contains greater depth through an incorporation of proper scale, perspective, and overlapping qualities. Near the top of the piece small green and red rectangles add to the design, their locations in the upper right and lower left corners playing upon one another in a pleasing manner. The scroll-like shapes contain Japanese script, said to contain the artist's name and other information.

A Chinese plum, Prunus mume, blossoms in the cold of late winter and early spring. It is a classic Asian aesthetic of five petals. “It manages in the

"The garden is a world filled with secrets. Slowly, I see more each day. The black pines twist and turn to form graceful shapes, while the moss is a carpet of green that invites you to sit by the pond. Even the stone lanterns, which dimly light the way at night, allow you to see only so much. Matsu 's garden whispers at you, never shouts; it leads you down a path hoping for more, as if everything is seen, yet hidden. There 's a quiet beauty here I only hope I can capture on canvas." - Stephen at the beach house planning to paint Matsu 's garden, page 31

Secrets fill the garden. In Gail Tsukiyama’s novel “The Samurai’s Garden”, she uses metaphors to show the audience the garden and its’ curator in a mysterious light. Tsukiyama’s character Stephen gazes upon Matsu’s garden with wonder and amazement. He compares it to another world, “The garden is a world filled with secrets… Matsu’s garden whispers at you, never shouts; it leads you down a path hoping for more, as if everything is seen, yet hidden” (Samurai 31). Tsukiyama creates another world within the fences of the garden. She integrates the secrets of its’ caretaker into the aura of the garden. The metaphor to another world impacts the reader by allowing the reader to see the mystery and beauty that shrouds it. The cloak of beauty shows

The Chinese garden at the Huntington Library was an extravagant garden. The Chinese garden included water, rocks, plants, architecture, and arts. The Chinese garden created multiple feelings. The flowers in the garden provided a special feeling to the season. The water creates a feeling of a forever ongoing life and the rocks a neutral balance in the surrounding environment. The arts created a feeling that encourages people to look for the literary, philosophical, and artistic traditions of China. The arts created an experience of bringing the historical arts to the people. The empty spaces that were in the garden provided the feeling of spaciousness and uncluttered calm. The texture of the rocks also created the feeling of timelessness and dignity. The Chinese garden had straight walkways or zigzagged pathways. The architecture of the Chinese garden can be felt that it was man made. The architecture has a lot of colors and is very intricate. The buildings look very artificial and formal. The landscape in the Chinese garden is more rustic and has a more natural feeling to it.

I have not had the fortune to travel to many places, but did not really need to in order to write about one of my favorite places. I have chosen to write about Vizcaya, a place in which I have personally been able to experience and enjoy many times throughout my life. Although Vizcaya was constructed in what would be considered modern times, Vizcaya’s Gardens were inspired and designed in a European Renaissance style. Its formal gardens and design are reminiscent of Italian home and garden design of the late 15th to 18th century, influenced by Veneto and Tuscan Italian Renaissance. These splendid gardens are very formal and orderly, created for the environment of the user. They are very symmetrical and include all sorts of fascinating elements

Landscapes are complex phenomena. In addition to the assemblage of physical features on which geographers and others focused until the last thirty years or so, it is now widely accepted that landscapes reflect human activity and are imbued with cultural values. They combine elements of space and time, and represent political as well as social and cultural constructs.

The role of gardens play a much more important role in Japan than here in the United States. This is due primarily to the fact the Japanese garden embodies native values, cultural beliefs and religious principles. Perhaps this is why there is no one prototype for the Japanese garden, just as there is no one native philosophy or aesthetic. In this way, similar to other forms of Japanese art, landscape design is constantly evolving due to exposure to outside influences, mainly Chinese, that effect not only changing aesthetic tastes but also the values of patrons. In observing a Japanese garden, it is important to remember that the line between the garden and the landscape that surrounds it is not separate. Instead,

4) in our daily lives. In more prominent ways, Japanese culture can be noticed through cuisine and religion. “Buddhism” and “Shintoism” are the two significant religions of Japan, though in Hawaii more buddhist temples are seen rather than shinto shrines. Besides the majority of the Japanese population in Hawaii, buddhism is also practiced by a great amount of Hawaii locals. The only set back being, “The only temple activities that cater to non- Japanese…are taiko drumming and meditation.” (Borup

In every walk with nature one receives far more than one seeks. The Samurai’s Garden is a book that encompasses the beauty and importance of the natural world through many individuals’ experiences. Tsukiyama expresses the belief that humans need help from an outside force, so that they can be relieved from their grief and misery. In the novel, The Samurai’s Garden, Gail Tsukiyama conveys the theme that in order to heal, people need nature; she accomplishes this through her use of Sachi, Matsu, and Stephen.

Growing up as a child, my parents gave me the gifts of a globe, an encyclopedia, and an atlas. I would constantly learn about and imagine new experiences, cultures, and places vastly different and similar to what I had known in Canada and my parents’ stories of living in Argentina and Peru. To this day, I can say that much of my interest in Japan comes from my love and academic studies on geography and urban society. I am interested in learning, building, and supporting Japanese culture through English instruction and cultural exchange at the local community level. I aim to positively interact with others, understand their perspectives, and develop the knowledges and skills needed for my further participation in both Canadian and Japanese

1. The geography of Medieval Japan consisted of gardens for tea. The civilians would create burial grounds for deaths of their leaders. This was similar to the pyramids of Egypt. As for something not man made is the very mountainous land.

The small island of japan is greatly known for its culture that has been practiced for over a thousand years. Japan has many different types of food and entertainment and religion. The most popular religion is Buddhism and Shintoism.

Japan is an island nation that is located across the Japanese Sea. Japan consists of the islands of Hokkaiodo, Honshu, Shikoku, and Kyushu (Yamada & Kurashige, 2003). The landscape of Japan is seventy-one percent mountainous ("Population Demographics," 2007). Japan is a small country that is situated in the northern temperate zone. Japan experiences the four seasons similar to that of North America. Japan experiences typhoons which are a lot stronger than their sister hurricanes in the Atlantic (Yamada &