Yurara Sarara Films (July 16, 2023) – Wabi sabi can be defined as “beauty in imperfection” and can incorporate asymmetry, incompleteness, impermanence, and simplicity.
In addition to gardens, wabi sabi influences many other aspects of Japanese art and culture, such as the tea ceremony and pottery making, and it is also seen as a way of life.
A garden based around wabi sabi incorporates natural and manmade elements in a way that allows visitors to appreciate their humble and imperfect forms. This typically involves using not only plants but also stones and weathered manmade objects as design elements.
Dezeen Films (June 28, 2023) – Photographer Edmund Sumner has created a film featuring eight projects that emphasis the Future is Rural theme of the Japan Pavilion at the London Design Biennale, which was curated by Yuki Sumner. Yuki Sumner aimed to highlight projects by artists, designers and activists tackling issues such as depopulation and an ageing society in rural Japan, in the film.
The Globalist Podcast, Friday, June 2, 2023: Asia’s top security meeting, IISS Shangri-La Dialogue kicks off but China refuses to talk to the US on the sidelines.
Plus: several media groups are banned from Opec’s production meeting this weekend; we check in on how Nigeria’s new president is faring and we ask, “What is lake cow bacon?”
The Globalist, May 22, 2023: Zelensky meets with leader at G7 meeting in Japan, de-risking with China, and Greece’s center-right Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis scores big victory in Greece elections.
Insider Business (May 19, 2023) – These Japanese crafts are among the oldest in the world. But most of them are disappearing. In this video, we will tell you the stories of five artisans who are among the last to keep their ancient methods alive.
We saw how soy sauce is aged in century-old wooden barrels, how vinegar is fermented using an ancient method, and how sweets that only aristocrats and emperors could eat 400 years ago are prepared today.
The Globalist, May 19, 2023: Fiona Wilson, Monocle’s Asia editor and Tokyo bureau chief, tells us about Japan’s aims ahead of the G7 meeting in Hiroshima; then Florida governor Ron DeSantis is expected to enter the 2024 presidential race, and we examine the state of Cambodian democracy ahead of the July elections.
Japan BackpackersXpress Films (May 15, 2023) – Jindai Botanical Garden is a world-class 42 hectare (105 acre) garden in Chofu City, in the west of Tokyo, that offers seasonal beauty all year round. Jindai Botanical Garden is Tokyo’s main botanical garden, being the only one operated by Tokyo Metropolis.
It has the biggest rose garden in Tokyo, and is famous too for its plum and cherry trees, which blossom in spring. The Garden includes adjacent free-entry facilities like an aquatic plant area and a plant information center.
Jindai Botanical Gardens are creatively designed, immaculately maintained, and are well worth the trip from Tokyo, together with a visit to the neighboring Jindaiji Temple, Tokyo’s second oldest.
World Economic Forum (May 13, 2023) – This week’s top stories of the week include:
0:15This volcanic bacteria eats CO2 – Scientists say they turn CO2 into biomass ‘astonishingly quickly’ and one day could help remove CO2 from the atmosphere. The microbes were discovered off the coast of the Italian island of Vulcano where the ocean is rich in CO2. They bubble up from volcanic vents on the seafloor. The microbes were discovered by scientists from the Two Frontiers Project who found that the bugs sink in water which could help to sequester the CO2 they absorb.
1:35This Japanese soccer league is over 80s only – It kicked off in April with 3 teams going head-to-head boasting an average age of 83.5. Among the players is ex-national team forward Mutsuhiko Nomura. His career has spanned 70 years and 18 World Cups. Now, aged 83, he patrols the midfield for Red Star. But the league’s veteran is Shingo Shiozawa. The former racing car designer plays in net for the White Bears at the tender age of 93.
3:19Why we need economic growth – Economic growth may not be the only measure of success but in many countries, it saves lives. But economic growth need no longer happen at the expense of the planet.
6:38Women need investment, not just empowerment – Non-profit Grameen Foundation is helping millions of people lift themselves out of poverty by teaching women how to manage money, access loans and manage their businesses. Most importantly, Bai says, women need to have the knowledge to ask the right questions.
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