Happy New Year!
Florence just came back from another trip to Japan. Why in winter again? Because her guide (I wonder who…) cannot take time off at other times. Anyway, she shot really nice and fun pictures this time again while her guide patiently waited in the cold. It might take some time to put those pictures on her website gallery. In the meantime, you can sneak preview some of them here on this blog.
Here is the first one.
Can you tell where this photo was taken?
In a train!
Did you watch this year’s Beijin Olympic opening ceremony? If you did, you may still remember the power and beauty that China showed us through the ceremony. Now it’s Florence’s turn. She will show us the China she saw.
Florence’s photos from Yunnan, China will be exhibited at the famous fnac store! This is an opportunity to view the striking colors that China had to offer in print. There will be some photos that are not on her website. So be there!
Title: Province de Yunnan, Chine
Date: Du lundi 20 octobre 2008 au samedi 15 novembre 2008
Place: Fnac Toulouse-Wilson (au forum) 16 all F Roosevelt 31000 Toulouse
Web: Fnac Magasins
We ran into a cute Tigger at Osaka Tenmangu Shrine during the new year festival, but neither Florence nor I knew she was crying until we saw this picture later on. In fact, she was a happy Tigger when we first found her. Look!
She was eating something and looked happy, but then what happened? What did you do to her, Florence!
Well, I’m sure she got scared when she saw a huge black camera with a big long lens right in front of her face. Or maybe she had never seen a “foreigner” before…
Don’t worry. Her mother was right there with this little Tigger. We asked the mother if it was OK to take a picture of her cute girl. The mother said, “Please.” She even made this little one say “arigato” (thank you) to Florence.
Thank you, cute little Tigger girl (and sorry if we scared you)!
Other Japan pictures will be on Florence’s main website soon. It’s been taking longer than we expected, but I’ve been working really hard. Please be patient and stay tuned!
This is another Japan picture taken in America-mura, Osaka.
There is nothing special, nothing really “Japanese” about this photo, but both Florence and I really like it.
Does anybody know what the sign says?
By the way, according to Florence, many people have asked her when her Japan photos will be uploaded to her main website. I will work on it this weekend. So stay tuned!
L’Instant Japon was a BIG success!
A lot of people attended this event, and many many people came to see Florence’s pictures throughout the three days. Thank you all!!!
Florence exhibited 18 pictures, and this one, “Sacred Temple” was the most popular of all:
This photo was shot at Okunoin, Koyasan. The temple is called Torodo (Lantern Hall), and those two designs represent Shingon Buddhism. Florence was lucky to have been able to capture this shot because the purple curtain was taken down shortly after this shot.
Back to l’instant Japon -
There were exhibitors of Japanese ceramics, knives, bonsais, mangas, origami, carpentry, etc. Lectures and presentations were given. Movies were shown. Shakuhachi concert was held. There were also demonstrations of various Japanese martial arts such as aikido, kendo, and kyudo as well as demonstrations of traditional tea ceremony. All that Japan!
What surprised me was that most exhibitors, lecturers, presenters, musicians, and demonstrators were non Japanese. They were French. In fact, it was very interesting to see some of those French people dressed properly in martial arts uniforms and behaved like Japanese. They looked even more Japanese than many Japanese people.
Many Japanese nowadays do not care much about those traditions. They are more interested in Western cultures. On the other hand, more and more Western people are becoming interested in learning Japanese traditional cultures.
Due to this big success, l’Instant Japon officials made a public announcement during the event about l’Instant Japon 2009. Florence has got a very good reason to visit Japan this year again!
This Japanese carp is called Nishikigoi. Florence loves them as they appear in some of her film work.
At a hotel in Takayama, there were many of them in the garden. Needless to say, Florence got very excited and spent hours taking pictures of them (again). She wanted me to gather them into certain areas where there was enough light and no object. I did my best to draw their attention by talking to them, clapping my hands …
By the way, average life expectancy of a Nishikigoi is 60 years, and some of them could cost $100,000.
We met this cool guy in front of an American clothing store in America-Mura (American village), Osaka. We tried to talk to him, but he didn’t say anything. Instead, he stroke this really cool pose for Florence.
America-Mura (or Amemura) is one of the hippest fashion districts in Osaka. There were lots of funky/strange style (in my eyes) young Japanese people there like these gals:
(These gals were not in America-Mura when this picture was taken, but you know what I mean when I say “funky/strange” style in my eyes.)
We were going to visit a small temple called Jizoin in Kyoto that day. On the way there, we accidentally found this bamboo forest. Bamboos are nothing out of ordinary for me, but Florence was fascinated by them. She could have spent the entire day there taking pictures of bamboos, and we could have never reached Jizoin which was a few blocks from the bamboo forest.
Bamboo forests are mysterious. Inside the forest, it was dark and chilly. We could hear bamboos squeaking, leaves rustling, trunks bumping against each other, etc. Then after we passed through this forest, there was a cemetery!
The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter is a 10th century Japanese folktale. It is also known as The Tale of Princess Kaguya.
This is one of Florence’s newest pictures from our trip to Japan in January, 2008.
We went on a one-day trip to Kôyasan, listed in the UNESCO World Heritage list. When we got off the cable car that climbed a steep slope of the mountain (a little scary for Florence), there was snow on the ground! It was a very nice surprise.
Banryutei Rock Garden was completed in 1984 and is inside of Kongobuji temple in Kôyasan. Snow had fallen on the karesansui pattern creating a breathtaking view.
We are very happy to start our blog with exciting news.
Florence’s pictures are going to be exhibited at l’Instant Japon for 3 days in May.
L’Instant Japon is an annual event, but this year is special. France and Japan celebrate the 150th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations, and l’Instant Japon has been registered as one of the official events by the embassy of Japan in France (click here for more information on the 150th anniversary).
L’Instant Japon Schedule
Date: May 16 – 18, 2008
Place: Hôtel Dieu, Toulouse
Program: Click Here
Please come to see Florence’s newest pictures of Japan at l’Instant Japon!
Nous sommes très heureux de commencer notre blog avec d’excellentes nouvelles: Florence va exposer ses photographies à l’Instant Japon les 16, 17 and 18 Mai 2008.
L’Instant Japon est un événement annuel qui revêt cette année une dimension particulière puisqu’il célèbre les 150 ans d’amitié franco-nippone. Voici les détails de cette manifestation: Cliquez Ici.
Venez nombreux pour voir les toutes dernières photos du Japon que Florence a faites!
当ブログの初エントリーはとても嬉しいニュースをお届けします。
フローレンスの写真が来月トゥールーズで行われる l’Instant Japon というイベントで展示されることになりました。このイベントは毎年行われているものですが、2008年は日仏交流150周年で、在フランス日本大使館による公式記念行事の一つとして登録され、例年以上に盛大なイベントになるそうです。日仏交流150周年記念行事についてはこちらをご覧ください。
L’Instant Japon インフォメーション
開催日程： 2008年5月16日（金）～18日（日）
会 場： Hôtel Dieu、トゥールーズ
公式プログラム： こちら
会場でお会いできるのを楽しみにしています！
