Friday, May 8, 2009

Second Post (this is a bad titling system xD)

Hey! Here's my second post!

So, I want to explain the name of my blog, "36 Views of Mt. Rokko"

I suppose some of you have heard of the famous art series "36 Views of Mt Fuji" by Katsushika Hokusai. Hokusai was one of the masters of the Japanese "ukiyo-e" printmaking style, and "36 Views" is one of his most well known works.
Examples:"Red Fuji Southern Wind Clear Morning" (or something like that)

Great Wave off of Kanagawa (like the most famous piece ever, notice the little Fuji)

I love the composition style of ukiyo-e artists, and how the complexity of a ukiyo-e piece is built of many little simple parts, and "36 Views" is just a shining example. Because of "36 Views" and his other works, Hokusai is one of my favorite artists, and I would definitely say he is one of my biggest influences (harder to see in photography but more visible in my stuff in other mediums)

So, thats where the 36 Views part of my title comes from.

The second part, well. This is intended to be a blog documenting my time in Japan, and when I am in Japan I will not be around Mt Fuji, but instead near the much smaller (but still awesome) Mt Rokko. My university will actually be ON Mt. Rokko (coincidently, one of Hokusai's 36 views of Fuji is from the viewpoint of pilgrims ON Mt. Fuji... love that piece x3 ).

Combining these two elements resulted in the blog you see here "36 Views of Mt Rokko." I think its a bit more original than "Japandrew" 笑 and has quite a bit of meaning for me.

A couple photos from today. I was in a black and white mood :D~

I decided to leave my classroom through a different door today and found this passageway with a bunch of beautiful lighting. Unfortunately I got lost here and ended up late to class, but it was pretty :D

Had dinner with the Kaiwa Table (Japanese conversation group) today at Thai 65~ This glass was for someone who left soon after we arrived, but the server filled it up anyway and without someone to drink from it it ended up spilling all over... messy but interesting puddles :D

My artsy shot of the day :D My friend Mayu, taken with no viewfinder~ I like the feeling of this shot where you can tell there is a beautiful face there, but you only get to see a hint of it~ I call it "Where are you?"

Anyway, thats my post for today :D Hope somebody enjoyed it! I'm going to go do my homework so I can properly enjoy the promised sun tomorrow... YES SUN :D
Posted by at
Labels: , , , ,

4 comments:

  1. ValMay 8, 2009 at 4:58 PM

    SUCH gorgeous pictures! Keep up the good work. :D And now that I understand your title, it seems a lot more clever. Good choice.

    ReplyDelete
  2. RunaMay 9, 2009 at 12:09 AM

    Oh, you like Hokusai!　Hokusai and Syaraku are great artists. I like them:)
    Have you ever go to public bath/銭湯 in Japan?
    There has ukiyoe imaged of Mt. Fuji and waves
    influenced by Hokusai. (I do not like 銭湯;P)
    My mum was bornin Osaka. haha~
    I sometimes say in Osaka accent「ちゃうよ」
    とか。

    I like fist BW shot!　Love the lighting and shadows.

    ReplyDelete
  3. ~36rokko~May 9, 2009 at 4:58 PM

    Val< Thanks! I now have the Val seal of approval, I cannot fail! :D

    ルナさん＜ I haven't been to 銭湯、、、its different from 温泉 right? Kind of strange to have ukiyo-e pictures there xP

    笑、「ちゃうよ！」I'm going to have to learn 関西弁 this year haha～
    And thanks, I saw the light and shadows in the place where I took that picture and I couldn't help but go there and take a bunch of pictures, it was great hahaha.

    ReplyDelete
  4. RunaMay 10, 2009 at 12:51 AM

    「もうかりまっか？」(means Hi in kansai)
    Yes, 銭湯 is not 温泉.
    haha, 銭湯 is traditional pubulic bath. People were enjoying art at 銭湯♨
    でも裸で～？って思う.。(笑

    ReplyDelete

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)