It's the rainy season in Vancouver. The autumn leaves are falling and the city’s colour fades. Still, the Christmas decorations are pleasing to the eye, and we have high hopes for 2024. Wishing you a peaceful and joyful New Year!
氷 (KOORI – Ice) December 11
Canada is all about hockey. The battle on the ice continues until spring. I heard that Canadians have been hockey fans since before they were born. What is it that captured the hearts of Canadians? The speed? Passing? The fierce clashes?
筆 (FUDE – Brush) November 27
I had the chance to enjoy calligraphy with Japanese seniors. It was stirring to see them entrust their thoughts of Japan to brush and ink while living in Canada. The works dripped with the brush's pure joy and the script's warmth.
赤 (AKA - Red) November 13
My second Remembrance Day in Vancouver. I offered a silent prayer for world peace at the Japanese Canadian Cenotaph in Stanley Park. The red poppies all seemed to echo the voices of our forebears, telling us to focus our wisdom.
橋 (HASHI – Bridge) October 30
Capilano Suspension Bridge...can you cross and enjoy the view? I couldn’t. I had to look straight ahead to make it across. The warm and sweet “Capilano Otter Balls” soothed me, my sweat cooled, and I felt happy in the Canadian wilderness.
瓜 (URI - Squash) October 16
As a diverse city, Vancouver welcomes autumn in a variety of ways. The orange pumpkins are a great way to get into the Halloween spirit. I wonder if children in costume will come trick-or-treating to my door...
巡 (MEGURU – Turn) October 2
The calendar has turned a full year since I arrived in Vancouver. Although I am still working on my English, I have visited many places, met many people, and learned many things. I am thankful for all the encounters I have had in Canada, where I am living for the first time.
祭 (MATSURI – Festival) September 18
Many feelings are put into festivals, such as thanksgiving, memorials, and prayers, and those feelings are expressed in many different ways. I have attended many festivals at different times of the year, such as cherry blossom season, Canada Day, and the arrival of autumn. The presence and history of the Japanese-Canadian community is at the heart of the festivals in this region.
鎮 (SHIZUMERU – Calm) September 4
The ferocity of the wildfires in Canada, including BC... I am praying for the fire to be extinguished and calmed down. I would like to express my condolences to the victims, my deepest sympathy to those affected, and my heartfelt respect and gratitude to those involved in the fire fighting efforts.
都 (TO – City) August 21
Japan and Canada have 72 sister city relationships, 33 of which are in BC and 1 in the Yukon. Whenever I visit each city, I learn that it has a long history of exchange with Japan. I find a Japanese garden in an unexpected place, and encounter displays of folk crafts and Hina dolls, a set of ornamental dolls for the Japanese Doll Festival or Girls’ Day.
島（SHIMA – Island） August 7
Every time I look at it from above, I notice how many islands there are. Canada is said to have the fourth largest number of islands in the world. I find a village on a small island and imagine how people live there. Please let me know if you find a nice island like a hideaway where I can spend holidays quietly.
打 (UTSU - Beat) July 24
I visited a drum festival in which communities from various countries participated. There is a common joy in surrendering to the rhythms that transcends cultural borders. The characteristics of each rhythm are a strong expression of the culture of each country.
鮭（SAKE – Salmon）July 10
I was invited to the Steveston Salmon Festival hosted by the City of Richmond. Whenever someone talks about Canada, one of the first things that comes to mind is salmon. But I don't even have the knowledge to explain the difference between salmon and trout, and I have absolutely no confidence in my ability to tell them apart... The smiling faces of people enjoying the festival were simply dazzling.
郷（SATO – Hometown）June 26
Our home and native land ... the opening phrase of "O Canada". The kanji 郷 means “hometown”. Everyone has a hometown that is important to them, and it doesn’t always have to be the place where they were born.
絮 (WATA – Cotton) June 12
White fluff is dancing under the blue sky...tiny white fluff scattered by cottonwood trees. I was told that this is a typical spring scene in this area. It reminds me of the willow flowers I saw on the Korean peninsula in May many years ago.
家（IE – House/Home）May 29
The issue of "housing" is of great concern to Canadians. Back when the kanji character for "house" was created, it was associated with the notion of a sacred space for livestock. If we were to create a new kanji meaning "house/home" today, what would we place in this space?
緑 (MIDORI – Green) May 15
Vancouver's beautiful greenery symbolizes the arrival of spring. The green of the grass and trees soothes eyes tired of using computers and cell phones. Why is it that not only "green" but "purple" （紫）, "red"（紅）, and many other Japanese Kanji that represent colours have the character "糸" (ITO - thread) in them?
霧 (KIRI - Fog) May 1
The cherry blossom season has already passed, but rainy days continue... If it is drizzling, people in Vancouver walk gallantly without umbrellas. Is this the point of contact with Japanese culture that says, "Let's feel the spring rain on our face."?
桜 (SAKURA - Cherry Blossom) April 17
Attending many cherry blossom festivals, I realize that “sakura” are literally rooted here as symbols of the Japan-Canada friendship. Sakura bloom like rays of light, and then soon fall... I would like to thank those so moved by these fleeting blossoms.
劇 (GEKI – Theatre, Play) April 3
Canadians love the theatre. There are a number of cities in Canada known as theatre cities. Immigration, war, reconciliation and forgiveness, diversity — I took away many questions from the play "Forgiveness" which I saw at Vancouver’s Stanley Theatre.
溶（YOU - Melt) March 20
My heart leapt when I saw the headline: ‘Winter finally starts to melt.’ Three weeks since the heavy snowfall at the end of February, the snow, ice, and thick clouds…Vancouver's winter is melting away as the city turns from gray to the colour of cherry blossom.
光 (HIKARI - Light) March 6
The Northern Lights did not appear in the sky in the Yukon that night. The lights of the City of Whitehorse and the lights in the snow greeted me quietly in the freezing air.
先 (SAKI - Before) February 20
When Chinese characters were created in Asia, it is said they were dedicated to the gods. The bold lines, the vivid colours - the art of the First Nations, the indigenous peoples of Canada. We trace the prayers, which were contained in the art.
Watch a behind-the-scenes video below:
奏 (SOU - Performance) February 6
The Vancouver Symphony Orchestra performs R. Strauss at the Orpheum Theatre, magnificently decorated former movie theater on an atmospheric downtown street corner. This is how this city stays attuned to European music.
雨 (AME - Rain) January 23
I heard Vancouver has many rainy days this time of year. The skies are gloomy and dreary. Yet, the rain is a blessing for the land. I am looking forward to spring, when the grass and trees will be lush. The character "rain" represents water drops from the sky.
兎 (USAGI - Rabbit) January 9
In Japan, China and Korea, this year is called the Year of the Rabbit. The old character, formed from the figure of a rabbit, seems ready to leap at any moment. I have met many squirrels in the three months I have lived in Vancouver, but this year I hope to encounter a wild rabbit.
