The name of this blog can have a few meanings including that which can be seen but has no substance, but it can also mean subtle and profound beauty in poems that is impossible to describe. I thought this compound perfectly suited a blog for traditional culture. If you look at a woman in kimono or really any fashion, there is the potential to see beauty or complete superficiality--but that doesn't make it meaningless.
My interest in Japan started when I was still in high school. I couldn't say how, why or when it happened though. When I was a senior I had the opportunity to study abroad and because I'd read about Japan's traditional culture, decided to put Japan as my first choice. I honestly didn't think I get my first choice and was mentally preparing myself for that. To my great surprise, I did get it!
Fast forward a few years, I'm now studying at a university in Hawai'i to become a high school Japanese language teacher. In my home state, Texas, my opportunities to indulge in certain aspects of Japan's culture were non-existant. Here in Hawai'i, however, I've been able to study kimono, nihon buyou (traditional Japanese dance), koto and dabble in a number of other crafts. One post cannot begin to say how much this has really meant to me.
The scope of this blog will be very broad, encompassing both informational posts and my own personal journey with them. So you can expect to see everything from "What is kumihimo?" to "What I learned this week," even "Check out what I made/bought!" If this blog picks up well enough, I may even post detailed answers to reader questions.
