Winter, spring and calligraphy

Day 1: Winter. Snow piled high from the kitchen window.

Day 2: Spring Fukujusou blooming

Calligraphy display from a local high school (Takanosu)

Calligraphy display from a local High School(Omagari)

Calligraphy display from a ;ocal High School (Odate)

Calligraphy display from a local High School (Noshiro)

A video showing the kanji display being drawn by the Takanosu group.

Spring comes quickly when it comes. Hiro's mother was lamenting the fukujuso (Adonis amurensis) were not yet blooming. Lo and behold, the next day it was.  I can't feel much excitement at seeing them, but I guess if I'd been looking at snow for the past 4 months, they'd probably feel very cheery.

After Hiro's nieces graduation we went to take a look at a calligraphy display in the local Citizens Centre.  Hiro's older niece is in the calligraphy club and one of their pictures was on display.  The posters are massive - perhaps 3x4 metres - and are painted as "group performance". From beginning to end it takes about 5 minutes for the group to put it together. It was phenomenal to see it in action. You can see in the last picture the group raising their banner - the theme of this painting "gratitude".