Resources
NKH CORE KYOTO
Check here regularly for beautifully made videos about Kyoto
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/tv/corekyoto/
Kyoto Journal
Blogs
http://www.writersinkyoto.com/
https://www.youtube.com/c/happyinjapan
Japanese Cooking
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/food/
Books
In Praise of Shadows by Jun’ichirō Tanizaki.
Wabi Sabi: The Japanese Art of Impermanence by Andrew Juniper
Kyoto Machiya Restaurant Guide by Judith Clancy
Sakuteiki, or “Records of Garden Making,” was written nearly one thousand years ago. It is the oldest existing text on Japanese gardening-or any kind of gardening—in the world. In this edition of the Sakuteiki the authors provide both an English-language translation of this classic work and an introduction to the cultural and historical context that led to the development of Japanese gardening.
Architecture
Houses in Japan by Francesca Chiorino
Today Shigeru Ban is helping many people with his important innovations.
Textiles
http://www.bluealchemyindigo.com/
Baird, M. (2001). Symbols of Japan: Thematic Motifs in Art and Design. New York: Rizzoli International Publications, Inc.
Bühler, A. & Fischer, E. (1977). Clamp Resist Dyeing of Fabrics. Ahmedabad, India: Calico Museum of Textiles.
Collier, B.J. & Tortora, P.G. (2001). Understanding Textiles. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice-Hall.
Gillow, J. & Sentence, B. (1999). World Textiles: A Guide to Traditional Techniques. New York: Little, Brown, & Company.Harris, J. (ed.). (1993). Textiles: 5,000 Years. New York: Harry N. Abrams, Incorporated.
Hauge, T. & Hauge, U. (1978). Folk Traditions in Japanese Art. New York: Kodansha International.
Hayao, I. & Nobuhiko, M. (1988). Robes of Elegance: Japanese Kimonos of the 16th-20th Centuries. North Carolina: North Carolina Museum of Art.
Liddell, J. (1989). The Story of the Kimono. New York: E.P. Dutton
Film
http://theculturetrip.com/asia/japan/articles/from-ozu-to-kitano-the-ten-best-japanese-directors/
https://www.criterion.com/search/results?cx=010409313683156935813%3At7nyanc_22g&cof=FORID%3A9&ie=UTF-8&q=japaneses&x=10&y=8&siteurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.criterion.com%2Flists%2F83538-the-best-japanese-films-ever-made
Departures: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6UFlWO5zhO8
Our Little Sister: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NtTeSQFce2A
Tony Takatani: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gxdQbc9L8KU
Birth of Sake: http://www.birthofsake.com/
http://www.amazon.com/Art-Japanese-Sword-Kawachi-Kunihira/dp/B004DY8M7
Gardens
http://www.bonsaiempire.com/inspiration/bonsai-japan/kyoto-gardens
Art
Go to Utube and watch The Lost Hokusai 2017. I am sure you will enjoy it.
Poetry
http://kyotojournal.org/the-journal/fiction-poetry/basho’s-ghost/
https://www.amazon.com/Haiku-Handbook-25th-Anniversary-Appreciate/dp/4770031130
Other Festivals
Japan’s three largest festivals include Tokyo’s Kanda Matsuri, Osaka’s Tenjin Matsuri and the Gion Matsuri in Kyoto. All events are public and free for spectators.
The Kanda Matsuri(mid-May, 2019) features several processions, including floats with characters from famous folk stories, samurai on horseback and the Sengan mikoshi (weighing in at approximately 3.75 tons). It takes place in odd numbered years, alternating with the Sanno Matsuri (mid-June, 2018).
Osaka’s Tenjin Matsuri (osaka-info.jp/en/events/festivals_events/post_20) (mid-July) is most notable for the brilliant 90-minute firework display that lights up a traditional fleet procession crisscrossing the city’s Okawa River. Visitors can view the torch-lit boats from several historic vantage points, including Osaka Castle.
International Disaster Relief Organization Japan
Tours