The opera “ Madame Butterfly ” was written by the Italian composer Puccini in 1904, based on the short story written by John Luther Long in 1898. It begins with a scene in which a Japanese marriage-broker, Goro, shows Pinkerton, a Lieutenant in the US Navy, a Japanese traditional house. Pinkerton is surprised to see that the walls in the house are slidable to suit his lifestyle. The newlywed Pinkerton asks where is the bedroom, Goro answers by sliding the walls. “Here or there! Wherever you … [Read more...]
Archives for February 2014
Shadow Photography and Calligraphy
Shadows began to intrigue me more than 20 years ago when I, someone fascinated by calligraphy and the color of ink, moved from my beloved Japan to Australia. In a southern country whose language was different from mine, I was struck less by that difference than by the contrast of Australia's drier air and clear blue skies, as well as by its bright light and the deep shadows it described. I came to feel a keen interest in shadows one summer day in a park when the shadow of a tree … [Read more...]