It looks like I'll be heading off to the the Far East this November. One of my stops will be Japan so I've decided to learn as much Japanese as I can. Plus, it gives me an excuse to watch the entire Shogun series again.

I've been fascinated with ancient oriental culture since I stumbled on the game Nobunaga's Ambition for the equally ancient Nintendo Entertainment System. I remember scouring (as in - vigorously searching, not as in - livestock diarrhea) the little Book Mobile that would pull up by our school, looking for any books on ninjas, samurai, or the Bushido code. That first love has never gone away. Recently I devoted a lot of time to the art of Bonsai. After killing everything I touched, I decided that the region I live in is clearly not hardy enough for my elite Bonsai skills.

On this trip I hope to gain some design inspiration. The Japanese style of minimal clutter to deliver maximum impact really appeals to me. We'll see if any of it can rub off on me. At very least it will fulfill a life long dream. By the way, if you hear about a Japan wide die-off of Bonsia trees sometime in November...

Labels: Japan