A Visit To Shofuso Japanese House and Garden

A stunning scene at the traditional Japanese viewing garden. 

Before stepping foot inside Shofuso, I inhaled the crisp fall air. My eyes soon found a familiar sight---one that I haven't gazed upon in nine years, and my heart soon followed.  The aesthetic of traditional Japan is something I haven't seen since traveling abroad to Tokyo and rural Japan during my time studying at Temple University. And experiencing  something so revered and so well-preserved here in the Fairmount Park area of Philadelphia was surreal. 

Approaching the entrance to Shofuso. 

After removing my shoes and stepping inside Shofuso for a guided tour, I felt nearly overwhelmed with nostalgia. It was like stepping through the doors of the Narita airport that first day in Japan, the excitement palpable. 

I just wish I could go back. I  often have dreams of being in Japan. And I'm sure this excursion to the historic Japanese House and Garden will only serve as more fodder for my subconscious. 

The common area, known as the 15-mat room. 

Built in Nagoya, Japan in 1953 for an exhibition in NYC's Museum of Modern Art, Shofuso uses traditional Japanese materials and traditional Japanese architecture techniques. The structure was moved to NYC for the exhibit, and then acquired by Philadelphia in 1958 where it has remained. Renovations and preservation by both the City of Philadelphia and Friends of the Japanese House and Garden (FJHG) have maintained this traditional Japanese house and garden, and will continue you to do so for years to come.

Source: http://www.japanesehouse.org/

A Japanese tea ceremony class in session. 

In addition to providing educational tours, classes, and field trips, Shofuso hosts traditional Japanese events for the community. Upcoming events include a moonviewing party and Japanese paper arts day. 

And to think that all of this history, and the longtime effort to make ties between traditional Japan and the Philadelphia community is just 30 minutes from my home.

Daidokoro, a traditional Japanese kitchen.

My family first visited Shofuso the summer of 2006---while I was away for six weeks studying and absorbing as much of Japan as I possibly could. But I'm glad that they were able to join me in visiting Shofuso. It made for an interesting cultural dialogue.

And in addition to seeing the Japanese House and Garden, I had read that the pavilion nearby was having a Japanese flea market...which is why we decided to visit on this particular day.

The traditional tea garden. 

Unfortunately the vendors were few, and the wares were more of the novelty import variety. But I was sure to pick of a few boxes of Pocky, of course.

Despite striking out at the Japanese flea market, spending the afternoon at Shofuso was a beautiful reminder that flea markets might be cheap...but nostalgia is free. 

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Vintage Photo Friday: Yamato Suzuki Cuteness

How cute is this little book? My Very Own Seasons represents a trifecta of my thrifted interests: 

1. Vintage
2. Children's books
3. Japanese culture

Featuring poems by Chisachi Suehiro and the most adorable illustrations by Yamato Suzuki, this little book was too charming to resist. 

And guess what! I also found  How I Grow and Finding My Way...two other little books in the  Petals series by the same author and illustrator.

I scored all three books from Impact Thrift for $1.50 and was happy to fork over the money for the abundance of cuteness within those tiny pages. 

For this Friday's vintage photo, I decided to share with you this heart-tugging interpretation of Fall.  

My Very Own Seasons, 1967. 

What vintage wonders did you find this week? 

The Thrifted Life: Take the Inspirational Tour

As a writer, I like to think that I see things just a bit differently. I suspect that other writers, artists, photographers and creative-minded folk feel the same. We observe the tiniest details and draw inspiration from unconventional sources. Perhaps this is one of the reasons that I find thrift shopping so appealing. Seeing and sometimes buying otherwise discarded items leaves me wondering about the previous owner. What did they gain from this book, this painting, this oddity that I now possess?

At the very least I know what I gain. I gain satisfaction and a sense of fate intervening when I find that one thing that just speaks to me that no one else unearthed. And in some small way I gain something immeasurably important: a muse, something to be inspired by.

After reading Thrift Core and seeing Van’s treatise on art, visual stimulation and productivity, I at long last know I’m not alone. It doesn’t hurt that we both share common devotion for zombies, robots, Japan, vintage wares and thrifting oddities.

What we own and what personal value we put upon certain possessions just speaks to our character. So here is my character study. This is the first of what will be several installments of my own virtual tour. This segment: My bookcase.

Of course the words and thoughts of other writers are of constant inspiration. And as you will see, I have varying tastes. On this shelf we have the macabre. Ever since seeing my first horror movie, I’ve had a dark love for the genre. I found a copy of All I Need to Know About Filmmaking I Learned From The Toxic Avenger while thrifting in Canada and very nearly shouted the pride in my acquisition aloud.

 
…Then there’s books and zines on crafting. The Big Ass Book of Crafts is a must-have.

…And a few classics, mixed with a few oddities. Remember 202 Things To Do: Activities and Finger Fun  for Children… now how does that get shelved near Kurt Vonnegut?

Here’s my entire shelf of books on Japan…culture, fashion, language, lore and of course…Japanese horror cinema. That Domo-kun and Totoro are straight out of Tokyo. I bought so many toys I had to buy another piece of luggage to bring everything home. The antiquarian copies of Japanese Fairy Tales and Tales of Japan were both thrifted, as was that pink laughing Buddha statue.

Well that’s just some visual support of what intrigues and inspires me. In the future you can expect a whole mish-mash of interests and collections that will likely make you wonder if I have some strange variety of Attention Deficit Disorder when thrifting.

Feminism? Zombies? Gnomes? Owls? Killer dolls? What’s the connection? The connection is me... and my strange finds that I love.

Country Life, City Life: The J. Crew Catalogue of Thrifting.

City life, a bustling metropolis of businesswomen on the go. Big meetings, short deadlines and faraway out-of-town conferences. What’s a girl to do?

Why, pack up her dreamy, vintage sky blue Samsonite train case, of course!



Samsonite train case, $6.97 from 2nd Avenue Value Store.

 
But when the big city lights shine just a tad too bright, a gal’s just got to get away. May we suggest a leisurely holiday to the countryside…of Japan?

Towering mountains, limitless lakes and a cool and easy breeze makes this country life worth living. Sit back and take it all in.




Three-dimensional handmade tree bark art from Japan, 50 cents at a local Philadelphia flea market.

There she can enjoy the comforts of breathtaking views and with just a few simple ingredients, equally exotic cuisine.





Vintage Japanese Cookbook, 1969. $1 from the flea market.

For ordering information, please scout the aisles of your local thrift store.

Mourning Japan’s Tragedy

View from the Metropolitan Government building.

It broke my heart to hear of the terrible loss Japan has suffered today, especially after just reminiscing so fondly of my time spent there. Such a beautiful country so filled with tradition and honor, home to so many, many wonderful people.

In the wake of one of the most devastating earthquakes in recorded history, please help the people of Japan by making a donation through the American Red Cross.

Please give what you can and keep Japan in your thoughts and prayers.

From the Land of the Rising Sun.



A sleepy 'salaryman' on the platform of the Tokyo metro line. Worn out from a day of thrifting, perhaps?





I’ve always said that aside from ridiculously low prices, the appeal of secondhand shopping is salvaging cultural artifacts. Vintage, kitsch, ephemera, oddities…all of the items that could fall into these categories are marked by a time, a place, a person who was the previous owner…and perhaps a story.

The biggest chapter in the story of my life so far took place some five years ago. I was in my final semesters of college life and decided it was time for a change. I was so close to graduating. I had finished earning my minor accreditations, was working toward my final core classes for my major and was looking for one last hurrah before tossing the graduation cap in the air. So I applied for a study abroad opportunity in the summer semester. And lo and behold I was accepted and spent six amazing weeks living, studying and writing a column in Tokyo, Japan.

Ever since, I’ve been looking to relive the experience, to recapture it in some small way. And this is probably the reason I jump at the opportunity to snatch up all things Japanese when thrifting or trotting through flea markets. Books, art, toys, decor…everything! I love collecting cultural artifacts from this culture that is not my own, but one I adopted if only for a short time.



These are just a few of my favorite Japanese thrifted finds. I’m not quite sure how to describe this little wooden doll. He’s not a Kokeshi. But he’s great, and I love his little hat. That jar to his right is about the size of a jar of baby food. The design of the image and the slope of the lid reminds me of Japanese architecture.

While these three reads are more or less children’s books, I consider myself to have a childlike wonder and awe when it comes to Japan. Besides, the stories in Tales of Old Japan (1966) and Lafcadio Hearn’s Japanese Fairy Tales (1953) are filled with magic, nature and at times complete and utter dread.


In addition to taking a class on foreign journalism and Japanese contemporary culture, I actually based much of my academic study in Tokyo on the subject of Japanese horror cinema And Hearn’s Kwaidan: Stories of Studies of Strange Things was of great service. If you are interested in Japanese culture, folklore or horror, give it a read and you will not be disappointed.

Lastly, the book at the bottom of the pile was a thrifted gift from my best friend. And how fitting since Tokyo Friends (2006) is the most lovely little children’s book. It serves as a very basic, introductory level Japanese-English dictionary. Featuring a few Japanese and American children, the book teaches both definitions and cultural exchange in everyday life. And again, it’s adorable. Love it.


I took hundreds of photos while in Japan. Of nature. Of architecture. Of adults. Children. Students. Friends. Strangers. And I love looking back at them. Sometimes I need to look…to remind myself that it wasn’t all some incredibly lucid dream.



Remember this picture from the Collections page? This portrait of adults, children, strangers marked by a time and a place…of a culture that is not my own… was truly an amazing flea market find and one of my personal favorites.

It’s beautiful. And that little girl front and center? She reminds me of this little girl I photographed on my very first day in Japan.



She was too cute, wandering around the Shinto shrine we were visiting. Not knowing enough Japanese to properly ask her parents permission for her photograph I excused myself with a sumimasen, called her kawaii and pointed to my camera. Her mother and father were all too happy getting her to pose for me. I love that little smile and the positioning of her hands and her hair blowing in the wind. It was magical.

I desperately want to go back to Japan, even live there extensively. Maybe some day I will. But until then I have my photographs to look through, my dolls and decor to surround myself with and my fairy tales, both lived and imagined, all about the Land of the Rising Sun.

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