Explore everyday life in Japan
The other day, I learned what mon are.
Mon are traditional Japanese patterns and motifs depicting all things in the universe.
As I believe is the case in many homes across Japan, my family begins the day by eating breakfast in front of the TV. While there are various morning shows that deliver the national and global news, there is also a channel that delivers a series of short education based programs for children throughout the week. These programs start at 6:30 a.m., right after the morning exercise program is finished, and continue for a couple hours into the day.
As I have two young children, many of my days begin with educational TV programs for kids, which is something that I don’t mind. As a constant learner of Japanese language and culture, I find these shows very interesting. One program, in particular, I absolutely love. It is a five minute program, often with little to no speaking, that highlights the importance of design in the world by juxtaposing various images, using brief animations and video clips to examine and explain movement in design problems and process in design itself. It’s purpose, I believe, is to awaken its viewers to the form and purpose of the various objects that surround them. It is, in my opinion, a brilliant little show.
I was introduced to mon by watching it, and now I want to learn as much as I can about this art form.
Please consider watching the series of clips from this show that are posted below.
This is an ongoing series that will explore various aspects of daily life in Japan. My hope is that this series will not only reveal to its followers, image by image, what Japan looks like, but that it will also inform its followers about unique Japanese items and various cultural and societal practices. If you are interested in getting regular updates about life in Japan, please consider following me at @boxcarblue. If you have any questions about life in Japan, please don’t hesitate to ask. I will do my best to answer all of your questions.