The Ritual Master Each day you can admire the moon, the snow and the flowers.
Japanese Proverb
And sometimes it all happens in the same day. One day I was filming the flowers and preparing my monthly ritual for you, and the next I woke up to this…
All that was left to do is admire… this was my first snow of the year, and it came in April. So a little contemplation was necessary.
Hello, friends ! This April Ritual will be short and sweet, since it is the perfect opportunity to announce my inspiration for this month. If you’re a subscriber, you already know my passion for discovering cultures through books. We’ve been together to India, the Brazilian Amazon, China, Spain, Paris and Tibet, Scotland, Greece, Iran and a few other fascinating places. But for the first time, I decided to dedicate a whole month to a destination that is a constant revelation. This April, I’m taking you to Japan, through some of my favourite recent reads, but also through rituals and traditions that will make us feel we spent a whole month abroad.
My journey begins with an unexpected tea for a Japanese morning : black tea smoked with chips of whisky barrels, from the Japanese tea brand Lupicia. This premium black tea comes from the garden of Mister Hiroki Matsumoto, located in the south of Japan, in the prefecture of Shizuoka. A tea without astringency, with a sweet introduction and a deep smokey finish. I would say it’s a well balanced masculine cup of tea. Thanks to its original smoking technic, you can enjoy at the first sip the profound scent evoking the Single Malt Whisky. The perfect companion for my choice of book.
I’m continuing my journey through the Nobel Prize Laureates for Literature, and this month I am fully embracing the Japanese experience with the 1968 winner and first Japanese writer to receive the distinction : Yasunari Kawabata.
Nobel Prize motivation : “for his narrative mastery, which with great sensibility expresses the essence of the Japanese mind”
I did not have any of his novels, but I did buy his famous collection of short stories a while back, so this was the opportunity to dive in : Palm-of-the-Hand Stories, in their French translation. Some of them are just 2 pages long, so they could fit into the palm of your hand…
146 short fantastic stories of surreal ambiance, where death is never really an ending, where gold fish live on top of roofs and young girls can speak to insects. A world with a rhythm of its own, a Japanese energy that I recognize, but in a language so specific to Kawabata that I discovered just now. He confuses my landmarks with the lightness of poetry, superimposed on a deeply masculine energy, a sort of Yang vibe if you wish, so grounded and serious, I never would have associated with the magical pictures he creates. Like an elegant pastry that came out of the hands of a frowny angry looking chef. A challenge to never underestimate the power of creativity.
And since I mentioned pastry… I took a walk to one of the most surprising boulangerie in Paris, called AKI. A French and Japanese pastry shop, that never ceases to amaze me with their fusion creations. I decided that a matcha éclair would be a good omen to this journey I am about to embark on. It was everything I imagined, and more. I had some uninvited guests trying to get a taste as well, but I stood my grounds.
While I’m preparing the next video for later this week, I’m leaving you with a suggestion to watch or re-watch my two part review of James Clavell’s masterpiece, Shogun. I talk about the Book in the first video HERE, and about some Japanese inspiration in the second one HERE.
Wishing you all a beautiful month of April, with exciting projects and adventurous books.
Until next time, enjoy your reading and your rituals !
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