Shared by friends and collaborators of Japan House London, 'Words & Thoughts' is a collection of words, characters or phrases in Japanese which are particularly poignant to them or for our time.
Yoshioka Sarasa is a 6th-generation dyeing weaver and collaborator for Japan House London's Living Colours: Kasane – the Language of Japanese Colour Combinations exhibition.
She chose: 山滴る ('yama shitataru': luscious mountains, seasonal word for early summer)
“With the arrival of spring, the leaves on the mountain trees begin to burst open, one after another. The beauty of this fresh green and the feeling of this breath of life is known as ‘mountain laughter’. As the seasons change and summer approaches, the leaves grow fuller and the colour deepens to a luscious green. It appears as though water is trickling down, creating the impression of an ‘overflowing mountain’ that is ‘dripping with lush growth’ (from the work of the Chinese 11th-century landscape painter Guo Xi). Now this dark world appears drained of all colour. Nevertheless, looking out of the window, nature brims with many different colours seemingly oblivious to the circumstances in which humans find themselves. Come May, wisteria and irises will start to blossom, and bamboo will grow taller and taller, stretching up in search of sunlight. I hope I can continue to appreciate with a pure heart nature in its untroubled form.”
春になると山の樹々は、新しい葉が次々と芽吹きはじめます。その新緑の美しい様、生命の息吹を感じる様子を「山笑う」といいます。次第に季節が進み夏が近づくと、葉は色を濃くし青々と茂っていく。その様子が水が滴り落ちるようだ、と「山滴る」と表現しています。（『臥遊録』「夏山蒼翠にして滴るが如く」より）。今、世界の状況は暗く、色彩を失ってしまっているように見えます。しかしながら、目を窓の外に向けると、自然はそんな人間の状況などまるで気にしていないかのように、様々な色彩をたたえていきます。5月に入ると藤や杜若が咲きはじめ、竹も陽の光を求め高く高く伸びていくでしょう。そんな自然ののびやかな姿を、愛でる澄んだ心を持ち続けたいと思います。