Latest news with #Japanese-inspired
Ottawa Citizen
a day ago
- General
- Ottawa Citizen
Outdoors: Creating a Japanese-inspired garden
Article content My English-style flower garden had its moments of glory but was mostly a mishmash of one-off and failure-to-thrive plants. I wanted something simpler, cohesive, peaceful even; I found all that and more in the Japanese-inspired garden I created in my small Centretown Ottawa backyard. Article content Japan's unique gardening tradition, passed from Master to pupil for 1,600 years, is rooted in reverence for the natural world: small ponds or raked gravel suggest the sea, rocks evoke mountains, bamboo speak to resilience, conifers to longevity. Article content Article content Article content After much research, I built two types of Japanese gardens: a spiritual Karensansui or dry garden with carefully placed rocks in a sea of gravel (such as the one at Ottawa's Museum of History), and a very small secular stroll or pond garden. The former is complex, so I will describe the stroll garden. Article content These began around the 8 th century as places for entertaining and aesthetic enjoyment. They usually include a villa, water, paths, bridges, a gate, as well as plants. My stroll garden is much modified from the Japanese ideal; it depends on available plants and the limits of my small space. The garden is only 14-feet long by 12-feet wide, although it is expanded visually by the borrowed landscape or shakkeir of my neighbour's maples and cedars. Article content Article content Japanese stroll gardens are intended to appear natural, as if they grew by themselves, but the components are carefully chosen and arranged. Asymmetry is key; rocks and plants appear in odd-numbered groupings (one, three, five, seven, etc.) often arranged in a triangular shape. Paths and beds are curved; nature has few straight lines. And there are a limited number of elements and plant types with space, or Ma, in between. Article content Article content Hardscaping my garden began with the meandering path, which determined the placement of other elements. I chose simple flag stones, flush to the ground. To stay on the path, you must look down at the stones. When you come to wider stones, strollers may pause and look up to see a specific garden view, like a framed work of art. This is the essence of the stroll garden. Article content A fence or wall provides a backdrop and encloses the garden. Often these are bamboo, but I already had lattice, which allows air to flow through on hot days, so I kept that. Article content I also had a bridge, of sorts. These can be arched or flat, slabs of stone or logs. Mine bridges a downward slope in the garden and is made from floor planks recovered from a demolished workshop. This is in keeping with the Japanese concept of wabi-sabi: succinctly put, embracing imperfect, often aged, natural materials, that illustrate the impermanence of life, a Buddhist tenant.
Al-Ahram Weekly
3 days ago
- Business
- Al-Ahram Weekly
Egyptian-Japanese KOSEN Institute opens admissions for preparatory school graduates - Society
Egypt's Education Development Fund (EDF) has announced the opening of admissions to the Egyptian-Japanese KOSEN Institute in 10th of Ramadan City for students holding a preparatory school certificate, starting 21 July and closing on 31 July at 4pm. EDF Secretary General Rasha Sharaf said this year's admission is available to students who scored 85 percent or higher in their preparatory stage, according to an EDF statement on Tuesday. She added that the institute offers a unique educational experience in partnership with Japan, aiming to produce highly qualified graduates with top-tier technological skills. KOSEN is a five-year higher education institution in Japan, where students can enrol at the age of 15 after graduating from junior high school, to foster engineers in high demand by society. Inspired by this model, Egypt has adopted the KOZEN programme. This five-year advanced engineering education system focuses on early field exposure to connect students with real-world market needs. On 15 July, Egypt signed a cooperation protocol with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) to officially launch the programme. Under the agreement, the first group of students will begin the five-year Japanese-inspired engineering diploma in September at the Productivity and Vocational Training Authority centre in 10th of Ramadan City. The diploma qualifies graduates to enrol in technological universities, engineering faculties, and computer science colleges, ensuring a smooth transition into higher education and careers in high-demand technical fields. Application procedures, entrance test Sharaf noted that passing a written entrance exam, followed by a personal interview to assess the student's vocational aptitude and basic skill level, is among the admission requirements. Application procedures begin by creating a personal account on the fund's official website, verifying the email through a confirmation message, registering for the entrance test, selecting an appropriate exam centre, and uploading all required documents to the platform. Sharaf affirmed that all applicants will be contacted with their test dates and payment instructions for the exam fees. The admission test for the institute is a multidisciplinary exam conducted in two sessions, each lasting 90 minutes. The exam covers four subjects: Mathematics, Science, English Language, and IQ. Each subject consists of 60 questions and is administered in English. Examinations will be held from 4 to 13 August 2025, and the passing score is 50 out of a maximum of 100. Moreover, Sharaf highlighted a cooperation protocol signed between the fund and Misr El Kheir Foundation to offer 100 scholarships covering 50 percent of tuition fees for outstanding and financially disadvantaged students, provided they pass the entrance assessments. She also reaffirmed the fund's commitment to supporting high-achieving students, who are interested in modern technological education that aligns with labour market demands and offers real development opportunities. "This effort aligns with the state's vision to enhance the quality and outcomes of technological education in support of comprehensive development," she concluded. Follow us on: Facebook Instagram Whatsapp Short link:
Tom's Guide
4 days ago
- Health
- Tom's Guide
New research suggests this Japanese-inspired diet could boost your mental health
There have been connections between our diet and mood for many years. You may have heard of the gut-brain axis, which links our digestive health to how we feel mentally. While regular exercise is often highlighted for its mood-boosting benefits, and we have tested plenty of the best running shoes to help you get started, diet can sometimes be overlooked. New research published in the Journal of Psychiatry and Clinical Neuroscience suggests that following a Japanese-inspired diet may help reduce symptoms of depression. The study looked at over 1,700 Japanese adults over a three-year timeframe. Researchers gave participants a diet score based on how closely they followed either a traditional or modified Japanese dietary pattern. Both styles emphasize foods like fish, vegetables, mushrooms, soy, seaweed, and green tea, while limiting red meat and sugary drinks. The modified diet incorporates whole or minimally processed grains in place of white rice, introduces fruits and dairy products, and emphasizes lower sodium intake to enhance its overall nutritional profile. The results showed that people with higher diet scores reported fewer depressive symptoms. Interestingly, the benefit appeared to come from how consistently participants followed the overall pattern, even if their diet wasn't perfect. While the study was based in Japan, it highlights how eating a balanced, nutrient-rich diet could help lower symptoms of depression. It's not about changing your whole diet overnight, but simply adding more whole foods like oily fish, leafy greens, fermented soy products such as miso or tofu, and seaweed, while cutting back on processed snacks, sugary drinks, and red meat. Diet is a hugely personal thing. What works well for one person might not suit another, especially if you have allergies, health conditions, or specific nutrition goals. If you are unsure about what changes are right for you, it's best to speak with a registered dietitian or healthcare provider who can offer personalized advice. Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips.
Hypebeast
17-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Hypebeast
A New Generation of Athletes Usher in the Future of the Vans Old Skool
Out with the old and in with the new – or at the very least, an update like no and favoritePremium Old Skool silhouettetruly lives up to its name, dating back to the '70s, but a modern makeover is in store and on the way for the low-top classic. Through a collaboration with Vans' very own star athletes,Tania Cruz,Karina Rozunko,Efron DanzigandCocona Hiraki, the Premium Old Skool skate-inspired shoe arrives in four new and improved iterations as part of the New Future campaign and collection. All about championing collective creativity from a new generation of boundary-breaking athletes, the New Future campaign, shot byGrace Ahlbom, spotlights each of their unique takes on the Premium Old Skool silhouette. Every pair packs a punch of personality for skaters and surfers alike while weaving in bits and pieces of their passions outside of their respective sports. For some, like Hiraki, that meant designing her pair of kicks with a removable friendship bracelet and Japanese-inspired charms as an ode to her preferred pastime, bracelet-making. For others, such as Danzig, who doubles as a pro-skateboarder, poet, model and artist, fashion was the focus of her version of the Premium Old Skool. An alternative flair meets haute couture with the shoe's heeled cupsole, sleek silver hardware and corset-derived lacing. Keeping in step with the punk pattern Danzig set, Argentina native Cruz's approach to Vans' fan-favorite style features a bold black rub-away leather that later reveals a rich red underneath. Designed with her and her skate crew in mind, with the custom fade-away colorway, no pair of Cruz's Premium Old Skool Vans is exactly alike. Rounding out the New Future campaign is San Clemente surfer, Rozunko. Throwback-inspired accents meet a custom metal hardware, a nod to her jewelry-making hobby, creating a statement silhouette – fit for on-and-off board styling – unlike any other. Each silhouette designed by Vans' star athletes speaks to their identities inside and outside the skatepark and whether they're hitting the waves or not. In a conversation with Hypebeast,Cocona Hiraki,Tania Cruz,Karina RozunkoandEfron Danzigspeak on their career trajectories and the New Future campaign and collection. Continue scrolling to read the full conversation. Hypebeast: Tell me about the inspiration and process behind your Old Skool design. How does it reflect your personality, style and identity? Karina Rozunko:The Old Skool was about balance — something familiar, but not too polished. I added silver hardware because that's where my head was at, working with metal, designing jewelry. The creeper toe and the asymmetry… [it] just felt right. I wasn't trying to overthink it. It had to feel like me. Tania Cruz:Designing my own Old Skool silhouette was also pretty crazy, that was another dream of mine. The process was both challenging and rewarding. In the end, it was an amazing experience to see it come together and I'm really happy about it! Efron Danzig:[I was] excited to have the opportunity to design something with Vans, and I've always worn their shoes since I was a kid.I wanted to make a Vans shoe [that] I can wear out when I'm not skating. Something cute but a little tough. Cocona Hiraki:I've always worn Vans and to me, they feel like a part of my identity. I love fashion and mixing shapes/colors with little tweaks that can make things fun and stylish. When I thought about what makes me 'me' I knew I wanted to cherish the things I've continued to love. So instead of breaking away from the classic Old Skool style, I blended my roots and personal expression into the silhouette, then added some sparks of current inspo through color and stitching. It was a new experience for me and I had so much fun working with the Vans design team, to make my visions come to reality. It was a fun process, and I feel like it helped me grow and refine my sense of style. Beyond skating and surfing, you express your creativity in other ways. Why is having a creative outlet outside of surfing and skating important to you? ED:I think a lot of [the] practices, [being an artist, musician, model and poet], intertwine [and] can be done simultaneously, while some need their own space. It's good to have different outlets. You can say something with a poem that you obviously can't say with a skateboard. KR:Surfing's always been the center. [Those] other outlets — fashion, film, jewelry — they're just different ways to say something without [using] words. I got into it naturally, being around inspiring people and in places that give me space to create. When I'm not in the water, I still want to feel that same flow. CH:Since I was little, I've always loved creating things, whether it's skating, making accessories, or drawing. I enjoy being able to shape and color something the way I imagine it. Color is so important in skateboarding too, right? Whether it's park design or fashion. I've always loved wearing accessories and one of my favorites is making bracelets out of thread. You can make them anywhere as long as you have thread and they're an easy gift that makes people happy. So, I'm always making them. Tania and Cocona, you've both carved distinct paths in the world of skateboarding — one of you becoming a two-time Olympian and a rising of Japan's skate scene at just 16, the other building a global skate and art community rooted in creating safe spaces from La Rioja to Spain and beyond. How has your journey in skateboarding shaped your identity and why was it important for you to make space — whether on a global stage or within your community — for yourself and others? CH:I wanted to meet Lizzie Armanto, and to accomplish that, competing at the Vans Park Series became my goal. Since then, I've been skating with all my heart, and when I look back, everything that's happened has brought me to where I am today. Wearing Vans while skating has become a part of my lifestyle. I continue to do something I love because of the people I've met; the Vans riders who inspired me, the support from my family and friends and everyone I've connected with through skateboarding and being involved with Vans. Just like I once admired Lizzie, I'd be happy if someday a kid looked up to me and started skating because of that. TC:For me, it's always been important to create a safe space in skating. Since I was little, I've used skating as an escape and a refuge and I found plenty of friends and a family there. But, [like] many others I also went through unfair situations. That's why I've always tried to speak my truth and look out for the younger girls and everyone around me. Skating gave me so much and I want others to feel safe and experience the same sense of belonging. What does it mean to you to be part of the Vans family? How was it meeting and connecting with the other athletes through this experience? KR:Being part of the Vans family means being part of something bigger. I've been with Vans for over eight years — it's been part of the years that shaped me. The culture here is real — rooted in creativity, freedom, and respect. These people feel like family. Meeting amazing people I might not have connected with otherwise, you realize it's all about shared passion. It's real. CH:I started skateboarding and fell in love with Vans. This led to me wanting to meet Lizzie Armanto and setting my sights on the Vans Park Series and all of that led to the incredible moment of becoming part of the Vans family. It's such a blessing to grow and keep pushing myself alongside other skaters who share the same goals. Skateboarding is deeply connected to art, fashion and music. I continue to be inspired by skaters from around the world and artists [as well]. It's opened so many new worlds for me. I feel like this journey will just keep expanding. And I think it all started with that one first step to my dream of becoming a Vans rider. Vans champions originality, boundary-pushing and staying true to yourself. In what ways do you feel you embody that spirit as an athlete? TC:I think I do it by just being myself. For me skating is one of my ways to express myself and I've always tried to push my own limits without comparing myself to others. Of course, we all get inspired by so many other people but it's good to remember that every one of us is unique in our own way. ED:I'm happy with myself, I don't need to try [and] be anything I'm not. I try to follow my intuition. Get ready to shop Vans' New Future collection today starting withCocona Hiraki's Premium Old Skool silhouetteand see below for all upcoming releases. Premium Old Skool ™ by Cocona Hiraki drops July 17 Premium Old Skool ™ by Karina Rozunko and Tania Cruz drops September 4 Premium Old Skool ™ by Efron Danzig drops September 10
Japan Today
15-07-2025
- Business
- Japan Today
Japanese-style strawberry sandwiches win mainstream fans in UK, but aren't quite like the originals
By Casey Baseel, SoraNews24 Japanese food has made some impressive international inroads in recent years. Turning up your nose at sushi because you're uncomfortable with the idea of eating raw fish is now likely to get your foody credentials questioned in most countries around the globe, as is still thinking that ramen is limited to instant-variety noodles. So what's the latest incredible edible wonder from Japan to become a big hit overseas? Fruit sandwiches, which have now reached a major milestone in the UK. Fruit sandwiches, filled with cream and colorful slices of fruit, have been a thing at Japanese sweets shops and convenience stores for many years (the above photo is one we took at a cafe in Japan). It's only in the past few years, though, that they've really started attracting attention from visiting foreign tourists, whose cravings for the treats remain strong after returning to their home countries, and whose social media photos of the fruit sandwiches they ate in Japan have even non-travelers curious to try them too. Seeing the surge in interest, UK retailer Marks & Spencer has made an addition to its M & S Food line, and is now offering its own Japanese-inspired fruit sandwiches, as shown in the video below. The Red Diamond Strawberry and Creme Sandwich went on sale in late June, and the chain says that they've already sold more than 83,000 of them, with individual branches often selling out before the day is done. Priced at 2.9 pounds, which converts to roughly 570 yen, they're a little more expensive than fruit sandwiches have usually been at Japanese convenience stores, but within the realm of what specialty shops in Japan charge for them. Marks & Spencer's fruit sandwiches may not be the first of their type available in the UK, but previous examples have been at Japanese or Asian specialty stores. The Red Diamond Strawberry and Creme Sandwich appears to be the first fruit sandwich offered by a major mainstream retailer with no focus on Asian foodstuffs in particular, showing that the concept is catching on even with shoppers outside the Japanophile and international traveler demographics. However, like we mentioned above, Marks & Spencer's strawberry sandwich is inspired by the ones in Japan, which is to say that it's not exactly the same. For one thing, though it's cut into two triangular pieces, as is the style in Japan, Marks & Spencer leaves the crusts on, instead of slicing them off like stores in Japan do. The Red Diamond Strawberry and Creme Sandwich is made with a sweetened bread, and while it's not as sugary as sponge cake, it's still a departure from the ordinary white sandwich bread used to make fruit sandwiches in Japan. Finally, while more fruit sandwiches in Japan have whipped cream as a filling, Marks & Spencer uses a whipped cream cheese, which would explain why one UK local in the video above says the flavor reminds her of cheesecake. So maybe we could say that the Red Diamond Strawberry and Creme Sandwich is sort of like a dessert analogy for the California Roll or Tempura Crunch Roll, a variation on a Japanese idea that's finding fans overseas, and might have found enough to stick around for a long time. Source: TBS News Dig via Hachima Kiko, BBC Read more stories from SoraNews24. -- Japanese cafe serves up fruit sandwiches like nowhere else -- U.K. Pavilion at Japan World Expo responds to complaints about shabby afternoon tea quality【Videos】 -- Our Japanese language reporter visits a U.K. sushi chain, is blown away by its original 'sushi' External Link © SoraNews24
