Asian Art in Tucson

Oriental Express is a little known restaurant on University Boulevard. It has been around for over 20 years and is located on the second floor (next to Fox in a Box , which is an escape room game area, above the Greek restaurant.) It is a Chinese and Vietnamese restaurant, and had surprisingly good food (I say surprisingly good because most places on University are rather bad, such as Fuku Sushi. Don't go there). It had a mix of Chinese, Vietnamese, and even some Japanese decor as well as classic American items. The menus are listed on traditional American diner menu board, the food is all Chinese or Vietnamese inspired, and the art work is from all over. This restaurant also has red walls, like Saigon Pho. The art near the front contained a a traditional Japanese style painting of a woman and a landscape scroll of Chinese mountains.In the display window there were statues and vases mainly from China and Vietnam. I ordered the curry and was pleasantly surprised. This is the only place I have been to in Tucson that serves curry that is somewhat authentic and similar to the Japanese curry rice I prepare at home.

The outside and name of the restaurant. The colors are traditional black and red, found all over China and the font is very stereotypical and standard of Asian stores and restaurants in the Western world.

Despite this being a Chinese and Vietnamese restaurant, there is a portrait of a Japanese samurai in the front. He is wearing clothing that are not exactly traditional Japanese samurai clothes, but similar, has an expression that is similar to many traditional portraits of Japanese men, and is standing next to what I assume is a cherry blossom tree. Or perhaps a bonsai tree.

A review of the restaurant, written in Japanese. It says "This restaurant's food is very tasty!" However, it has a few small grammatical errors so to someone who is Japanese, it comes off as a little off.

The display case at the front counter. Has figurines (like the Buddha) made out of Jade. Also a black Chinese vase and a few ceramic and porcelain figured of Chinese nobility.

Saigon Pho

Saigon Pho is a Vietnamese restaurant hidden behind University Boulevard. A popular destination with local college students. The small restaurant is full of Vietnamese and Chinese art pieces and decorations, and has many different selections of delicious Vietnamese food. I snapped a few photos of the restaurant but not enough to capture every single detail. All the walls are covered in this Red color with some subtle tan and gold streaks, which are very common colors in China (and much of Asia it would seem) and they represent luck and good fortune. The lights were traditional and modern paper lanterns, and there were, much like the scented leaf, many plants (like vines and bamboo) to give it a zen and somewhat garden feel.

A beautiful picture of Vietnamese rice paddies. It is an idealistic picture of country life in Vietnam where most people make their living off of farming rice.

A Picture of the front counter. Traditional Chinese paper lanterns hang above the counter and there are many Asian vases. Plants and fake fruit are also above (much of the fruit is a representation of the kind of fruits that are native to Vietnam). There is also a Japanese lucky money cat behind the counter and a bamboo fence above to hide the fencing (a type of fencing made out of bamboo reeds that is very common in most of Asia).

Stir Fried Rice noodles. Rice noodles are a flat and wide noodle made from rice that is from Vietnam. The dish contained napa cabbage, onion, cilantro, pork, carrots, and bean sprouts (all common foods in Asian dishes). Came with a side of soup (I believe it is the broth used in Pho).

Scented Leaf

The Scented Leaf is a popular tea house on University boulevard right next to the U of A campus. It is not necessarily an "Asian" tea shop, but it does have a variety of things that give it a very relaxed and zen feeling, from Asian influences. They have several wooden tables and chairs, a very comfortable couch and plush pillows, and some really great teas. I am not a fan of the teas that taste like fruit juice, so I tend to order Jasmine tea, Ginger tea, Gunpowder Temple of Heaven (a green tea), or Dark Rose tea. I would absolutely recommend people go there and try some of the teas, and also just experience the vibe and atmosphere of it. It's hard to find another place like it.

Some of the Asian art found in the shop. Above the table is a picture of the Terracotta Army in China, and right underneath it is a fabric piece of lily pads and flowers, in a very Chinese style. Also the darker woods and the plants all around sort of mimic a Chinese or Japanese garden.

More of the plants. Also some of the pieces (such as the pink lantern) and the metal bowl are Asian style. The coloring of the lantern is more contemporary but that lantern looks like one that you would find in China. And again, all of the plants remind me of a peaceful Asian inspired garden.

 

The tree mural painted on the other wall. The shape of the branches and the moss covered trunk remind me of bonsai trees. And the colors of the leaves to me also look like the Japanese maple tree leaves.

Miniature Museum in Tucson

Tucson is full of secret and hidden museums. One of these museums is the Miniature Time Machine Museum. It is a little museum that is less then a decade old. It is place dedicated to preserving and displaying minature models and doll houses from as old as the 1600 century. Many of the dollhouses come from Europe (like Germany, France, and England). But there are also more modern figurines that make up an area for more modern dollhouses and holiday house models. And there is an even smaller area with a handful of Asian home models, from Thailand, Vietnam, China, and Japan.

A minature model of a Japanese kitchen. On the right there is the stove where pots were placed on holes made in a rock surface and a fire was lit beneath them. In the center is a series of cabinets and tools (such as the noodle basin which was used for rinsing noodles) that were a part of the Japanese cooking experience. And on the right is a small shrine, where some sake and food would be placed as an offering to the spirits and gods to thank them for the food.

This is a model of a Japanese farmhouse. It has a thatched roof because farmers were not wealthy and could not afford tiles. It is also peaked higher and steeper so that snow does not pile on top and force the roof to cave in.

An Asian themed chest of drawers with food on top and some figurines. The drawers themselves look Chinese with the red coloring and the metal work, and some of the food on top looks like Chinese stir fry, however there also appears to be some sushi, which is from Japan.

A tradition Japanese lacquered wood table with gold designs (which means that this belonged to someone who had a bit of wealth and didn't live in a farm house), and a traditional cold soba meal. In miniature obviously.

Shisa

 This entry is going to show the Japanese art and figurines I have in my house here at Tucson. These are figurines that my family has been collecting for several years. A large amount are Okinawan, but there are a handful that are from mainland Japan. These figurines represent a history and growth/evolution of the Japanese and Okinawan cultures.

 Though these dolls look like Japan dolls, they are actually Okinawan. The difference is largely in the clothing. It is slightly hard to notice but the dolls are wearing the Okinawan bingata instead of the Japanese kimono. The colors, patterns, and style of wearing the clothes is different then Japanese kimonos. Another thing is the hair style. Japan had a more "European inspired pompadour" rolled hair style, where the Okinawan women had more of a twisted bun.

These are the display shelves we have in our house. They are filled with figurines of Okinawan and Japanese origin. Hanging on the wall is a black bingata cloth, handmade and very expensive and difficult to create, this is a traditional Okinawan floral design.

These figurines are Japanese in origin. The top shelf is filled with the Emperor and Empress dolls, usually only brought out in Japan for girl's day, but we display them year round because we have no room to place the actual girl's day dolls (they're rather large and there are a lot of pieces). There is also a pole with fish kites which is usually for kid's day in Japan, and a cartoon-ish samurai figurine.

There are sitting cats on the top shelf (no significance to Japanese culture, but they were made there.) Underneath there are monkeys, stuffed animals representing a few of the animals in the Chinese calendar, which the Japanese use, and an owl figure that was also purchased in Japan.

These are Okinawan figurines. The two figures in the back (a whale shark and a manta ray) were painted by my sister and I. They are some of the many animals in the waters around Okinawa. The 5 clay figures in the front are all a variety of shisa figures. Shisa's are a combination of lion,dog, and a little bit dragon. They are influenced by Japan, China, and Korean dragon dog figures. They are placed on roofs and gates and inside home in Okinawa and are used to ward of negative and evil spirits.

All the figures you see are shisa figurines. As you can see, in the current day, many shisa are available, from the traditional tough and ferocious ones, to cuter and more friendly shisa. There are also shisa that are drunk or playing the Okinawan instrument, the sanshin.

On the top of the shelf are two of the traditional Okinawan shisa figures. They are ceramic and the one with the open mouth is male and the other is female. They almost always come in pairs. Some of the other figurines (more modern) have writing on them. This is Japanese, but it says "It will be what it will be" in the traditional language of Okinawa, Hogen.

The three large shisa on the bottom were all created by my mom, my sister, and I. We molded them, created them, and then painted them. It was time consuming but very worth it.

More modern shisa figurines. There are a lot of them.

Even more shisa. It can be hard to pick a favorite because there are so many different styles and designs nowadays. Back then, it was only the tough ferocious looking ones.

The final shelf, full of adorable and modern shisa. Did you have a favorite one?

Japanese Castles/Buddhas in Nara

I went to Japan this summer and went to Osaka to see this castle. It is one of the most famous Japanese castles and is both beautiful and functions as a museum. It was an important castle in the unification of Japan in the 16th century. Beautiful, it is white with a stacked stone foundation wall, blue/green tiles, and gold decorations like fish and flowers. It is 5 stories high and surrounded by a large moat/lake. I also went to Nara, which is famous for the friendly wild deer (that you can feed), and for Todai-ji. This is the temple that houses one of the largest Buddha statues in Japan, the Daibutsuden. It was larger than life, immensely detailed, and very cool to see.

 This is a tori gate leading to a smaller shrine in Nara, Japan. These are common place and Japan and found in every city and in a variety of nooks and crannies in all the cities and mountains.

 The main gate for the Daibutsuden Buddha. It is large and imposing to show the significance and importance of this specific Buddha.

 The Temple that houses the Buddha. The Temple and compounds are extremely large because of the Buddha's incredible size

The Daibutsuden. Notice the adult man standing directly next to it. This Buddha was large and bigger then life. Imposing and very regal it was hard to look away.

 

A smaller Buddha statue situated to the left of the main Buddha. Significantly smaller, but still quite large.

  

On either side near the doors of the temple that houses the Buddha were these statues of Ferocious warriors, meant to protect the Buddha from harm and ward of evil spirits.

 The second warrior statue

 

 The Original Temple building that housed the Buddha, which burned down a few centuries ago.

The current model for the building that houses the Buddha, built after the original was destroyed by a fire.

 

 A model of the gate that leads to the temple compound

 

 A Model of the original temple grounds. The 2 tower structures sadly no longer exist.

 

Another angle for the original temple compound model.

The gate leading to the Osaka castle, one of Japan's most famous castles. This castle housed the man who created an effective tax collection system and helped unite Japan during the era of civil war.

The Osaka castle. Notice the white coloring and the blue-green tile roof, which is very common of castles built in Japan. Another common feature was to be built on a large raised stone foundation and to be surrounded by water, to protect from invaders.

View of the castle from a bit farther away. The roof is adorned with gold ornamental items, such as a tiger, cranes, and fish.

Okinawan Art/Shuri Castle

Okinawa is a small chain of island located off the south side of Japan. Though it is considered to be part of Japan, it used to be known as the Ryukyu Kingdom up until the 1800s. It is the only tropical chain of islands in Japan, and it has a rich and diverse history, uniquely it's own and different from Japan. When it was an independent Kingdom it did trade with a large number of countries including China, Korea, Japan, Thailand, and Indonesia. But it's biggest two influences were definitely Japan and China. In fact, many items that came to Japan from Japan actually came from the Ryukyu Kingdom, because the Japanese and Chinese did not get along and refused to directly trade with each other. So the Ryukyu Kingdom was the go between, and they were a fairly important and influential little trading kingdom. It was, actually a Chinese tributary, but Japan invaded it and claimed it as their own. It then continued to operate more as a Japanese tributary, up until the Meiji restoration, when it was incorporated into Japan as the Okinawan Prefecture.There are many things that are Japanese, because Okinawa is a part of Japan nowadays, and most people who are born and raised there consider themselves to be Japanese, not Okinawan. But, there is still a distinct difference in dialect, language, pace of life, and cultural artifacts. Shuri castle was destroyed in WW2 and rebuilt in the 1980s. It is the royal castle where the king and his family used to live, and royal court activities used to take place. It is distinctly different then most other Japanese castles, and has strong Chinese influence (the red coloring and the images of the dragons), but the layout and interior floor plan of the royal families private quarters, are very similar to Japanese castles. Not only is this a very interesting and dynamic region of Japan, but this is also where my ancestors on my mom's side are from. So I am very intimately connected with this culture and area (as I mentioned in my earlier "My Culture" post about my family here). I am including some links if anyone is interested in learning more about the Ryukyu Kingdom:
http://oki-park.jp/shurijo/en/
Ryukyu dance
Ryukyu kimono
 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Okinawa_Island
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ryukyu_Kingdom
http://www.uchinanchu.org/uchinanchu/history_early.htm
Okinawa national theatre
2 books:
Ancient Ryukyu : an archaeological study of island communities by Richard Pearson
Okinawa, the history of an island people by George H Kerr

Entrance gate known as the Kankaimon gate to Shuri Castle, in Shuri, Okinawa. It is the front gate of the castle.Shuri castle is a completely unique castle, vastly different from all other castles in Japan. You can notice this immediately from the walls, which have smooth sides and curves and are made out of this grey ocean rock, whereas many Japanese castles have walls that surround them that are very straight lines, white, and have a bit of a tile roof on them.

 A gate leading up to Shuri castle called the "Shureimon". Very much different from traditional Japanese aesthetics, as the type and color of tiles on the roofs are unique to Okinawa, and the red coloring is influenced by China. Also, it's a big hard to see, but on the roof there are "Shisa". These are Okinawan spiritual symbols. They are a cross between a lion, dragon, and dog and are meant to offer protection the the buildings and homes they are placed on and ward of evil spirits. They can be found in every single Okinawan home (and many Okinawans take this with them even when they move. For instance, I have some in my home here in Tucson. I'll get more into that in another post later on!)

 Houshinmon Gate. The final gate leading to the main castle. There were three entrances, the middle was reserved specifically for royalty. Again, the red is very uncharacteristic of traditional Japanese castles but is a common color to find in building in Okinawa.

 

 The main castle (known as Shuri Castle Seiden) is the main body of the castle. The red (vermilion) coloring and the decorations are all heavily influenced by Chinese art and architecture. The pillars are adorned with dragons and flowers and Okinawan shisa. The roof also has the heads of 3 dragons (two on the top layer and one directly over the entrance). The reasoning is because China was so influential and such an important trading partner, that it was constructed with a lot of help and influence from the Chinese kingdom.

The ryuhi, provided clean and precious drinking water to the royal family. Again the influence of China is seen with the water coming out of a dragon's head.

 Known as the Nichiei-dai, this sundial is located outside the main walls of the castle. There is a building nearby containing a large iron bell in this area as well.

Sign on the left side of the Usasuka over the doorway. Notice the dragons, the colors, and the clouds, all very Chinese in design.

Sign on the right side of the Usasuka. Again with the same stylized colors and images.

The Usasuka. This is where many political ceremonies occurred. The throne is very much Chinese (Japan didn't use thrones, they used mats.) As well as the various images of the dragon on the red pillars and the two gold dragon pillars in front of the chair. The chair is located on top of a black lacquered wood stand (which is something the Ryukyu Kingdom was known for creating and exporting.)

A less elegant throne just in front of the Usasuka. This would be used only when the king needed to oversee a ceremony or event held in the central courtyard.

A model of one of the ceremonies that would have occurred in the central courtyard. The king would be looking from the window throne. Notice how everyone is seated on their knees (a very Japanese thing) and the clothes they wear are very similar to Japanese kimonos, but their head wear is similar to that of the Chinese.

In the back of the castle is a more simple area. Built with light woods and white walls and tatami mats, this area was known as the Shoin and Sasunoma. There is also a garden here. This is where daily activities were held and the king would casually meet with other princes and envoys. It is also where the royal family would have resided. It's a stark difference from the heavily Chinese influenced front areas of the castle. This area is far more simple, peaceful, and Japanese in design.

Another room in the Shoin and Sasunoma. An aesthetic of both China and Japan was to have simple hanging scroll artwork on the walls. Almost always, it will only be a single scroll.

One of the longer rooms. Tatami mats cover the entire floor and the light wood work are very Japanese. However, the wooden doors slide and mimic Japanese shoji rice paper screens, but would be more Chinese in function because China used doors but Japan used screens. So that's another instance of both cultures being blended in Okinawa to create something unique to these islands.

A beautiful ceremonial umbrella. This would be used during royal parades and envoys and travels. Not practical for rain, but very pretty to look at. All the dragons are again very Chinese in influence. Japan had dragons as well, but it was very slim compared to China.

These are Ryukyu royal stamps that would have been used for signing important documents.

The Ryukyu crown. A very unique crown. I'm sure you can find similarities to both Japan and China in this, I however just think it looks somewhat gaudy.

 Moving away from the Shuri castle, we now explore regular Okinawan life. The house style and layout is very Japanese and the use of light woods is something somewhat unique to Okinawa (Japan used both light and dark woods). The red tile rood is more influenced by China (because red is a Chinese color). But when you combine all these elements you get a very unique Okinawan style.

A decorating place in an Okinawan home. Notice the scroll that shows koi fish, which is very common in Japan). There is a taxidermy sea turtle (because Okinawa is a small tropical island), various pottery that are distinctive in that they are Japanese style, but the images they show are of Okinawan creatures and fish. Also there is a sanshin instrument (which I will get more into later).

This would be the traditional center of the house. Instead of tatami mats, most people could not afford these and simply had wood floors. All the light wood is again very common in Okinawa. The round mats are where people would sit and there is a small hearth in the corner (another element that can be found in Japanese homes especially in the colder and northern regions).

A traditional altar place. This is common in both Okinawa and mainland Japan and is used to display and honor ancestors and spirits in the home. Simple, but very elegant. Also efficient because there are a variety of drawers and cupboards hidden away so it doubles as storage.

Japanese and Okinawa kitchens always happened to be inside the home, but on the dirt floor. So in traditional homes, you would put on shoes to go to the kitchen. You have two traditional stoves (made of stone with openings so you can see the fire, you would place metal pots on top of the hole and cook).

The Ryukyu Kingdom was a seafaring and trading nation so this is one of their ships. Black lacquered wood and red coloring as well as straw sails.

Okinawa bingata is a very famous type of cloth. It is one of the things that the Okinawan islands were known for. They are bright colored and seem Chinese in style, but they are worn like looser Japanese kimonos and are covered in Japanese plants and animals and designs.

Okinawan kimonos that show the separate of class in the royal court. Only those who are in these positions can where these outfits.

Royal clothing of the king's sister. Far more Chinese in style then the normal Okinawan kimonos. Long sleeves, colors, and images all appear more Chinese influenced.

Okinawan sanshin is the musical instrument of Okinawa. Made from the skin of the habu snake, it has a very peaceful sound that represents the island lifestyle. Originally the sanxian from China, it came to Okinawa through trade. From Okinawa it traveled to Japan and became the shamisen.

 

 Image of a Ryukyu envoy in Edo (Taken from Wikipedia)