Letters from Hio

A gentle journey through Japan's heart and healing.

japanese

  • 信 – Shin

    Dear friends, Not the 誠 – Makoto in the flag of Shinsengumi we talk about today, but this 信 – Shin, the trust, the faith and the belief. This kanji is beautiful because it’s a combination of 人 (hito), meaning “person,” and 言 (gen), meaning “word”. The kanji stands for a person who stands by Read more

  • what do we talk when we talk about “menboku”?

    Dear friends, Allow me to borrow Murakami’s book title “What I talk about when I talk about running”. Because when it comes to 面目-Menboku, we have a lot to talk about. So, let’s talk about it. “Menboku” can be translated to “face” or “countenance”, but it’s far more than just reputation or appearance. “Menboku” means Read more