yoshimi battles the pink robots

What do these beautifully Zakka mugs,

This craft/sewing book, 

                                                           

and this  country house  have in common?   (image1, image2 is mine,  image3)                                                 

I think they all illustrate elements of a beautiful style, one that is perfectly echoed by the sounds of the names from the same country - Japan!

 I am going to try really hard not to blab too much on this post. But it's going to be hard for me. very hard (being pithy is not a talent of mine on any issue, much less one surrounded by such love and excitement).


Suffice it to say, I love many things Japanese. Our second daughter could have so easily ended up being called Umi Luelle, had it been as fitting for her. I often went by Kiko, myself, as a child.  

You guys, I love Japanese names!

Lullatone's music

was listened to often in my hawaiian mountain home while pregnant with Nona and name dreaming - all windows open, white curtains a blowin', the smell of flowers and rain pouring in.  They also have a lovely, personal, family-life sort of  blog. I love how their family life and their art each inspire the other. 

I have a soft spot for Yoshitomo Nara. The very first time I went to a museum in Hawaii was to see his exhibit.

Hawaii is absolutely filled with Japanese culture, particularly in my old neighborhood - it's one of the things I miss so terribly much about living there. image

 I first really got into Katsushika Hokusai's art in Hawaii, as well, because it was just all over the place.

  

But I took the time to really dig into it during a trip with my husband to Maui (we lived on Oahu) while staying in a beautiful guest house. The home was peppered with his stuff throughout -  prints on the walls, on the coasters, and a book on the coffee table. After snorkeling and eating, I'd take my sushi-stuffed, salty bod on the sun porch, pop my headphones in and stare at the images until I fell asleep (pre-children, of course.) (images)

Do you like Japanese sewing and craft books?

How fantastic is this kid's style? It can all be made right at home, too. 

I'm a Japanese craft book nut, as apparently are many others. There's this podcast about it. and this flickr group dedicated to it.

How about this art from Childlike Wisdom of Osaka, Japan!

isn't it lovely?

One of our absolute favorite movies around here is Akira Kurosawa's Dreams:

The photo above is from my favorite segment of the film. Beyond being stunning to behold, Dreams is made up of harmonizing shorts, about 15 min each, which I enjoy sharing with my kids sometimes.  Admittedly, there are some that aren't child appropriate, but I love that I get to read the translations and give them something soft, slow and beautiful that sparks their interest in travel and art. I think children really appreciate beauty and quality. I mean, of course they do!  and on that note...

This morning I woke up to June sitting quietly on our bed, staring up and pointing at this photo on our wall

It's by this student at University in Kyoto. I put it up in our room last year for June's birth and first weeks, so up it goes each summer now, somewhere where she can reconnect with it.  

I don't exactly remember how I found Terunobu Fujimori's work, as I found it during the insanely sleep-deprived era of Nona's first 18 months,  but I remember how it made me feel when I first saw it: elated, dreamy, and totally inspired.

(images1courtesy Dwell, image3 )

This song by Shonen Knife,

is one I used to sing to my kitty cat, Cassius,'Cas'. 

Mushishi is my new favorite nap-time pleasure on Netflix Instawatch. Each episode is about 24 min long. Sometimes I watch just to hear the song at the beginning (nerd!)

Some more of our favorite movies?  Hayao Miyazaki's - Nona was Kiki last Halloween. And I love this scene from My Neighbor Totoro. 

The ever lovely Miho Hatori with her ever lovely name!

Like Brazilian music? Check out this collaboration of hers with Smokey Hormel. (image)

 this lovely lady in Japan writes this pretty blog, called Life in the Slow Line, with super photos and links:

and to end beautifully before our list, check out Osamu Yokonami's photography (ahh, I adore it):

The name of this last photo is Kiki.

And on to the name list - because this post could easily be ten pages long. Perhaps this will become series here on Marginamia.

One of my favorite things about these names, beyond their admirable sounds, is that they all mean something beautiful, signifying the important role of meaning in names. I plan to talk more about their meanings in subsequent posts. I love the idea of setting beautiful intentions for your child in the picking of her name - gifting her with a beautiful quality you hope she enjoys on her journey.  

So from today's inspirations and musings, as well as some additional favorites of mine:

Sakura (cherry blossom)


Ume (pronounced Oo-may, means plum)


Umeko (plum blossom child)


Umi


Kiko 


Kiki


Kioko 


Kiku


Suzu ('bell')


Yoko


Niko


Koemi


Maemi


Mei


Satsuki 


Yoshimi


Sumi


Suki


Nara


Osaka


Reiko


Sachi


Yuki 


Yumi 


Yuri


Nui


Miho


Amaya


Rika


Ritsuko


Emi


Atsuko


Mana


Etsuko


Michie


Yuna




Midori (green)


Moe


Rin


Ren


Naoko


Sora


Nao


Riku


Ryo


Yoshi


Osamu


Yoshitomo


Katsushika


Terunobo


Akira 


Akeno


Maro


Tomeo


Torio


Toru


Hiroshi


Hiro


Isao


Yuto


Hiraku


Kaito


Kenzo


Noboru


Yori


Ginko

Don't you love Japanese names?  Did I leave out a favorite of yours? 

I won't do this hardly ever here on Marginamia, but lastly, if you want to help the people of Japan in continued efforts to recover from the tsunami, along with several of the links already provided which offer relief options, there are also these relief  options.  Those are lot of options - thank you Huffington Post!

and one last song for a happy summer weekend, because how can we not end with Yoko!