Japan

Our love for Japanese cleaning tools started at Naito, a brush shop in the city center of Kyoto. We visited the store one and a half year ago during our first trip to Japan. The store is located next to the Kamo River where it has been for over 200 year. It was founded in 1818 by an ancendant Sa

Already very early, in comparison to other countries, Japanese collected body waste and used it as fertilisers leading to high levels of sanitation. Being associated with fertility, rituals were performed to ask the kawaya kami (the god of the toilet) for help in producing a good harvest. Toilets

Before entering a shrine, one comes across a large communal water pavilion known as a temizuya. They are used to cleanse the body and the mind. To be cleansed, one has to pick up a hishaku ladle resting on the temizuya with the right hand and fill it with water. Pour some of the water over the l

Tenrikyo is a Japanese new religion believing in “God” - Tenri-O-no-Mikoto - which has its headquarter in Terni, Nara. Their practices are characterised by cleaning. “Evil” is like dust on our mind which has to be swept away. Every individual is supposed to work towards a polished mind, thus aga

Lunch time talks. Sometimes the small things stick to your mind. We were happy to listen to our Japanese friend who shared with us her memories about cleaning during her school time. "Everyone had their own Zoukin", a self-made white dust cloth which is folded and stitched like the dotted lines

Ceremonial year-end cleaning of the Meiji Shrine in Tokyo. Susuharai literally means brushing off the soot. Still nowadays, many shrines and temples maintain the custom to brush away dust. Long bamboo sticks are used for this ceremony acted by monks. #cleaningritual #cleaning #bamboo #tokyo #meij

The shop was founded in 1830 in Ginza, first as a tatami-mat maker, later specialising in brooms making. Today they don't manufacture themselves anymore but work in close relationship with skilled craftsmen and sell wonderful handmade Edo brooms. Shirokiya Denbe 1F Hakuden Buildin 3-9-8 Kyobashi, C

Green Bird is an organisation which promotes cleaning for social purposes - mixing environmental activism with the possibility to meet new people. The organisation is located all over Japan and slowly spreads towards other countries. Every first and last Sunday of the month, as well as on a few

Shintō religion has been in Japan since ancient times. During the Meiji area it became instituted as state religion. At its roots are a diffuse systems of beliefs which developed over time with multiple goods (kami). The power of these gods resided in waterfalls, rocks, lakes, large trees and other

Purification rituals and handcrafted cleaning tools are strongly rooted in Japanese tradition. We aim to explore both during our stay in Japan. Understanding the spiritual meaning of cleaning in Shintoism and Buddhism will allow us to analyse the behaviour and attitudes towards cleaning in contem

The level of packaging wastage, throughout Japan, is in complete contrast to the country’s recycling efforts. Fruits and vegetables, which one can find in Europe easily unpacked are, even in organic supermarket, wrapped in layers of plastic. Tradition, hygiene, comfort and the feeling of luxur

A visit to the family grave first begins with cleaning the grave stone and grave site. It is particularly important to scour places that easily become dirty such as water basins and flower vases. Older wooden stupas are mindfully removed and disposed of according to temple instructions. Once the

"I very much enjoyed the evening discussion at Nion on the theme of cleaning, and I was struck by how the conversation turned to the different attitudes towards cleaning in different cultures, and in particular the different experiences of cleaning in schools shared by participants from a range of c

Only with the right tool is cleaning fun. Even better if you learn how to make them from an expert. Guillaume had the amazing chance to participate in the broom making workshop of the Murin-an Garden in Kyoto. After every participant had finished their own garden broom participants where allow

During one week we collected, daily for 15 minutes, rubbish in front of the gallery of Feldfünf. Our collection became quite impressive, which we did not envisioned when starting this small experiment. More coming soon.

School cleaning has an educational goal, as a deliberative as well as collaborative activity, aiming to improve interpersonal relationships. It is an essential part of Japanese education and is hypothesised to have positive effects on character development. Cleaning belongs to a whole category o

Artist Gemini Kim has experienced cleaning as way to controlling people and their environment as well as hiding the unwanted. In his work he aims to break with these assumptions, turning the act of cleaning into fun, a communal activity promoting autonomy. During his residency at the Tentacles Gall

To clean is part of most peoples domestic everyday life. In Japan however, employees also clean their office. As a daily routine - and in addition to maintaining a clean environment - cleaning at work is thought of as a way to train intellectual and mental traits. We had the chance to participate

Cleaning one's hands does not only remove dirt, scientists have also found evidence that it removes residues of the past - like the feeling of guilt or doubts about past decisions. This is called the clean-slate effect. Physical and moral cleanliness - “clean hands and a pure heart” vs. ”dirty h

Today (21.01) Shoukei Matsumoto visited us at the Villa Kamogawa. His book was the starting point for us to develop a "Morning Cleaning Ritual". For three months we will get up with the sunrise and start cleaning, bit by bit - our home and who knows maybe in the end our soul. It was a wonderfu

The Goethe-Institut offers artists from Germany the opportunity to live and work in Japan as part of a three-month scholarship. The stay in Kyoto, at the Villa Kamogawa, is intended to serve as inspiration and artistic orientation for the scholarship holders. In direct personal exchange with t

In Japan, people litter extremely rarely in public space. However in Germany and Europa it becomes an increasing problem. A study from Humboldt University Berlin - published in 2018 - explored aspects of “perceived cleanliness and reasons for littering”. Their results point our that internal reas

We are very thankful for having been able to visit the workshop of this quiet and skilful craftsman, who produces wonderful brooms. Each broom is a piece of art. #broom #workshop #tool #manufacturing

Setsubun marks the beginning of spring in Japan according to the old lunar calendar. The name literally means "seasonal division" and is celebrated yearly on third of February. It was previously thought of as a sort of New Year's Eve and so was accompanied by a special rituals to cleanse away all

The meeting with Shoukei Matsumoto was followed by a morning cleaning at the Hōnen-in Temple. Together we swept the stairs to remove the leaves, which got stuck between the uneven cobblestones. In peaceful quietness we moved forward, time was flying. I learned a lot these day. While cleaning

Ise Jungu, located in the Mid Prefecture, includes 125 Jinja (shinto shrines), centered around Neiku dedicated to Amaterasu-omikami (sun goddess) and Geku dedicated to Toyouke-no-omikami (the deity of food, clothing, and housing). Ise is the holiest and biggest among all shrines of Japan. Loc

Spreading the word and sharing your thoughts is so essential. It’s the only way to inspire people. Read more about the talk on cleanliness at NION: https://www.nion.berlin/create-your-own-cleaning-ritual/

We had the wonderful opportunity to clean in the Murin-an garden in Kyoto. Early in the morning after a rainy night the day starting in full sunshine. The place itself is a cultural monument. Its elaborated design plays with perspectives, evoking feeling of depth, revealing new atmospheres and

Onigiri are traditional Japanese rice balls which were originally homemade products. Wrapped in bamboo leaves they have been, already for centuries, a convenient take-away food. Today, onigiri are being sold by millions daily. While being easy to make yourself, their industrial manufactured vers

Tawashi's are typical scrubbing brushes in Japan. They are being manufactured for centuries from organic materials. We visited 中西富一工房 (https://shuro-tawashi.jp/?mode=f3) to get a better inside into their origin and production. Tawashis are made from the windmill palm tree called shuro. It is