ELICA MIWA

Tag: sightseeing

  • Reasonless to Reason Thus [Shakespeare For You]

    Reasonless to Reason Thus [Shakespeare For You]

    🎭Even as one heat another heat expels, 
    Or as one nail by strength drives out another, 
    So the remembrance of my former love 
    Is by a newer object quite forgotten. 
    Is it mine eye, or Valentine’s praise, 
    Her true perfection, or my false transgression 
    That makes me reasonless to reason thus?

    — Proteus, Two Gentlemen of Verona 2-4

    [ACTING TIPS]

    Proteus feels his love toward Julia is pushed away by some strong practical force. 

    Play it with just feeling something is changing.

    Play it with already with gilt, feeling he will betray his friend.

    Enjoy as an actor the playful “true” and “false”, “perfection” and “transgression”, “reasonless” and “reason thus”.  Very Shakespeare.

    I am fascinated by his word choice of “a newer object” which means Silvia.  Why does he have to say that?

  • Kameido Shrine with Wisteria, and “Too Low A Mistress” [Shakespeare For You]

    Kameido Shrine with Wisteria, and “Too Low A Mistress” [Shakespeare For You]

    🎭 Sylvia:  Too low a mistress for so high a servant.
    Proteus:  Not so, sweet lady, but too mean a servant
    　　　　 To have a look of such a worthy mistress.

    — Sylvia & Proteus, Two Gentlemen of Verona 2-4

    [ACTING TIPS]

    This is the first ever conversation between Sylvia and Proteus.  Sylvia, right after hearing what a splendid gentleman he is, from Valentine.  So she is very interested in him.  Her father says he is worth her husband, and she looks at him as a potential future husband.  

    On the other hand, Proteus has made a vow to his lady Julia in Verona.  He can be struck with Sylvia’s sophisticated manners and beauty, but he then more strongly tell himself that he would not be moved.  That makes the play more interesting.

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  • Kameido Shrine with Wisteria, and With Good Grace To Grace A Gentleman [Shakespeare For You]

    Kameido Shrine with Wisteria, and With Good Grace To Grace A Gentleman [Shakespeare For You]

    🎭 His years but young, but his experience old;  
    His head and unmellowed, but his judgement ripe; 
    And in a word, for far behind his worth 
    Comes all the praises that I now bestow, 
    He is complete in feature and in mind, 
    With all good grace to grace a gentleman.

    — Valentine, Two Gentlemen of Verona 2-4

    [ACTING TIPS]

    Valentine is talking to Sylvia about his best friend Proteus who has just arrived at Milan.  His excitement is the key of the coming action (that Sylvia falls in love with Proteus).

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  • Fire That’s Closest Kept Burns Most Of All [Shakespeare For You]

    Fire That’s Closest Kept Burns Most Of All [Shakespeare For You]

    🎭

    Julia:  His little speaking shows his love but small.  

    Lucetta:  Fire that’s closest kept burns most of all.  

    — Julia, Lucetta, Two Gentlemen of Verona 1-2

    [ACTING TIPS]

    Julia is in love with Proteus (he), and she needs a proof that he is in love with her too.  Lucetta knows that.  

    You may act Julia as stubborn, proud, and showing no love toward him.  Julia will speak her true mind that she is madly in love with him as a monologue later, so be brave to hide it.  

    You may act Lucetta as kind, understanding, nice maid, nursing a stubborn child.

    Try many combination.  Their ages may be quite close, like sisters.

    ===

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  • When Fortune Means to Men Most Good [Shakespeare For You]

    When Fortune Means to Men Most Good [Shakespeare For You]

    🎭 When Fortune means to men most good,

    She looks upon them with a threatening eye.

    — Cardinal Randulph, King John 3-4

    When you think you are successful and the fortune is on your side, always be aware that she (Fortune) betrays you in a minute.

    This phrase was said to an unfortunate person who had just beaten by King John, and Cardinal Randulph told him that the unfortunate one was not him but King John himself.  But we can keep that in mind, and prepare for any turns.

    ===

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    #shakespeare #shakespearequotes #cardinalRandulph #kingjohn #tokyo #japan #beautifulscenery #architecture #DNP 

  • Japanese Spring with Plum Blossoms

    Japanese Spring with Plum Blossoms

    Before anything, I must express my heart filled with sorrow for the people in Ukraine.I am against any form of violence.
    Though I know violence is quite a main and entertaining part of performing arts, the reason I am in the perfroming art is to make the world peaceful.

    By saying that, today, I am going to show you peaceful scenes of spring near Tokyo.

    The beginning of the spring of Japan is symbolized by plum blossoms.
    Elica has been busy visiting many plum orchards and gardens.
    Here are some videos of plum orchards.

    Odawara: Very early.

    Ogose: Middle Season

    Fuchu: In Full Bloom

    ZEN Acting

    Feel the IKI (breathing) of old trees awakening.

  • Tenkawa Dai BenzaiTen

    Travel Japan with ELICA MIWA.

    This is a very rare place.

    Not many people, even a Japanese, actually visit, for the place is located really deep in the mountains in deep Nara. It is TenKawa Dai BenZaiTen Shrine.
    This shrine is the head of all shrines for performing arts!
    (BenZaiTen is the name of the god of performing arts.)

    The music behind the video is also made by me ELICA.

    Only, there was a road construction and you may hear low buzzing noise sometime.
    Still, you can dip yourself into the summer sound of high mountain in Japan.

    ENJOY!

    !ZEN ACTING !
    Listen to the sound in you.

  • Plum Blossoms in Odawara

    Plum Blossoms in Odawara

    Before I deliver this blog, I must share my deep sorrow and prayer for UKRAINE who suffer without a reason. I cannot pretend as if  nothing is happening and write my usual blog. But at the same time, one may need to stay calm and bless the world.

    Though the wind and politics are savage, the spring is coming here in Japan. The early rise of spring is traditionally symbolized by plum blossoms. I went to Odawara, two hour drive from central Tokyo, to see the plum orchard.
    Here is the video. I hope this gives you some relaxing moment.

    The season has just started, which means not many flowers on trees.

    ! ZEN ACTING !
    Breathe in the fresh air, to refresh your mind.

  • The Oldest Shrines in Japan: Miwa Jinja

    The Oldest Shrines in Japan: Miwa Jinja

    Do you know the oldest shrine in Japan?
    It is Miwa Jinja in Nara. (“Jinja” means “shrine”.)
    As you might have guessed, my name is given from this shrine.
    Last summer in Japan, the pandemic eased down for a few months, and I took the opportunity to visit there.
    Enjoy watching!

  • AshiNo-Ko, Lake at Hakone

    AshiNo-Ko, Lake at Hakone

    You may have heard of Mt. Fuji.
    There is another great sightseeing spot near Mt Fuji called Hakone.

    The Name

    Hakone is the name of an active volcano and there is a huge crater lake called AshiNo.
    We Japanese call it as AshiNo-Ko.
    “Ashi” is “reed”.”No” is “of”.”Ko” is “lake”.
    Yes, the lake of reed, Reed Lake.

    How to Get There

    If you use a public transportation, take a train from Shinjuku to get to Hakone-Yumoto, then take a bus to the lake.

    What to Do

    There are some old shrines, ancient foot travel road through the deep forest, variety of eating places from traditional Japanese to Italian cafe.
    You can enjoy lake cruise in a Pirate-Ship.
    From here you can visit the huge and deep crater called OhWakuDani (Great Bubbling Valley) in a rope-way.

    Right, this is a place of fun and awe, in the chest of nature energy.

    I took a beautiful video of the lake with my GoPro 9.
    Enjoy the scenery.

    Zen Acting Tip

    Listen to the sound of the water.
    Keep in touch with the wave.