MIHO GRANDAMA Arte della Lucce - An Exhibition or Much More?

I was in Japan again this May, to attend The Grand Sampai, Annual Ceremony and Meetings in Misono, The International Headquarters of The Shumei Foundation in Japan. This was my third year in a row to attend. I arrived in Japan on May 1st with directors of The Shumei Istanbul Center and two Turkish friends. Kyoto was our first stop. The next day, on May 2nd we were headed for The Miho Museum.

Miho has been a special place for me since I learned about The Japanese Organisation Shumei. I remember clearly the day that I watched the movie “The Museum on the Mountain.” I was amazed by the ingenuity of both the Founder of the museum, Mrs. Mihoko Koyama, known as Kaishusama in Shumei, and the famous Chinese-American architect I.M. Pei who was able to understand Kaishusama and was able to execute her desire to create a sacred place for beauty, art and spiritual healing and transformation.

The path to Miho Museum is an adventure in itself. First of all going to Shigaraki Mountains in the Shiga Region in Japan means going to the mountains and leaving the busy-ness behind.
After you reach the entrance area of the museum, a different adventure begins. Oh the path from the reception area of the museum to the main building... I was almost mesmerized by the view of this path when I watched the movie about the construction of the Miho Museum.

I know that my words will not be enough to express my feelings, especially since English is my second language. Even in Turkish, in my mother tongue this could be tough. Miho Museum is a place that both my soul and my body want to return to. I have been to this special place three times. I went there each time I was in Japan since I learned about its existence and every time departing has been tough. For the last three years I have been spending a day of my each year in Miho. I was there on May 2nd in 2009 and this year I was there on May 2nd as well. And I feel as if, if I was late to go for one more day, it would have been too late. Strange feeling. Strange, but true.

This museum has been built on an environmentally protected area in the mountains and surely it has achieved that intention of protecting what is valuable and beautiful both in nature and in art. I have been to many museums around the world; I have been impressed by many artists and museums as well, however, I have never fallen in love with a museum, never before Miho.
The Miho Museum is one of the places on this planet that I crave to visit, that I long to be on the grounds of. The buildings are amazing, the walk path, the tunnel that takes you to the museum is to die for, but it is not just about these pieces. There is something more. Maybe it is the intention of its founders to create a sacred space for the soul that would heal with love and beauty. Would I have a better idea if I had the chance to meet Mrs. Mihoko Koyama, Kaishusama, before she passed away in? I don’t know. What I know is that I am in Turkey now and I just cannot wait to go back.

Strange feeling.

The Miho Museum has a permanent collection and also each year a new exhibition welcomes its visitors. The first year I visited Miho there was a Yosa Buson Exhibition. Buson is a very famous Japanese poet, but in the exhibition a different facet of Buson was in front of our eyes. I had deeply appreciated that exhibition.

Last year what had impressed was the newly acquired Jibo Kannon, named Miho Jibo Kannon. This special tapestry piece had a different kind of energy. The figure of the child in the tapestry had given me a sense of hope, of growth and change. Yet, this year seeing Jibo Kannon for the second time, as a part of a new exhibition, Miho’s Merciful Mother Kannon, Jibo Kannon seems to speak to me on a lot more personal level.

This year’s spring exhibition, “MIHO GRANDAMA Arte della Luce” is a celebration for the 100th Birthday of Mrs. Mihoko Koyama, Kaishusama. This exhibition is fabulous displaying the best of the best from the Miho Collection. Yet, still it is not only why the exhibition is great. The energy of Kaishusama seems to be lingering in the exhibition rooms. I have always felt her presence and especially her intention for this museum when I have been in Miho. However, this time the feeling has something different and more. It is as if she let the veil down for us to see who she really is, through her letting Miho display what she loves, what she chose, what she cared for. And what she thought was necessary for others to see as well.

The Jibo Kannon was the last piece of the exhibition. Impressed as I was last year, this year The Kannon seemed at home and ever more shining. As I was looking at the details of the tapestry, listening to the sound of the music in the room and looking at the flower display chosen for The Kannon, I realized that The Kannon was talking to me. “Kid, when you grow, a whole world will open up to you. We are protecting you. Smile and be patient. When the time comes, you will grow. Take your time to grow. Smile....” I found myself looking into my bag to find a pen and paper, and started to write these words on the Miho notebook I had just bought. The words continued “Ask and God will give you. There is always light.” It was as if golden light was sparkling from the tapestry as I was trying to write these words down in my notebook. “Be patient and you will know. Come back when you feel like it. Allow yourself time to grow.”
Yes, there had been questions in my mind. As I always seemed to do. And my questions were heard and answered in quite an unexpected manner. And not because I was told to smile, I just could not help but smile as I left the exhibition rooms of Grandama.

The Grandama exhibition had other messages for me as well through Kaishusama’s selections. And also through the curators of the exhibition. These people have been excellent channels whom I feel have put their hearts and soul to reflect who Kaishusama really is and what she wants to conveys with the Miho Grandama Exhibition.

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You could tell me that The Miho is just a museum; I would have to tell you to look again...

Fethiye with Snow on the Mountains

I came to Fethiye last night after about a month. It is interesting to see that there is still snow on the mountains. Last night the streets were wet in Dalaman when I arrived and Fethiye was much cooler than I expected. I missed this lovely piece of the world. No matter how much I like travelling, I love coming back home. My zodiac sign is Gemini and maybe like the air elemen this sign belongs to I love travelling and flying to different places of the world. I like change, trying new things and meeting new people. Yet may be because I was born on the first day of the sign, there are some astrologists who consider that day the second day of the month of Gemini, on May 22 I see myself display some Taurian qualities at strange times. Of course if you ask a Kabalistic Astrologist, he or she may say that is only natural since I am born in the sign of Taurus according to Kabalistic Astrology, which takes into consideration both signs, one determined by the sun and the other by the moon.

I was not going to talk about astrology, where did this come from now? Well, today is May 22 and it is my birthday. Birthdays definitely change their meaning as the years pass, at least for me. For the last few years I feel like I am at the completion of a project at the end of each age. Not better or worse, but as if one adventure ended and a new one will begin. As I have been studying various energy healing techniques over the years, I am becoming more and more sensitive to the energy that seems to welcome us at our birthdays. A new energy, a new package of possibilities arrives at our doorstep on our birthday and stay with us for about a year. Of course as the end of our birth year approaches, the energy of the coming year can be felt a little as well. As there is a specific energy available for us each and every day, there is a different energy available for us starting with our birthdays every year. There are 22 main energy times with many many variations. Therefore you will probably experience some similar energies over your life time, yet some you may experience 3-4 times and some maybe only once.

Maybe that is one of the reasons all teachings ancient and new talk about the importance ‘being in the now’ and ‘experiencing today’. The same energy may never be available to you again. And this is a good thing. Life continuously brings us new opportunities and changes. As I look ten years back today, I would have never ever imaged myself sitting in front of my computer on a cloudy but wonderful Fethiye morning writing an article for the Land of Lights newspaper in Fethiye. I was a person of plans, so I indeed had many plans and programs, and they did not turn out to be as I planned. Yet, I am also thankful that they did turn out the way they actually did.

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When I was in Japan, I had the chance to stay at the home of a wonderful family while I was visiting the headquarters of Shumei, Misono, and The Miho Museum in the Shigaraki Mountains. The family had two wonderful kids, Haruka-Chan, age 6, and Chisato-Chan, age 3.

And if I remember correctly on the third day of my stay in their home, we discovered that their mother, Sachiko-San was born on the same day as I. The same day, May 22nd, 1970.

It was a nice surprise, and I was not surprised at the same time. I had felt very close to this joyful, happy, loving and caring woman from the first moment I saw her. Maybe it was from seeing the piano in their home, or it was her smile, or her natural and peaceful care. In her approach to life, there is joy, there is happiness and love, all very natural and true. Today I cannot help but think of my ‘twin sister’ in Moriyama, Japan. I wish you a very happy birthday Sachiko-San. And hope to see you soon in Turkey or in Japan.


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As I got together with a friend late last night, I got good news and bad news at the same time. ... I learned that one of my precious friends in Fethiye, Rose, lost her beloved daughter. It is hard to find the words... I just want to send Rose my love and wish her strength and patience...

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This week I would like to end by sharing a short section from Michael Gelb’s famous book How To Think Like Leonardo Da Vinci:

“You can witness an ironic testament to Leonardo’s lament when you next visit the Louvre. As you approach the Mona Lisa, you will see a number of signs, written in large letters and different languages, reading: “No Flash Photography, Please.” As you attempt to take in the subtleties of this most mysterious of all paintings, you’ll find yourself almost blinded by the stroboscopic effect of the nonstop camera flashes of the Philistines who never bother to stop and actually look at the painting.”

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May your days be filled with love and light,
Zeynep.

With Love from Japan

Here I am in Japan.

Yesterday, on May 4th, I gave my speech in front of about ten thousand people at Meishusama Hall in Misono in Shigaraki Mountains.

Japan is so different and so very familiar in many ways.

I have been on a very busy schedule since we arrived and will keep on travelling to various different locations.

I would like to say many things, however I will probably need to wait to write about them until I come back to Turkey.

I would like to say that there is a lot of love and respect for Turkey.

I send you a picture taken in front of the Meishusama Hall where I gave my speech, and send all of you love and light.

Ah, one more interesting note, yesterday as I was walking to the Hall for the rehearsal of the speech at 7 am with my friends Chikako and Satoru Nakano, I saw an ad for a photography exhibition. If I recall correctly the title of the exhibition was ‘The Hallowed Land of Light’. Some of the pictures in the exhibition were taken in where I was, in Misono in the Shigaraki Mountais. I could not help myself from thinking about our wonderful Land of Lights, the wonderful area of Fethiye and its environs and our Land of Lights newspaper.

In my speech in one section I talked about coincidences and how they show us maybe more than we realize and about the messages that they store for us. I am thankful that they are happening wherever I am around the world.

I wish you all many happy coincidences and miracles.
With love and light from Japan.
Z.

Suggested Reading:
I would like to suggest to google or read about Japan this week, to discover this wonderful land for yourself.