Are you a maker who loves to travel? Or a traveler who loves to make? If so, I have a great new challenge for you―can you condense your travel memories into a mere six cubic inches?
The idea is to reflect upon your travel experience and identify the few most significant qualities, tangible and intangible, of the place you visited. And then to capture those qualities, as concisely as possible, in a pocket-sized box.
The result is a tiny, three-dimensional work of art which I’ve dubbed the Travel Memories Mini Tin.
The beauty of this project is that it encourages you to reflect and recollect―to “process”―your treasured travel memories and to boil them down into only the essential qualities. Then it challenges you to physically represent those qualities in miniature.
Photos are, obviously, the most common way to capture travel memories. And a few, judiciously chosen, representative shots could certainly be incorporated into your Travel Memories Mini Tin. But this project is intended to be a departure from our ubiquitous digital memories.
Regular readers may recall that I visited Japan for three weeks in the spring of 2023. It was a spectacular experience which I captured in nearly 6,000 photos. That’s a lot of photos―definitely too many to scroll through! I’ve shared many of these photos here on the blog―see the series of blog posts Postcards from Japan #1, #2, #3 and #4.
Recently, I challenged myself to find an alternative way to capture the cherished memories of my Japan trip. The result is the first Travel Memories Mini Tin―“Travel Tin” for short.
The outside of the Travel Tin can be a work of art in and of itself. There are two major surfaces, the top and bottom of the tin, plus 4 narrow rectangular sides. Each surface offers an opportunity for expression. The top and front of my Japan Travel Memories Mini Tin are shown in the previous photo and the bottom is featured in this next photo.
Perhaps the most unique aspect of the Travel Tin is that the viewer must physically open it to get the full effect. Like opening a beautifully-wrapped gift, opening the Travel Tin promises a surprise―a slow reveal of the unknown contents.
The Travel Tin can contain a small selection of miniature items. There are many possibilities including natural elements such as stones, feathers, seeds or nuts; paper ephemeral such as ticket stubs, snippets of cards, packages or printed matter; hand-crafted items such as jewelry, buttons and lace scraps; or everyday objects such as coins. When selecting mementos for the Travel Tin, consider how they might engage the viewer. Items which can be removed for a closer look will encourage more interaction.
Shown below is a collection of small mementos from my trip to Japan.
My Travel Tin is made with a repurposed Altoids mint tin which is only 3½” x 2¼” x ¾”. The sturdy, metal box has a nice, hinged lid which closes snuggly. In my mind, its diminutive size is ideal because it forces me to encapsulate my travel experience into its most essential elements―down to the very essence of the place I visited.
“Essence of place” as described by Don Enright on his blog The Art of Visitor Experience “is the sum of the qualities, tangible and intangible, that come together to make that place unique on earth”. It is the combination of qualities and characteristics stemming from “geography, climate and weather, waterways, flora, fauna, history and culture”. Enright is an award-winning professional interpreter. On his blog he shares a fascinating insider look at the art of crafting an exceptional visitor experience at heritage sites, museums, national parks and similar destinations.
In his blog post, New Tools for Defining Essence of Place, Enright writes “Defining essence of place can be a fun exercise, and sometimes a fairly abstract one. I would say that, after about ten years of doing this work, one of the most effective questions to bring into a discussion is to simply ask community members to fill in this blank: ‘Without _____, this place is no longer this place. It has lost something essential.’ ”
It seems to me; a similar line of questioning could go a long way to helping us process our own travel experiences. Ask yourself, what was unique and special about this particular destination? Why did you want to visit this place? What is this place all about? What is emblematic of this place? What is iconic of this place? What did you see/do there that is not available anywhere else?
For instance, some visitors to Japan might finish the sentence like this: “Without Mount Fuji, Japan is no longer Japan.”
Understandably, different visitors have different priorities, interests, interactions and experiences and each visitor will form their own impressions. But when I look back at my visit to Japan, I have vivid memories of Buddhism and Shintoism and the way in which these religious philosophies influence the Japanese way of life. As a result, one way I would complete the sentence is like this: “Without Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines, Japan is no longer Japan.”
“There are two main types of religious monuments: Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines” reports the Japan Avenue website in their article 10 Symbols that Represent Japan. “Shintoism, the native religion of Japan, was born from a mixture between animism and shamanism. This religion is based on the veneration of nature’s forces and kami, sorts of ‘deities’ or ‘spirits’ that are present everywhere: in the forest, on the top of a mountain or underneath a waterfall… Each sanctuary is generally dedicated to one single deity. At the entrance of these sanctuaries we find komainu, lion statues designed to chase away evil spirits. Officially, there are 79,000 Shinto shrines throughout Japan.”
I had the good fortune to visit several shrines during my trip including the Golden Shrine at Ueno Toshogu in Tokyo.
“Buddhism was brought from China and Korea and appeared in Japan between the 5th and 6th century. This religion is based on the wisdom of Buddha … and guides people on a spiritual path to enlightenment. There exist more than 77,000 Buddhist temples throughout the archipelago.”
Shown below is one of the temples I had visited―the Zenkoji Temple in Nagano.
In order to capture the idea that Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines are an essential quality of Japan, I’ve incorporated two photos and a protective amulet in my Japan Travel Tin. The bottom of the Travel Tin features a small print of the below photo featuring the Senbon Torii at the Fushimi Inari-taisha Shrine in Kyoto.
Inside the Travel Tin, I’ve created a small, 3-dimensional diorama showcasing a small shrine tucked away on a forest path at the Iwakiyama Shrine in Hyakuzawa.
My protective amulet (omamori) was purchased at the Sensoji Temple in Tokyo. Omamori are believed to provide various forms of protection or good luck, depending on their specific purpose. As explained on the Japan Avenue website in their blog post Popular Japanese Good Luck Charms, “an omamori is a small bag made of colored and nicely decorated brocade … the embroidered kanji inscriptions on the fabric indicate the area of life in which the amulet is effective: luck, love, health, money, academic success and many others.” It’s important to note that “once the bag is closed, it must not be opened, at the risk of attracting bad luck. …. To benefit from the protection of this Japanese amulet, it is advisable to keep it with you at all times.” Omamori are typically replaced annually or when their purpose is fulfilled. The proper way to dispose of omamori is to return them to the shrine or temple where they were obtained.
The purpose of my omamori―as shown at the top left in the display pictured below― is “Good Health and Cure of Illness and Long Life”.
As someone intrigued by traditional crafts, craftsmanship, and creative pursuits, I would consider master craftsmanship as one of Japan’s essential qualities. In my mind, “Without master craftsmanship, Japan is no longer Japan.” Pictured below are some of the traditional crafts―goldwork embroidery, origami, temari, silk dyeing and woodcut prints―I had the pleasure to examine during my visit to Japan.
Japan’s focus on and appreciation of traditional crafts is not a coincidence. In anticipation of my visit to Japan, I learned that “in the late 1940s and early 1950s, the governments’ reconstruction efforts brought renewed prominence to Japanese crafts with the establishment of the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MITI), which sought to promote well-known strengths in design-oriented industries”. As author Patricia Graham wrote in her book Japanese Design: Art, Aesthetics and Culture, “At the same time, existing laws for the protection of cultural properties were strengthened and expanded to highlight craft traditions based on pre-modern art forms, newly described as “traditional crafts” (dento kogei). As part of this effort, in 1955 the government began to single out outstanding individuals who continued to create traditional crafts through a new designation as “Living National Treasure” (Ningen Kokuho).”
I had the privilege of watching Kosaku Kitahama, a Nationally Designated Artisan of Wajima Lacquerware in Japan, demonstrating the traditional art of maki-e. He painted each small section of the design with lacquer and then quickly sprinkled it with gold powder before the lacquer hardened. You can see the golden dragon emerging below.
Graham continues “This was followed in 1974 by a Law for the Promotion of Traditional Craft Industries that sought to preserve the production of entire craft traditions. So successful have these efforts been that by the 1990s a government survey recorded 184 distinct types of traditional crafts. Today, these laws have evolved into the most complex and sophisticated structure for the preservation of traditional crafts in the world.”
As a reminder of the importance of master craftsmanship in Japan, I selected a few, specific elements for my Japan Travel Tin―a hand-stitched sashiko sample, a strip of Japanese paper, a couple of small mizuhiki knots, and a small origami crane.
The top cover of the Travel Tin is the most prominent surface so I made an effort to create something special. I covered it with a replica of traditional sashiko. It is a piece of denim blue felt stitched in a modified basketweave pattern using white embroidery floss. You can learn more about sashiko in my previous blog posts My Little Stab at Sashiko and A Denim Jacket with Sashiko Flair.
Mizuhiki is the art of decorative knot-tying using paper wire (also called mizuhiki). The paper wire is made by twisting a long, thin sheet of rice paper into a tight cord and then starching it for strength and stiffness. The paper wire, in bright or metallic colors, is knotted, woven, twisted and manipulated into various decorative shapes. Mizuhiki is most commonly used to decorate envelopes for gift giving but it can also be used to create jewelry, 3-dimensional art, figurines and other decorative elements.
It’s not until you’ve actually visited and had time to reflect on the experience that the essential qualities of a place will become clear. Obviously, the more time you spend in a place and the more curious you are, the better you’ll understand its essence. This is especially true for a country as unique and culturally-rich as Japan.
The final essential quality I chose for Japan is a deep respect for nature. I would say, “Without respect for nature, Japan is no longer Japan.”
In her book, Gardening the Japanese Way, author Sima Eliovson offers the following observation “The acute awareness of nature in the Japanese people might stem from the fact that, in their early history, they revered the rocks, trees and hills where the gods of nature were believed to have lived and that, long after their religious belief in Shintoism had disappeared, they were left with a heritage of heighted powers of observation regarding natural effects.”
This keen awareness of nature is evident in the spectacular gardens sprinkled throughout the country. This beautiful, serene scene in the Kenrokuen Gardens of Kanazawa provides a great example. See my previous blog post, Garden Strolling and Viewing in Japan, for more.
One aspect of this deep respect for nature is the appreciation of impermanence. Flower viewing, known as hanami, is a beloved tradition in Japan. Every spring when the cherry trees bloom, people flock to the cherry blossoms (sakura) to admire and celebrate their short-lived beauty. See my previous blog post, Virtual Hanami Around Aizu, for more information about this cherished tradition.
Cherry blossoms seem like the perfect symbol for Japan’s respect for nature. As a result, they feature prominently in my Japan Travel Tin. I chose the below photo showing a cherry tree in full bloom in Hirosaki Park for the inside cover.
Cherry blossoms also decorate the top cover of my Japan Travel Tin. I used felt to make a small branch of cherry blossoms and sewed them to the sashiko background. Cherry blossoms can also be seen in the strip of Japanese paper stitched to the cover.
Research in the tourism industry has shown that a great travel experience extends beyond the actual adventure―beginning with anticipation, culminating in the actual experience and concluding with reflection and recollection. Thinking about the essence of the place you are visiting―during all three phases of your travel experience―can enrich the overall experience. And capturing that essence of place in a Travel Memories Mini Tin can help you hold onto the most significant memories.
My new Japan Travel Memories Mini Tin is a nice reminder of my trip to Japan. I think it accurately represents the three qualities―Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines, master craftsmanship, and respect for nature―which add up to capture the essence of Japan for me.
More Info
Previous blog posts mentioned in today’s blog post include:
. Postcards from Japan #1
. Postcards from Japan #2
. Postcards from Japan #3
. Postcards from Japan #4
. My Little Stab at Sashiko
. A Denim Jacket with Sashiko Flair
. Garden Strolling and Viewing in Japan
. Virtual Hanami Around Aizu.
The following resources were consulted in writing this blog post:
. The Art of Visitor Experience blog by Don Enright
. Japan Avenue website blog posts 10 Symbols that Represent Japan and Popular Japanese Good Luck Charms
. Japanese Design: Art, Aesthetics and Culture book by Patricia Graham which is available here on Internet Archives
. Gardening the Japanese Way book by Sima Eliovson which is available here on Internet Archives
. Various Wikipedia entries.
Today’s Takeaways
1. “Essence of place is the sum of the qualities, tangible and intangible, that come together to make that place unique on earth”. Don Enright
2. A great travel experience extends beyond the actual adventure―beginning with anticipation, culminating in the actual experience and concluding with reflection and recollection. Thinking about the essence of the place you are visiting―during all three phases of your travel experience―can enrich the overall experience.
3. The beauty of the Travel Memories Mini Tin project is that it encourages you to reflect and recollect―to “process”―your treasured travel memories and to boil them down into only the essential qualities.
