{"id":23234,"date":"2019-03-22T12:12:47","date_gmt":"2019-03-22T12:12:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/?p=23234"},"modified":"2025-02-19T14:42:11","modified_gmt":"2025-02-19T14:42:11","slug":"spring-in-japan-with-artist-alice-tye","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/2019\/03\/22\/spring-in-japan-with-artist-alice-tye\/","title":{"rendered":"Spring in Japan with artist Alice Tye"},"content":{"rendered":"<h4>Like this post? Help us by sharing it!<\/h4><ul class=\"wpfai-list\"><li class=\"wpfai-list-item facebook\">\r\n      <a href=\"http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.insidejapantours.com%2Fblog%2Fwp-json%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fposts%2F23234&amp;t=\" title=\"Facebook\" class=\"wpfai-facebook wpfai-link wpfainw\">\r\n        <span class=\"fa-stack fa-lg\">\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-square fa-stack-2x\"><\/i>\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-facebook fa-stack-1x fa-inverse\"><\/i>\r\n        <\/span>\r\n      <\/a>\r\n    <\/li><li class=\"wpfai-list-item twitter\">\r\n      <a href=\"http:\/\/twitter.com\/share?text=&amp;url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.insidejapantours.com%2Fblog%2Fwp-json%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fposts%2F23234\" title=\"Twitter\" class=\"wpfai-twitter wpfai-link wpfainw\">\r\n        <span class=\"fa-stack fa-lg\">\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-square fa-stack-2x\"><\/i>\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-twitter fa-stack-1x fa-inverse\"><\/i>\r\n        <\/span>\r\n      <\/a>\r\n    <\/li><li class=\"wpfai-list-item pinterest\">\r\n      <a href=\"http:\/\/pinterest.com\/pin\/create\/button\/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.insidejapantours.com%2Fblog%2Fwp-json%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fposts%2F23234&amp;description=&amp;media=\" title=\"Pinterest\" class=\"wpfai-pinterest wpfai-link wpfainw\">\r\n        <span class=\"fa-stack fa-lg\">\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-square fa-stack-2x\"><\/i>\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-pinterest fa-stack-1x fa-inverse\"><\/i>\r\n        <\/span>\r\n      <\/a>\r\n    <\/li><li class=\"wpfai-list-item linkedin\">\r\n      <a href=\"http:\/\/linkedin.com\/shareArticle?mini=true&amp;url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.insidejapantours.com%2Fblog%2Fwp-json%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fposts%2F23234&amp;title=\" title=\"Linked In\" class=\"wpfai-linkedin wpfai-link wpfainw\">\r\n        <span class=\"fa-stack fa-lg\">\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-square fa-stack-2x\"><\/i>\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-linkedin fa-stack-1x fa-inverse\"><\/i>\r\n        <\/span>\r\n      <\/a>\r\n    <\/li><li class=\"wpfai-list-item envelope\">\r\n      <a href=\"mailto:?subject=&amp;body=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.insidejapantours.com%2Fblog%2Fwp-json%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fposts%2F23234%20-%20\" title=\"E-Mail\" class=\"wpfai-envelope wpfai-link wpfainw\">\r\n        <span class=\"fa-stack fa-lg\">\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-square fa-stack-2x\"><\/i>\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-envelope fa-stack-1x fa-inverse\"><\/i>\r\n        <\/span>\r\n      <\/a>\r\n    <\/li><li class=\"wpfai-list-item stumbleupon\">\r\n      <a href=\"http:\/\/www.stumbleupon.com\/submit?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.insidejapantours.com%2Fblog%2Fwp-json%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fposts%2F23234\" title=\"Stumble Upon\" class=\"wpfai-stumbleupon wpfai-link wpfainw\">\r\n        <span class=\"fa-stack fa-lg\">\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-square fa-stack-2x\"><\/i>\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-stumbleupon fa-stack-1x fa-inverse\"><\/i>\r\n        <\/span>\r\n      <\/a>\r\n    <\/li><li class=\"wpfai-list-item reddit\">\r\n      <a href=\"http:\/\/www.reddit.com\/submit?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.insidejapantours.com%2Fblog%2Fwp-json%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fposts%2F23234\" title=\"Reddit\" class=\"wpfai-reddit wpfai-link wpfainw\">\r\n        <span class=\"fa-stack fa-lg\">\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-square fa-stack-2x\"><\/i>\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-reddit fa-stack-1x fa-inverse\"><\/i>\r\n        <\/span>\r\n      <\/a>\r\n    <\/li><\/ul><p>A three-week trip around Japan inspired London-based artist Alice Tye to create\u00a0<em>Mono No Aware,<\/em> a series of paintings depicting the country in during <a href=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/japanese-culture\/cherry-blossom\/\">cherry blossom season<\/a>. We caught up with her to discover just what made Japan so magical.<!--more--><\/p>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: center;\">Q&amp;A with artist Alice Tye<\/h2>\n<hr \/>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>How long were you in Japan, and where did you go?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-23252 size-half-width\" src=\"https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/6-720x720.jpg\" alt=\"Paintings of Japan: Alice Tye, Mono No Aware series - Naoshima\" width=\"720\" height=\"720\" srcset=\"https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/6-720x720.jpg 720w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/6-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/6-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/6-768x768.jpg 768w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/6-1024x1024.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/6-564x564.jpg 564w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/6-900x900.jpg 900w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/6-390x390.jpg 390w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/6-780x780.jpg 780w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/6-510x510.jpg 510w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/6.jpg 1181w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>We visited Japan for three weeks and managed to have a fairly packed itinerary! We started with a few days in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/search\/?term=tokyo\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Tokyo<\/a>, then travelled to the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/experience-japan\/i-sg008-8\/kiso-valley-village-stay-\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Kiso Valley<\/a> to hike between <a href=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/japanese-destinations\/magome\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Magome<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/japanese-destinations\/tsumago\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Tsumago<\/a>. After staying in a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/experience-japan\/i-sg003-8\/hot-spring-ryokan-stay-\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><em>ryokan<\/em> <\/a>(traditional Japanese inn) in Magome we took the train to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/japanese-destinations\/mount-koya\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Mount Koya<\/a> to visit some of the incredible Buddhist temples, and stayed in a temple where we were able to experience the monks\u2019 morning ceremony and eat some fantastic <em>kaiseki<\/em> meals.<\/p>\n<p>From Mount Koya we travelled to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/japanese-destinations\/osaka\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Osaka<\/a> to spend a week exploring the city and seeing the first of the cherry blossom appearing. After Osaka we stayed in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/japanese-destinations\/kyoto\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Kyoto<\/a> for a few days and took a day trip to [\u201cart island\u201d] <a href=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/japanese-destinations\/naoshima\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Naoshima<\/a> to visit the galleries. I am always inspired by architecture so seeing the galleries designed by Tadao Ando was a highlight, as was seeing the iconic artworks housed in the galleries.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2>\u00a0&#8220;&#8230;we barely scratched the<\/h2>\n<h2>surface of everything we could have done&#8221;<\/h2>\n<hr \/>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-half-width wp-image-23237\" src=\"https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/9-720x504.jpg\" alt=\"Paintings of Japan: Alice Tye, Mono No Aware series, Tokyo\" width=\"720\" height=\"504\" srcset=\"https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/9-720x504.jpg 720w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/9-300x210.jpg 300w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/9-768x538.jpg 768w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/9-1024x717.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/9-564x395.jpg 564w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/9-1200x841.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/9-900x631.jpg 900w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/9-1440x1009.jpg 1440w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/9-390x273.jpg 390w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/9-780x546.jpg 780w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/9-510x357.jpg 510w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/9.jpg 1670w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>The last stop on our trip was a week in Tokyo. The city is so crazy with so much going on I feel we barely scratched the surface of everything we could have done, but we did manage to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/experience-japan\/i-gn009-20\/cherry-blossom-\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">enjoy the blossom<\/a>, visit some galleries, find some brilliant vintage clothing and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/experience-japan\/i-music100-26\/insider-experience-vinyl-hunt\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">record stores<\/a> and even take an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/experience-japan\/i-ac01-2\/ikebana-flower-arranging\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><em>ikebana<\/em> <\/a>(flower arranging) lesson!<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p><strong>Your series of paintings is called <em>Mono No Aware<\/em>, a Japanese phrase that refers to an understanding of the transience of things. It\u2019s a term often used to refer to the <em>sakura<\/em>, or cherry blossom, season. Did you go to Japan with the idea that it might become a muse?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-medium-plus-size wp-image-23240\" src=\"https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/1-510x638.jpg\" alt=\"Paintings of Japan: Alice Tye, Mono No Aware series, cherry blossom\" width=\"510\" height=\"638\" srcset=\"https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/1-510x638.jpg 510w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/1-240x300.jpg 240w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/1-768x960.jpg 768w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/1-819x1024.jpg 819w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/1-451x564.jpg 451w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/1-900x1125.jpg 900w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/1-720x900.jpg 720w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/1-390x488.jpg 390w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/1-780x975.jpg 780w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/1.jpg 988w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 510px) 100vw, 510px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>We learnt the phrase <em>Mono No Aware<\/em> whilst we were there in relation to the blossom and I chose it as the title for the series as it seemed to fit the experience we had of Japan so perfectly &#8211; appreciating things more because of their transiency.<\/p>\n<p>I went knowing I wanted to make work as a response to the trip once we were back in London, but I didn&#8217;t arrive in Japan with any preconceived concepts of what the work would focus on. I don&#8217;t like to sketch or paint when I&#8217;m travelling as I think it\u2019s healthy for me to take a break from making and instead focus on being present and really experiencing the places I visit.<\/p>\n<p>Instead I like to take as many photographs and videos as I can whilst I&#8217;m away so that when I get back after the trip I can sort through them and find the images that resonate most with how I feel about a place and what I&#8217;d like to communicate in the paintings.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: right;\">&#8220;&#8230;the culture shock was real,<\/h2>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: right;\">but I loved it&#8221;<\/h2>\n<hr \/>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Was it the first time you\u2019d travelled to Japan? Was it everything you expected?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-medium-plus-size wp-image-23244\" src=\"https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/3-510x647.jpg\" alt=\"Paintings of Japan: Alice Tye, Mono No Aware series\" width=\"510\" height=\"647\" srcset=\"https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/3-510x647.jpg 510w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/3-236x300.jpg 236w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/3-768x975.jpg 768w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/3-807x1024.jpg 807w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/3-444x564.jpg 444w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/3-900x1143.jpg 900w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/3-720x914.jpg 720w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/3-390x495.jpg 390w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/3-780x990.jpg 780w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/3.jpg 987w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 510px) 100vw, 510px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>It was my first time in Japan! And actually, it was my first time visiting Asia, so the culture shock was real, but I loved it. It was such a strange feeling to not be able to read any of the signs or menus or understand things being said over loudspeaker. I&#8217;ve travelled to a lot of European countries where I don&#8217;t speak the language, but normally you can attempt to pronounce something and can get a sense for what\u2019s being communicated, whereas in Japan we had to learn to communicate in a very different way. Everyone we met was so helpful though, even if they didn\u2019t speak English.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/food-and-drink\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The food was as good as I&#8217;d expected<\/a>, and I tried a lot of things I had never even heard of! The cities were really different from what I&#8217;d imagined, not just glassy skyscrapers but also older buildings and neighbourhoods that felt very local and friendly, not like they are in the middle of a metropolis.<\/p>\n<h1><\/h1>\n<hr \/>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: left;\">&#8220;The <em>sakura<\/em> craze that takes over the country<\/h2>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: left;\">definitely made an impression&#8230;&#8221;<\/h2>\n<hr \/>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>What (if anything) surprised you?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-23249 size-half-width\" src=\"https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/5-720x505.jpg\" alt=\"Paintings of Japan: Alice Tye, Mono No Aware series\" width=\"720\" height=\"505\" srcset=\"https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/5-720x505.jpg 720w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/5-300x210.jpg 300w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/5-768x539.jpg 768w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/5-1024x718.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/5-564x396.jpg 564w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/5-1200x842.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/5-900x631.jpg 900w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/5-1440x1010.jpg 1440w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/5-390x274.jpg 390w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/5-780x547.jpg 780w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/5-510x358.jpg 510w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/5.jpg 1674w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>I was surprised by so much. The fact that you can get hot coffee in a can from a vending machine at a station in a tiny mountain village; the little jingles that each station has never failed to make me smile; and the toilets playing birdsong really took me by surprise!<\/p>\n<p>The <em>sakura<\/em> craze that takes over the country definitely made an impression; the patchwork of blue tarpaulins underneath the blossom in Shinjuku Gyoen was a bizarre sight to see &#8211; it seemed so at odds with the beauty of the cherry blossom, and the impeccably clean streets. It was also impossible not to notice how friendly everyone we met was and how helpful they were.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: right;\">&#8220;&#8230;it would be impossible to choose a favourite place,<\/h2>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: right;\">there are too many to choose from!&#8221;<\/h2>\n<hr \/>\n<p><strong>Japan is famous for cherry blossom, but while you travelled during <em>hanami<\/em> season, you depict completely contrasting landscapes, with rural outposts, <em>onsen<\/em> towns and urban cityscapes as well as cherry blossom trees. Did you find a favourite place, or landscapes that you felt more drawn to?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-half-width wp-image-23247\" src=\"https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/4-720x720.jpg\" alt=\"Paintings of Japan: Alice Tye, Mono No Aware series, Kyoto parking lot\" width=\"720\" height=\"720\" srcset=\"https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/4-720x720.jpg 720w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/4-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/4-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/4-768x768.jpg 768w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/4-1024x1024.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/4-564x564.jpg 564w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/4-900x900.jpg 900w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/4-390x390.jpg 390w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/4-780x780.jpg 780w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/4-510x510.jpg 510w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/4.jpg 1173w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>I think it would be impossible to choose a favourite place, there are too many to choose from! But if I had to narrow it down I would say Naoshima was really special, from the architecture to the fact that it felt like a tropical desert island. I kept thinking it looked like the setting for a James Bond film!<\/p>\n<p>I loved Osaka. I found there wasn&#8217;t much online about Osaka compared to Kyoto or Tokyo when we were researching it, but we found so many amazing coffee shops and restaurants, and I really liked the aesthetic of the city. Everyone seemed to cycle everywhere, like it was Copenhagen.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-half-width wp-image-23258\" src=\"https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/8-720x425.jpg\" alt=\"Paintings of Japan: Alice Tye, Mono No Aware series\" width=\"720\" height=\"425\" srcset=\"https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/8-720x425.jpg 720w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/8-300x177.jpg 300w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/8-768x454.jpg 768w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/8-1024x605.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/8-564x333.jpg 564w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/8-1200x709.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/8-900x532.jpg 900w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/8-1440x851.jpg 1440w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/8-390x230.jpg 390w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/8-780x461.jpg 780w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/8-510x301.jpg 510w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/8.jpg 1606w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>In my work I am often drawn to unusual subjects like parking lots &#8211; no matter where I travel I always come home with photos of parking lots and I think the painting of the parking lot in Kyoto is one of my favourites, I loved the contrast of the Buddha with the tourists and the concrete. I also wanted to focus on communicating the business of the streets in Japan &#8211; with the telephone wires and all the signs and adverts everywhere &#8211; this isn&#8217;t something I&#8217;d ever painted before. In fact I tend to paint scenes without people in them so images like <em>Osaka Crossing<\/em> were unique to this Japan series.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Are you planning a return trip?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-half-width wp-image-23243\" src=\"https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/2-720x530.jpg\" alt=\"Paintings of Japan: Alice Tye, Mono No Aware series\" width=\"720\" height=\"530\" srcset=\"https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/2-720x530.jpg 720w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/2-300x221.jpg 300w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/2-768x566.jpg 768w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/2-1024x754.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/2-564x416.jpg 564w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/2-1200x884.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/2-900x663.jpg 900w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/2-1440x1061.jpg 1440w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/2-390x287.jpg 390w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/2-780x575.jpg 780w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/2-510x376.jpg 510w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/2.jpg 1588w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>I would love to go back, there was so much we didn&#8217;t have time to see or do and so many places I want to visit again. I don&#8217;t currently have a specific trip planned but the country has such a varied landscape I&#8217;d love to visit places like Okinawa when I return.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Any tips for first-time Japan travellers?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Be open minded with trying new foods! <a href=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/japan-rail-pass\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Book a JR pass<\/a> if you are planning to travel between cities, it\u2019s definitely the most economical way and the trains are fantastic. And if you are going to be near Osaka or Kyoto, take a day or two to visit <a href=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/japanese-destinations\/naoshima\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Naoshima<\/a>, it\u2019s worth the journey!<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">See more of Alice&#8217;s work on her <a href=\"http:\/\/www.alicetye.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">website<\/a>, or pick up one of her beautiful Japanese prints over on her <a href=\"http:\/\/alicetye.tictail.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">online shop<\/a><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Explore Japan&#8217;s art scene, including Alice&#8217;s favourite Naoshima (art island) on our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/self-guided-japan-holidays\/i-jarte\/japan-arts-trail\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Japan Arts Trail<\/a> Self-Guided Adventure. If you&#8217;re travelling in 2019, don&#8217;t miss the triennial <a href=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/experience-japan\/i-seto-16\/setouchi-art-festival\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Setouchi Art Festival<\/a>. <\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Alternatively, take a look at our S<a href=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/japan-small-group-tours\/japan-tour-departures\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">mall Group Tours departure calendar<\/a> to travel with the experts and see Japan in <em>sakura<\/em> season.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-half-width wp-image-11547\" src=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/Naoshima-720x540.jpg\" alt=\"Naoshima art island, Japan\" width=\"720\" height=\"540\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/Naoshima-720x540.jpg 720w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/Naoshima-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/Naoshima-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/Naoshima-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/Naoshima-564x423.jpg 564w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/Naoshima-900x675.jpg 900w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/Naoshima-390x293.jpg 390w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/Naoshima-780x585.jpg 780w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/Naoshima-510x383.jpg 510w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/Naoshima.jpg 1170w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px\" \/><\/p>\n<h4>Like this post? Help us by sharing it!<\/h4><ul class=\"wpfai-list\"><li class=\"wpfai-list-item facebook\">\r\n      <a href=\"http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.insidejapantours.com%2Fblog%2Fwp-json%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fposts%2F23234&amp;t=\" title=\"Facebook\" class=\"wpfai-facebook wpfai-link wpfainw\">\r\n        <span class=\"fa-stack fa-lg\">\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-square fa-stack-2x\"><\/i>\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-facebook fa-stack-1x fa-inverse\"><\/i>\r\n        <\/span>\r\n      <\/a>\r\n    <\/li><li class=\"wpfai-list-item twitter\">\r\n      <a href=\"http:\/\/twitter.com\/share?text=&amp;url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.insidejapantours.com%2Fblog%2Fwp-json%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fposts%2F23234\" title=\"Twitter\" class=\"wpfai-twitter wpfai-link wpfainw\">\r\n        <span class=\"fa-stack fa-lg\">\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-square fa-stack-2x\"><\/i>\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-twitter fa-stack-1x fa-inverse\"><\/i>\r\n        <\/span>\r\n      <\/a>\r\n    <\/li><li class=\"wpfai-list-item pinterest\">\r\n      <a href=\"http:\/\/pinterest.com\/pin\/create\/button\/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.insidejapantours.com%2Fblog%2Fwp-json%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fposts%2F23234&amp;description=&amp;media=\" title=\"Pinterest\" class=\"wpfai-pinterest wpfai-link wpfainw\">\r\n        <span class=\"fa-stack fa-lg\">\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-square fa-stack-2x\"><\/i>\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-pinterest fa-stack-1x fa-inverse\"><\/i>\r\n        <\/span>\r\n      <\/a>\r\n    <\/li><li class=\"wpfai-list-item linkedin\">\r\n      <a href=\"http:\/\/linkedin.com\/shareArticle?mini=true&amp;url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.insidejapantours.com%2Fblog%2Fwp-json%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fposts%2F23234&amp;title=\" title=\"Linked In\" class=\"wpfai-linkedin wpfai-link wpfainw\">\r\n        <span class=\"fa-stack fa-lg\">\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-square fa-stack-2x\"><\/i>\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-linkedin fa-stack-1x fa-inverse\"><\/i>\r\n        <\/span>\r\n      <\/a>\r\n    <\/li><li class=\"wpfai-list-item envelope\">\r\n      <a href=\"mailto:?subject=&amp;body=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.insidejapantours.com%2Fblog%2Fwp-json%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fposts%2F23234%20-%20\" title=\"E-Mail\" class=\"wpfai-envelope wpfai-link wpfainw\">\r\n        <span class=\"fa-stack fa-lg\">\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-square fa-stack-2x\"><\/i>\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-envelope fa-stack-1x fa-inverse\"><\/i>\r\n        <\/span>\r\n      <\/a>\r\n    <\/li><li class=\"wpfai-list-item stumbleupon\">\r\n      <a href=\"http:\/\/www.stumbleupon.com\/submit?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.insidejapantours.com%2Fblog%2Fwp-json%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fposts%2F23234\" title=\"Stumble Upon\" class=\"wpfai-stumbleupon wpfai-link wpfainw\">\r\n        <span class=\"fa-stack fa-lg\">\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-square fa-stack-2x\"><\/i>\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-stumbleupon fa-stack-1x fa-inverse\"><\/i>\r\n        <\/span>\r\n      <\/a>\r\n    <\/li><li class=\"wpfai-list-item reddit\">\r\n      <a href=\"http:\/\/www.reddit.com\/submit?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.insidejapantours.com%2Fblog%2Fwp-json%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fposts%2F23234\" title=\"Reddit\" class=\"wpfai-reddit wpfai-link wpfainw\">\r\n        <span class=\"fa-stack fa-lg\">\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-square fa-stack-2x\"><\/i>\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-reddit fa-stack-1x fa-inverse\"><\/i>\r\n        <\/span>\r\n      <\/a>\r\n    <\/li><\/ul>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Like this post? Help us by sharing it! A three-week trip around Japan inspired London-based artist Alice Tye to create\u00a0Mono No Aware, a series of paintings depicting the country in during cherry blossom season. We caught up with her to discover just what made Japan so magical. Like this post? Help us by sharing it!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":65,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_sitemap_exclude":false,"_sitemap_priority":"","_sitemap_frequency":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[2355,2525,2360],"tags":[3571,4176,4179,4182],"class_list":["post-23234","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-first-trip-to-japan","category-japanese-arts-and-entertainment","category-travellers-tales-from-japan","tag-japan-illustration","tag-alice-tye","tag-japan-paintings","tag-mono-no-aware"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23234","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/65"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=23234"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23234\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":34706,"href":"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23234\/revisions\/34706"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=23234"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=23234"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=23234"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}