About ‘Elemental Japan‘

The elements of nature are an everyday part of human experience and essential to our existence. They have ignited the imagination, awe, fear and reverence of cultures around the world. For millennia the elements of earth, water, fire, air/wind, metal, wood, ether/space, spirit and consciousness have been combined in various ways, as a way to make sense of and give meaning to our place in the natural world.

My blog fireupwaterdown.com introduces and celebrates the elements around the globe, showing how connected we all are. Arising from these deliberations, and based on direct experience, Japan presented itself as the perfect setting to explore the elements in greater detail. Where better to learn about nature, well-being and resilience than an industrialised country where animism, energy (J. ki) and the elements are embedded in everyday life? Underpinning this approach is the belief that Japanese culture contains a storehouse of concepts and practices that could support a nourishing life based on environmental stewardship and sustainability.  A country that:

• experiences frequent, diverse and at times devastating natural/elemental forces (earthquakes, volcanoes, tsunamis, floods and typhoons);
• embraces animism (especially through Shinto) and a strong belief in the ‘other world’;
• is famed for its love and refined representation of nature and the seasons;
• practices and builds on long-standing nature-based rituals and traditions;
• uses natural materials to create artworks and architecture of great beauty;
• expresses energy (J. ki) in myriad ways;
• sees continuity and change go hand in hand; and
• has two ‘elemental’ philosophies embedded in their culture – the Chinese philosophy of Yinyang and the Five Phases (Earth, Water, Fire, Metal and Wood; J. inyo gogyo) and Buddhist teachings based on the five elements of Earth, Water, Fire, Air/Wind and Ether/Space (J. godai) (with consciousness, a sixth element, found in Shingon Esoteric Buddhism).

These ideas and ponderings were the genesis of the book I am writing on ‘Elemental Japan’ and the beginning of a remarkable and unanticipated new direction in life. 

My first trip to Japan was in 1996, representing Australia at an international meeting on tropical forest management. Seventeen years later, when the concept of ‘Elemental Japan’ was forming, I attended a workshop on Shinto conducted in English by Oomoto in Kameoka, near Kyoto. Then in 2015 an opportunity arose to join a taiko tour of Japan with a drumming group based in Hobart, Tasmania. These varied experiences, interspersed with other trips to Japan, set the scene for a focused effort to visit places, people and events connected with the elements.

In 2016 I began spending around six months a year in Japan, at times joined by my husband Tony and sister Ruth. Using Kyoto as a base, the amazingly efficient and extensive public transport system has carried me from Hokkaido in the north to Okinawa in the south to explore the elements, wherever they take me. Along the way I encountered volcanoes (and related onsen), typhoons, floods, earthquakes, snowstorms and the aftermath of the devastating tsunami that occurred in northern Japan on March 11, 2011. During these journeys I have participated in festivals, pilgrimages, cultural events and daily life in Japan; visited places of beauty, mystery, bewilderment and awe; and learnt more about myself in the process. Experiencing the elements first hand has definitely been the best teacher.

This blog was designed to informally share my experiences and impressions on my travels around Japan. My wish is that these musings will lead to ongoing friendships and collaborations, and inspire others to explore the elements in Japan. It is a theme that lends itself to a diversity of media and activities, including tourism. The elemental world is one of many opportunities.

COVID-19 put a halt to my Japan-based explorations for three years. The ‘great pause’, which was spent in Tasmania, gave me time to research, reflect on, and write in greater depth about the elements in Japan, as well as experience elemental places at home that I’ve wanted to visit for a while. Most importantly it brought the first book on ‘Elemental Japan’ closer to completion. 

First and foremost, people are at the heart of this story. Those I have met and interacted with, and friends I have made and brought with me on this journey, have immeasurably enriched my appreciation and understanding of ‘Elemental Japan.’ I am especially indebted to my family for their ongoing encouragement and support.

The story behind the author

My name is Jann Williams, the creator of ‘Elemental Japan‘. A Victorian by birth, my home is now in Tasmania, Australia. I am an award-winning ecologist, editor and Independent Scholar with a PhD in Ecosystem Dynamics from the Australian National University.  Between 2001 and 2021 I held the position of Adjunct Professor at Latrobe University, the University of Tasmania and the University of Western Australia respectively. My LinkedIn profile contains more details about my professional career.

In November 2019 the  Ecological Society of Australia Gold Medal awarded me the prestigious Gold Medal for my significant contribution to ecology. My plenary address, titled ‘Woman on Fire: Insights from an Elemental Career‘,  can be found here.

In May 2016 I was invited by John Dougill to become a member of ‘Writers in Kyoto‘ (WiK). Joining this creative writing group has expanded my horizons and experiences in ways I could never have imagined. I am proud to have been the chief editor and designer of  ‘Encounters with Kyoto: Writers in Kyoto Anthology 3‘, published in June  2019 (available through Amazon.com and Amazon.com.au). My essay in this volume was titled ‘Shinsen’en: a Heian-kyo power-spot‘. Several of my contributions can be found on the WiK website, including two stories related to Nijo Castle, two book reviews and one film review. For the fourth WiK Anthology published in 2021 my essay was titled ‘Beyond Zen – Kyoto’s gorinto connections‘. 

In June 2022 I created the role of Anthology Supervisor for Writers in Kyoto, to help provide a smooth experience for editors and designer. The fifth WiK Anthology, ‘The Nature of Kyoto‘ (a theme I chose), was published in 2023. In this publication my essay was titled `Kyoto: City of Fire and Water`. The fire-theme continues in my role as Guest Editor for the Kyoto Journal special print issue on `Fire & Kyoto‘ to be published in Spring 2024.

Another proud moment was the publication of a bilingual book on ‘Japan and Things Japanese – An Invitation to Japanese Culture‘ in July 2022. The author and translator, Yoshiaki Yagi, invited me to edit the English component of book. It was a great honour. The book is available in print and digital formats through Amazon Japan. 

Independent travellers like myself were finally allowed back into Japan from October 11, 2022. My first trip after a three year hiatus due to the corona virus began on November 15th that year. As of August 2023 I have spent 7 months in Japan trying to make up for lost time, difficult as that is. 

Photographs really are worth a thousand words, or more – I always use them to illustrate my posts. Unless otherwise stated, all images are mine. If you would like to use share these images with others, they should be attributed to myself or the original source. Thank-you.

If you would like to share your photos of Elemental Japan I’d encourage you to use #elementaljapan on Instagram. 😄🌸

(The ‘About’ section underwent a major update in March 2021 to reflect the evolution of ‘Elemental Japan‘. Further minor changes were made in early August 2023).