NEWSLETTER MIYABI - AUGUST 18, 2026

DEAR GUESTS, DEAR FRIENDS!

Obon, the festival for honoring one’s ancestors, has just ended in Japan. It is connected with fire, and I always think of that enormous burnt character 大 in Kyoto. Dai. Big. Daimonji on Mount Daimonji. You can see it all year round, even from far away, but only on August 16 does it burn. So many bonfires all together! During Obon, many festivals take place in Japan, and people dance Bon Odori. Bon Odori. Odori means dance. The steps are simple and everyone can join in. Even I, a foreigner, happily joined the line and repeated what the others were doing. Maybe you have too. But I never really realized that it is a dance of thanks. Thanksgiving to all the specific people and also to the powers that are beyond our control, and that our ancestors are included in this giving of thanks as well. And yet this is precisely one of the foundations of the Japanese soul. Of Japanese society. Giving thanks. You can give thanks with a bow, a word, a gift or an action, whenever you realize that your successes or your joy in life are not only your own achievement. In fact, they never are. The Japanese have a beautiful and very fitting word for this: Okagesama. Thank you for the presence of the shadow of the powers! Kage means shadow. And when sama is added, it becomes a shadow that carries weight, reverence, nobility and omnipotence. I think that now, in this summer time of all kinds of adventures, we have had and still have many opportunities to give thanks—for kindness, for help, for good company, for a beautiful view of the sea… And if, for example, I want to give thanks for Miyabi being here and prospering for 31 years, I say Okagesama de, and everything is included in that.

OMAKASE EVENING OF JAPANESE ELEGANCE WITH EXCELLENT FOOD AND MUSIC

Okagesama is also the fact that this year we once again have Mr. Einojo Senju with us, a musician and dancer who is happy to share his art. He will be a guest at the Omakase evening at Miyabi on September 3 from 6:00 p.m. Together with the other guests, he will feast with us and, whenever the moment feels right, he will play his shamisen for us. A beautiful addition to the evening! I am looking forward to seeing how he enjoys each course of the rich menu. Master Senju is, after all, an Osaka gourmet and he knows. I will guide you through the evening and tell you about all the dishes we bring before you. It is omakase, which means that you leave it up to us. All nine courses. As always, the sushi and sashimi will be prepared by Master Noritada Saito. The price is CZK 2,600, and to make a reservation, a deposit must be paid HERE.

ANOTHER EVENING OF JAPANESE ELEGANCE – KABUKI FROM MAKE-UP TO DANCE – EINOJO SENJU

You will also have the opportunity to experience the art of Master Einojo Senju during his two performances at Miyabi. Do not miss them. The first will take place on Sunday, August 30, from 6:00 p.m. We have called it Kabuki from Make-up to Dance, because together with the artist you will experience how he applies his make-up, how he dresses in the Lion costume from a famous Kabuki play, and then you will see him in action as the Lion. Up close, just across the table in the Zen house. I saw it last year – his dance with the great white mane is absolutely impressive. Then, in full splendour, Senju the Lion will set off into the streets of Prague. Only for a little while, because carrying that wig and wearing that heavy costume is an enormous effort. And if it is hot – it may be truly hard. But Master Senju endures. Ganbaru! It is fun to accompany him and see how surprised people are. The price for the two-hour programme is CZK 700, and you can buy a ticket HERE.

THIRD EVENING OF JAPANESE ELEGANCE – SHAMISEN CONCERT – EINOJO SENJU

Master Senju’s second performance will take place on Monday, September 7, from 6:00 p.m., this time with him dressed in kimono. The shamisen concert will be held directly at Miyabi, and we will prepare the stage in the front part of the restaurant so that more people can join us. Do not worry, Miyabi is normally closed on Mondays, so we can transform the whole space just for the concert. There is no need to buy tickets in advance; you can purchase them directly at the venue. The price is CZK 450 per person, including a small refreshment. We will combine Mr. Senju’s concert with a farewell party, as he will be flying back to Japan just two days later. So it will be not only another evening with his music, but also an opportunity to say goodbye to him together.

JAPANESE DAYS IN PRŮHONICE PARK

On the weekend of September 5 and 6, the Japanese Days will take place in Průhonice Park, as they do every year, and Miyabi will once again have its own stand there. The event gets bigger and bigger every year, and I definitely recommend it. Master Senju will be there with us as well. Do not forget to visit the large tent, where the Prague Sogetsu Study Group will have an ikebana exhibition. There are so many flowers and shrubs in the garden! What a joy it is for us members to arrange them! We also offer workshops. You can find details about the entire event on the website of the Czech-Japanese Society. Because of our participation in the Japanese Days in Průhonice, Miyabi will open on Saturday, September 5, only at 5:00 p.m.

DAYS WITH SHINOBUE MASTER YASUKAZU KANO AND HIS STUDENT AMI SHUDO

Right after that, another Japanese artist will come to Prague – shinobue flute player and great promoter of the instrument, Master Yasukazu Kano. He is coming as part of his European tour and will give a performance at the Salmovský Palace on September 13. During their six-day visit, Miyabi will be in close contact with him and with his student, shinobue player Ms. Ami Shudo, and thanks to that, you too will have the opportunity to meet them personally. The intimate setting of our Zen house is the best possible place for this. We will have three different events there. We started advertising the shinobue concert on the evening of September 11 only a few days ago, and it is already sold out. After the concert, however, we will have an open party with refreshments offered by Miyabi as a thank-you, and those of you who cannot attend the concert are also invited. Hopefully it will not rain and the Miyabi garden will be large enough for everyone who would like to come. You may even play music together. Yasukazu Kano plays many instruments, but he fell in love with the shinobue and plays not only classical pieces, but also his own arrangements influenced by European music and by nature itself. The sounds that speak to him, he transforms into his music.

SHINOBUE WORKSHOP

Master Kano has also offered a shinobue workshop, which will take place on Saturday, September 12, from 3:00 p.m. Those interested in the shinobue or other Japanese flutes, both advanced players and beginners, will have the opportunity to improve their skills under the guidance of a true master. His method is called KANO method and is very effective. I recently listened to him speak about the shinobue, comparing it with the ryuuteki used in gagaku and with the flute used in Noh theatre. I was delighted, and I am very much looking forward to meeting the master in person. For the two-hour workshop, we can welcome only ten participants in the Zen house. The price for the two-hour programme is CZK 600 per person, and you can buy a ticket HERE. If you have your own flute, please bring it with you. You will also be able to borrow a shinobue flute, or even purchase one. Rental is CZK 220 and purchase is CZK 770. 

LUNCH WITH THE ARTISTS IN THE ZEN HOUSE – TALKING ABOUT JAPANESE CULTURE, THE LIVES OF WOMEN, OR LIFE ON SADO ISLAND

I am very happy that both artists, Mr. Kano and Ms. Shudo, have agreed to have lunch together in the Zen house, and that I can invite you as well – readers of our Miyabi letter and guests of Miyabi. In the informal atmosphere of a lunchtime kaiseki meal, both artists will introduce us to Japanese culture and to their own paths through life. Both have travelled a great deal, and both have written a book about their experiences. Ms. Shudo’s book is called You Are the Creator of Your Own Life – A Guide to the Heart, and I think it is intended mainly for women. The author certainly has a great deal to say about the lives of women in Japan. Mr. Kano lives on Sado Island, which is known for having been a place where Japanese nobles were sent into exile. It is also said that there are beautiful women there, and the reason why is connected with the history of the island itself. I am looking forward to hearing what Mr. Kano will tell us about this. The book of Mr. Kano has title I love the Earth, I love Sado – Stories of a Flute Player Traveling the World. I have prepared the menu, and it will already have a slightly autumnal character. The price is CZK 550 per person, including tea, and you can make a reservation by purchasing a ticket HERE. There can be only twelve of us around the table – the three of us, and those of you who sign up, which means nine more. I am looking forward to it. Please put Saturday, September 12, from 12:00 to 2:00 p.m. in your calendar.

So now I have written it all out for you. So many opportunities! So much joy! Okagesama de! I am grateful for all these gifts, and for the fact that through Miyabi I have the opportunity to meet so many wonderful people. Thanks! Okagesama! 

Yours, Miyabi Darja

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