{"product_id":"克己-kokki-the-self-that-governs-the-self-japan-washi-art","title":"克己 · Kokki The Self That Governs the Self - Japan Washi Art","description":"\u003cp\u003eKokki（克己）is the infrastructure of all the other virtues.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYou can understand Gi（義） completely and still not hold the standard when fear arrives.\u003cbr\u003eYou can know that Yu（勇）is required and still wait, and wait, and wait for a certainty that will not come. You can believe in Jin（仁）and still respond to the person in front of you with the minimum rather than genuine attention.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe gap between knowing a virtue and enacting it, in the moment of pressure, is where Kokki（克己）lives.\u003cbr\u003eNot the elimination of the impulse that works against the standard —\u003cbr\u003ebut the cultivation of enough space between the impulse and the action that choice remains possible.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe character 克己 makes this argument visually: 克 (to overcome)\u003cbr\u003eis slightly larger than 己 (self) — the act of mastery given more visual weight than the self being mastered.\u003cbr\u003eNot because the self is unimportant, but because the discipline is the point.\u003cbr\u003eThe self is not diminished. It is governed.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe brushwork is the most restrained in the series —\u003cbr\u003eeach stroke making its mark and stopping, not exceeding what is necessary.\u003cbr\u003eKokki（克己）applied to its own rendering.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor the person who understands that the other seven virtues are built on this one.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e◆What is Awa Washi?\u003cbr\u003eAwa Washi is Japanese paper produced in Yoshino City, Tokushima Prefecture; Naka Town, Naka District; and Ikeda Town, Miyoshi City. It is made using traditional Japanese paper-making techniques such as “flow-making” and “pool-making.”Awa Washi is characterized by the unique texture and natural feel of hand-made paper, along with its durable quality—thin yet strong and resistant to tearing, even when wet.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e◆History of Awa Washi\u003cbr\u003eThe exact origins of Awa Washi are unclear, but it is thought to have begun around 806–810 AD. Records indicate that the Awa Inbe clan cultivated hemp and kozo (paper mulberry) and produced paper, suggesting that washi production had already begun by the Nara period.In modern times, Awa washi gradually declined alongside Westernization. However, one paper-making company persevered in preserving the tradition, and in 1976, Awa washi was designated a Traditional Craft.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e◆Design\u003cbr\u003eThis artwork was designed in my Kyoto studio. Some of the images were designed using digital design tools, while others were designed using artificial intelligence (AI) with my own instructions and references to traditional artworks.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Deep Japan from KYOTO","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47114391748793,"sku":null,"price":94.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0769\/7032\/8249\/files\/BUSHIDO_KanjiArt_f79cd0de-e230-45db-9352-30acaa8c7f3e.png?v=1778135870","url":"https:\/\/japan-washiart.myshopify.com\/products\/%e5%85%8b%e5%b7%b1-kokki-the-self-that-governs-the-self-japan-washi-art","provider":"Deep Japan from Kyoto","version":"1.0","type":"link"}