Author Archives: Roger W. Lowther

Matthias Grünewald’s “Crucifixion” altarpiece sits in the front of a hospital chapel in the town of Isenheim, in the eastern part of France. It is large compared to the small size of the room. Edges reach practically to the walls. The painting commands the attention of the viewer, forcing you to look nowhere but Christ […]

マティアス・グリューネヴァルトの『イーゼンハイム祭壇画』は、フランス東部の町、イーゼンハイムにある治療院の中のチャペル前方に置かれている。

When you walk into the church of Santa Maria Novella in Florence, the above scene greets you from across the space. This fresco was made by Masaccio in 1427.

これはイタリアの画家、マサッチオ(Masaccio)によって描かれた『聖三位一体』(“The Holy Trinity”)である。父なる神は中央に位置している。子なる神イエス・キリストは十字架にかけられている。聖霊なる神は鳩のように２人の間に降りて来る。

May 1st marks Crown Prince Naruhito’s ascension to the Japanese throne to become the 126th emperor of the world’s oldest monarchy and the start of 令和 (“Reiwa”). The name for this new Reiwa era was announced on April 1st. The term Reiwa comes from Japan’s oldest collection of poetry, dating from the eighth century, called […]

At the mouth of the Sumida River on the edge of Tokyo Bay, we live on a famous island called Tsukuda. Tourists from around Japan often flood our area to taste its history. Around 400 years ago, fishermen on the island of Tsukuda in Osaka provided the famous shogun Ieyasu Tokugawa and his army with […]

Kiyomizu Temple is my favorite temple in Japan. It sits on the edge of a cliff beautifully overlooking the city of Kyoto. It received its name “Pure Water Temple” from the water that pours out of the side of the mountain so clean that it does not need to be purified to drink. Every December, […]

Since I was little, I have always loved the smell of turkey cooking in the oven on Thanksgiving. At breakfast, I would ask my mom, “Can I have some turkey?” She would answer, “It’s not ready yet.” I would ask again at lunch time, “Can I have some turkey now?” Again she would respond, “It’s […]

Driving west as a family across the United States, we decided to visit The Alamo, one of America’s most famous stories of courage in the face of impossible odds and certain death. Sam Houston called out “Remember the Alamo!” in a battle afterwards, which eventually led to the annexation of the state of Texas in […]

Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated in Memphis fifty years ago on April 4, 1968. On that same day this year, MLK50 events celebrating the life and legacy of Dr. King took place all over the city. You could feel the excitement in the air, reinforced by police escorts zipping famous people around the city, blocked-off streets, and a lot of security. All month long, we as a city have been talking about Dr. King in social media, schools, churches, and around dinner tables …