It was a clear and quiet day in Kyoto when the head priest of Kiyomizu temple, dressed in purple and red robes, began dipping his calligraphy brush in a bowl of black ink. Adjusting his sleeves while holding the brush aloft, he glanced shortly and made assured strokes on the blank canvas in front of him. He was a noble sight, graceful and almost intimate, if not for the animated crowd of reporters behind him.
The head priest finished nearly as swift as he started; after the last brandish, he made a bow before letting everyone see what he had done. It was a kanji—Japanese characters that denote full words. The kanji was kizuna.
Japanese citizens celebrate Kanji Day every year on December 12th as a commemoration of one of their two writing systems, the other being the kana syllabaries. The day is made singular by Japan Kanji Aptitude Testing Foundation, which holds a national poll that determines the Kanji of the Year, a Japanese word that encapsulates the events of the last 12 months. Beginning in 1995, the head priest’s 17th appearance in 2011 depicted a word encompassing the quintessential Japanese spirit—unwavering resilience, boundless altruism, and unmatched sense of community.
The concept of kizuna, or lasting connections between people, is what inspired Vista Land, the Philippines’ leading integrated property developer, to build vertical community that nurtures relationships forged through mutual trust and support. Aptly named Kizuna Heights, this 41-storey cond.