A design that merges two cultures!

Originally, I wanted to design a Salvadoran-themed bento box, but because bento boxes are known to be Japanese, I decided to create one with a Japanese flavor. This is my first attempt at the style, so I don't expect it to be authentic. Despite that, I ended up liking how it turned out. It was exactly how I pictured it to be.  

A Watercolor Paper Textured poster of Japanese Art Style of San Salvador, with two Torogz birds, blooming Maquilishuat trees and the cathedral in the distance.

What's in the drawing?

  • The drawing is set in El Salvador's capital, San Salvador. The volcano, Quezaltepeque, and the Metropolitan Cathedral of San Salvador are two of the identifying features of the capital. 
  • The two Torogoz birds (also known as the Turquoise Browed Motmot, Guardabarranco, and the Toh bird) stand prominently with their beautiful colors. The Torogoz is the national bird of El Salvador (and Nicaragua, known there as Guardabarranco). 
  • In mid-ground are the blooming Maquilishuat trees that remind me of the Sakura Cherry blossoms.
  • In the Japanese Katakana, I have written their rendering of El Salvador (pronounced as  e-ru-sa-ru-ba-do-ru )  エルサルバドル 

Japanese writing for El Salvador and a Hanko stamp

The Hanko stamp

The Hanko stamp is culturally used as a signature, and so for this, I had to get creative. I wanted a clean look, but also be faithful to what's generally culturally acceptable and yet authentic to me. 

  • The top two characters are Kanji, and I selected 箒 (hōki) for "broom" and 場 (ba) for "location or place." My real last name is Escobar which originates in Spain, meaning "from a place overgrown with broom brush." Therefore,  箒場 (hōki-ba) = Escobar [it even sounds similar!]. I expect this to sound strange to a Japanese, is not meant to be a Japanese name, but a Japanese interpretation of my name.
  • The bottom two characters are the Katakana ホセ, for José. Pronounced as "ho-se" (spelled here like their Romanji system). Trying to come up with a Kanji for it seems overkill for a name that's easy to pronounce in Japanese and is only two syllables. I thought about using the Chinese 約 瑟 (Yuē Sè) "Approximate Zither/Harp" used for the biblical character, Joseph, but it's a different language with a different pronunciation, plus the Hànzì/Kanji would have conflicting meanings - maybe I'll use it for a Chinese-inspired artwork.