The Japanese on this site.
Group Lote borrows a few words from the Japanese tea tradition as a quiet nod to its values — restraint, precision and respect. Here is what each one says, how it is read, and where it appears.
Words and phrases
- 一期一会
-
ICHI-GO ICHI-E
“One time, one meeting.”
Each encounter happens only once and should be given full attention. A phrase from the tea tradition, said to the guest as much as the host.
Entrance screen · footer
- 円相
-
ENSŌ
“Circle form.”
A circle painted in a single brushstroke, a classic subject of Zen calligraphy. It stands for wholeness and the moment of making it — it cannot be corrected once drawn.
Chapter 00 · the particle core and the entrance circle
- 準備
-
JUNBI
“Preparation.”
Getting everything ready before work begins. Used for the chapter on leading global projects.
Chapter 01 · Global projects
- 茶筅
-
CHASEN
“Tea whisk.”
A whisk carved from a single piece of bamboo split into many fine tines, which move together as one. Used for the chapter on agentic structures.
Chapter 02 · Agentic structures
- 茶碗
-
CHAWAN
“Tea bowl.”
The bowl the tea is made and served in — the object that is actually handed over. Used for the chapter on our own applications and code.
Chapter 03 · Apps & code
- 和敬清寂
-
WA KEI SEI JAKU
“Harmony, respect, purity, tranquility.”
The four principles of the tea way, traditionally associated with the tea master Sen no Rikyū. Our four working principles are modelled on them (below).
Chapter 04 · How we work
- 礼
-
REI
“Bow · courtesy.”
The bow and the etiquette around it — how a meeting is opened and closed. Used for the contact chapter.
Chapter 05 · Contact
- 全体を見て、
次を築く。 -
ZENTAI O MITE, TSUGI O KIZUKU
“See the whole, build what comes next.”
A Japanese rendering of the Group Lote tagline, written vertically as Japanese traditionally is.
Left edge of the main site
- 松風
-
MATSUKAZE
“Wind in the pines.”
The tea-room name for the soft sound of the kettle at a simmer. It is not shown on the site; it is what the background sound is modelled on.
Sound (when switched on)
The four principles · 和敬清寂
- 和
WA · HARMONY
Systems that work as one.
- 敬
KEI · RESPECT
For every stakeholder and every constraint.
- 清
SEI · PURITY
Clean architecture. Clean code.
- 寂
JAKU · TRANQUILITY
Calm delivery, under any pressure.
Numerals · chapter numbers
- 一
ICHI · 1
- 二
NI · 2
- 三
SAN · 3
- 四
SHI / YON · 4
- 五
GO · 5
Other symbols
- 字
-
JI
“Character · letter.”
The icon that leads to this page.
- ｱｲｳ
-
KATAKANA
Phonetic script — no meaning on its own.
The flickering characters seen while headings appear are random half-width katakana and digits. They are decoration only and spell nothing.
Heading animations