I was late. And I was unprepared. And when the elevator door creaked open on Felissimo’s fifth floor to a slide show already in progress, I was embarrassed. I scuttled into the nearest chair and started nodding my head in interest. At the front of forty or so onlookers, Kate Williamson lit up a slide full of handkerchiefs. Okay, I thought. The lecture is about handkerchiefs. Or textiles. Or could it be about nose blowing? Williamson was on to the importance of maple leaves in Japan before I could make up my mind.

Maple leaves segued into a conversation about moon-viewing parties, moon-viewing rooms and the moon in general. That was when I stopped trying to figure out what this soft-spoken woman in a kilt was talking about and decided just to listen.

A good decision, it turned out, because Williamson seemed to know a quite a bit about almost everything Japanese. With the flip of a slide, I learned a concise history of The Tale of Genji (the world’s oldest novel), the intricacies of kimono color combinations and that Williamson’s favorite is called cicada wings and pairs cedar brown with sky blue. I also learned about indigo dyeing, Okinawan fabrics, and the fashion potential contained in socks.

When the talk finished and Williamson began signing copies of her illustrated diary, A Year in Japan, I kicked myself for being late. Who knows what I missed? Discussions of dragons, plastic wrap or kabuki all seemed plausible. My disappointment ebbed, however, as I walked through the Japan C exhibit on my way downstairs. Examples from Williamson’s talk were all around me: geometric patterns inspired by nature; muted color combinations inherited from court ladies; the world’s best markers. I realized then that I could stroll through Japanese culture (albeit without Williamson’s insights and expertise) whenever I wanted and as long as I arrived before the end of this month, I could even be late.

Don't miss Dolls: From the Cute to the Grotesque: A lecture by Dr. Susan Napier this Thursday at the Felissimo Design House.