Kushimoto, Wakayama
The color of the water, the color of the sky. The deeper, the bluer, the higher, the bluer. On the boundary between those, the light reflects the colors as those are.
The wave can not be calmed down by a wave, the wind can not be suppressed by the wind and the light can not be drowned by the light itself.
Emotions, difficulties, and sufferings. Those would be never neutralized by the contrasts that are equal but would be dissolved by greater existence.
Kushimoto, Wakayama
Although the distance is only 300 miles, it is said that Wakayama is the farthest prefecture from the capital of Japan. By “farthest” here, it means that it takes the longest time to get there using today’s means of transportation.
The evolution of the traffic system is removing the difficulties of movement and travels, and our hometowns as well. To continue living in the place of birth has turned into a mare one option of choosing a city to live from many of those.
We can foster our attachment by concentrating our awareness. Attachments would bring about emotion, arouse the traveler’s sentiment, and shape hometowns.
Muroto, Kochi
One boat, two layers of water color. The lighthouse, looking down on it from this rise shines for 30 miles ahead. The biggest lighthouse in this country has been the landmark for more than 100 years, shining in 30,000 nights.
On the surface of it, there are 4 bullet wounds. Those scars of the world war linger even now. As it shines, it would be aimed while it benefits our life.
No matter how far guns are able to shoot bullets, those are not able to save our life. Lights that can not even be touched would guide us in the dark, without leaving any wounds.
Muroto, Kochi
There was a view of two coastlines that stretch far into the northeast and into the northwest from the top of the hill of the cape. The city lights along each of those lighted up low-hanging clouds dimly.
The ocean produces the rain, then the rain falls on mountains. People get products from the land, from the sea along the border between the land and the sea. Even if those each are different in form, they never deviate from the category of ”life”.
Matter carries mind, and mind drives body. We are the product of heaven and earth, on the border between heaven and earth. Even if we are different from one another, we never leave the group of the existence of ”perception”.
Shimanto, Kochi
The river flowing through the valleys, the road along the stream, plants grow along the road. Looking at those, the roofed boat sails upstream leisurely.
People go fishing, flock to cool themselves. Their life depending on the river lasts as long as there is the stream. The water rages from time to time, leaves us awe, and yet it remains our inexhaustible benefit.
Fear and blessings are inseparable like the two side of an object. The plane bridge sinks in water to let a rainstorm go past. Polished itself up in hardships, it can be quenched more than ever.
Ikata, Ehime
Along both sides of the ridge, there was absolutely no city lights. It would seem that this peninsula between night sea does not have its end.
All the thing that can be seen was starlight in the far distance in the dark along the way of 25 miles to the cape. As if it led us into even outer space where is absolutely alone.
The Milky Way came into the sight beyond the windy cape. Here is the family of stars without number, including us, where each existence lights and is lighted mutually, to recognize one another.
Sakaide, Kagawa
As if the earth had disappeared, the flow of the water was overflowing the color of the sunset glow becoming a mirror which was framed in the riverbanks.
In a small town that is getting dark toward the night, the stream remains exceptionally glisten. Since it does not have any colors at all, it is capable of reflecting any colors. Since it does not have any shapes at all, it is able to change it into any shapes.
The calm, clear surface of the water reflects natural beauty. What do we reflect on our heart when it finally gets to quietness and purity.
Naruto, Tokushima
After going over the Naruto Strait which always has huge eddying currents, the cityscape would change to quiet natural beauty with calm waves and rich greens. However, there would be a long line of cars that are looking for parking spaces.
That would be the line of people who are visiting the Otsuka International Museum, one of the largest museums in this country. This museum exhibits over 10,000 life-size replicas of masterpieces from ancient times up to the present ages. All of those has each reproduction of the original picture frames as well.
This overwhelming scale’s exhibition and the highly developed technology of facsimiles of pictures on ceramic ware were realized by a sublime purpose of cultivation of aesthetic sentiments. The fact that the exact life-size replicas are right in front of us is fascinating, makes the people who would be deeply impressed pay a visit to the original pictures all over the world.
Kobe, Hyogo
The City of Kobe is representative of port cities of Japan. Thanks to the enough depth, the bay has been developing as a natural harbor from many years ago and today it is being an international port which is lively with 35,000 ships a year coming and going.
In 1995, this city suffered severely from the Great Hanshin earthquake. However, it was reconstructed rapidly and in 2012, Kobe was elected as the most comfortable city in this country and also the fifth best city to live in in the world by Swiss-ECA international.
Ports are the wide gateway to relations with other cities and foreign nations. The people who get together, come and go, would cultivate the land, bring riches there and would be the motive power of revival as well.
Kyoto, Kyoto
Fushimi Inari-Taisha Shrine is located at the base of Mt. Inari in Kyoto, an ancient capital, and still attracts many worshippers. The whole mountain that commands a view of Kyoto city and has many Japanese ciders and brooks is considered to be a sacred place.
There are 10,000 of torii gates in the precincts of this shrine, particularly the approach comprised of 1,000 toriis built-up close together is called “Senbon Torii” and is regarded as the passage to the world of the God.
The omnipresence of the world which is beyond our comprehension. Each time you pass through a torii, your mind might be passing through the spirit would.
Takashima, Shiga
Lake Biwa is an important source of water supply that is called “ a water vessel of Kansai”. It is the largest lake in this country that has been the foundation of the life of people from old times.
Shirahige shrine which was built on the west coast of this lake has been keeping its eye on the lives of people for 2000 years together with the lake. People around here give thanks to the blessing and pray for the eternity of it.
Stood at the water’s edge and faced toward a torii. A gust of wind blew away the low-hanging clouds over the surface of the lake and an aquatic bird flew away from the top of the gate. Shortly after that, sunlight streamed through the clouds.
Kanazawa, Ishikawa
There is “Higashi-Chayagai” on the east side of the Asano River. This district which means the east tea stalls street was part of the castle town and has a history of 200 years.
From early evening, the soft tones of Japanese flutes, drums, and banjo, called samisen, would reach your ears along with the murmur of the stream. For a long time, the people here have done regular practice in Noh chants and the whole area started being called ’a street where songs fall from the sky’.
Training, mastery, and the initiation from person to person. The graceful melody still falls on the street nightly and adds a flavor to the area.
Wajima, Ishikawa
For the evening calm, all the coast was quiet. A thousand mirrors of the still water reflected subtle gradation of the sunset glow and each of those glittered with different colors.
The cluster of small rice terrace was formed by the idea of making an effective use of a limited land. Level the hillside into many stepped spaces, surround each plot with ridges, plow and fill with water, then grow sprouts of rice. A mere vacant land develops into a fruitful farmland.
Bring the cosmos to chaos, the scattered energy that is supposed to disappear changes into fruition. Our wisdom and perspiration are capable of bringing naught significance which is filled with joy.
Shirakawa, Gifu
The pastoral landscape which has been handed down from generation to generation. It is the primal scene that anyone yearns for irrespective of whether they have seen it or not. The traditional lifestyle that relies on rice growing and the benefit from nature.
Bending down on the soil, laboring with their hands, cooperating with each other, people are engaged in most steps of food producing process. In those days which people used to devote their lifetimes entirely to farming for their living even without leisure, their experiences were the exact pure phenomenon of life.
When you put all your energies into your aim without any doubt or other options, your self-consciousness would fade away, a moment turns into eternity, and the reciprocal influence between the environment and yourself would be in perfect harmony.
Saku, Nagano
In the early morning, a wide kind of flowers was waiting for the rising sun. All of those were breathing fresh air and glittering with dew softly.
Forming connections with water, wind, and light, they come to purify air, distribute nectar and treat others to their fruits. Then, they would run to seed with the assistance of fur, feather, and insect.
To give and to receive are inseparably related. Those are one and the same. One receives the life then supports others, and gets help then leave their posterity.
Giving hues and scents which are loaded in the life of flowers. To celebrate joys and glories, or lamenting over partings.
The saying that ‘dumplings rather than flowers,’ (pudding before praise,) admonish us not to seek our immediate interests in disregard of elegance.
We, the human beings may be the only existence that can — even that must— give priority to the things which have no actual profits.
Nagatoro, Saitama
While descending to the Kanto Plains, the stream which had a strong current calmed down and turned the color into deep green. Followed one stream and noticed the whole life which is blessed with the benefit of water.
The being that can never go beyond the transmigration of water even for a single moment. If we can not exist without it, water really is a part of the life phenomenon.
We appear to require the liquid of life, but, as a matter of fact, Water itself might be calling us.
Minakami, Gunma
Turned off the coastline into the inland area. There was a river along the way which goes over mountains, and it was splashing around the slopes as if it was breathing hard.
Passing the cold winter together with plants, the circulation of snow water permeates through every heart of the mountains to the ends of the earth like a blood current of living things.
Floating faintly in the sky, beating on rocks hard in mountain streams, running calmly across planes. As if it were the endless vicissitudes of mind, the circulating water travels changing its form to make flowers open, and to quench us.
Nagaoka, Niigata
As if they know the color of a blue sky, bright flowery waves occupy the earth. The air is so perfumed with the intoxicating fragrance that it is dyed yellow and then waft into our brains sharply like needles.
Knowing the joy to bloom in spring, to rustle in the breeze, to bear fruit, they are expressing it in the color, in the nectar, and in the fragrance. The color is a color of delight.
At under our nose, there are each single flowers. When we look over the whole field, they are as one. Since whichever individuals accept themselves as they are, the whole flower field forms a unitary life.
Tsuruoka, Yamagata
At the base of a huge overhanging rock toward the sea, there stands a shrine named “Yayoke” which means ”evade arrows”. “Tateiwa”, which means “standing rock” has the same pronunciation as “shield rock” in Japanese. It is said that in ancient times, people took cover from enemy’s arrows behind this rock in a civil war.
Shimenawa and Torii — a rope and a gate specific to Shinto — are the symbols of the border between the earth and the great beyond. It is said that Gods exist in nature from old times. People have believed that especially magnificent spots would be sacred places, and many mythologies have been handed down for generations.
Our hearts, which are also beyond human knowledge, catch the wonders of nature and its Creation, divide off from our world and interpret those to be beyond human knowledge. It is not analysis but intuition, not wishes but prayers, not demand but belief.
Sakata, Yamagata
Sought the seashore for the westering sun. The white sand overflowed into a back alley. On the wide beach were a few people to see the daylight off mutely. Waves rolled in on the sands.
Air dyed blue and scarlet together touched cheeks and breezed away. The whole sky was setting down over the sea, the whole sea was rising up to the sky gradually. The ceaseless sound of waves had already faded away from the awareness before knew it.
Or rather the consciousness unified into the sound itself. Melting into it, heartstrings would not hear the sound anymore. All we can do was to recognize the everlasting moment of dusk.
Akita, Akita
Fly, swim, hunt, and sleep. At times sing, At times sob. Living without any school, office, lodging, nor grocery. Neither any nursery to leave children, any organ to depend on, nor any property to put in a bank.
Even though lost its one leg, standing on the water, standing on the air, it would be living as long as the Nature permits. It continues to practice the existence. From coasts to coasts, ages to ages, moments to moments. Riding the tide, sailing on air currents, with the lapse of time.
Learn, work, settle, and consume. What will we finally get when we have sold the whole ourselves out short, being buried under the material possessions. Not only one of the legs. What can we give to the world if we could devote ourselves, heart and soul.
Fukaura, Aomori
At the water’s edge, whether the sounds abated or the heart became calm. Behind the clouds, whether the sun sinks below the horizon or the ocean covers up the sun. Toward evening, whether time is passing away or consciousness perceive transitions.
There would be no hearing when sounds do not exist, there would not be “here” when there is not “there”, there would be no time when there is no consciousness.
Time can be experienced only by consciousness. Neither time nor space does not exist without consciousness. All the things out there that we believe those presences are just experienced by consciousness in here, which involves the whole possibility.
Yokohama, Aomori
Until 30 miles away from the shore. The things that meet your eyes would be the waters and the skies alone. On the opposite shore, a mountain can be seen dimly in the distance.
Nothing to photograph, nor to write about, nor to keep in mind, particularly. Never themes, it does not mean that we can not experience nor create anything. Creation is not producing something visible or tangible but conceiving concepts of the beautiful and expressing it physically.
As a painting is drawn on a brand-new canvas, and also an architecture is built on an empty lot, all the living things, lifeless things, arts, and emotions would be created from “Nothingness”.
Misawa, Aomori
No buildings, no glaring billboards here are. Not a place to get together, nor a statue nor a tourist attraction. With your back to the sea, only the reed field stretched as far as the eye could see. It seems improbable that this place would be the destination of any trip.
This marsh, “Hotokenuma” was reclaimed from a fresh water lake by fire and draining to make farmlands. Yet it has been left as it is for half a century owing to a policy of reducing rice acreage.
Since various species of birds, flora, mammals, amphibians, fish, and insects including some near-threatened one have been found here, subsequently, this site received national protection. This reclaimed land did not benefit us after all. However, the longer-term outlook for humanity should involve conserving the nature, not only urban or economic development.
Hachinohe, Aomori
Climb up to the top of a breakwater, and look around. In the direction of cities and industrial area, the air is glowing with the lights of those in the dark.
Just like trees grow in the sun, the progress of human beings has also been made under the light, literally and literarily. As the sun lights the sight, our consciousness throws the light on the occurrence of our life.
The moon does not exist if there were no sunlight. We can not recognize the things which do not reflect the light. Neither can we ourselves exist without any light which is our faculty of perception.
Miyako, Iwate
Walk through the pine grove, then a greenish blue seascape will peep through trees. At the end of the downward slope, you will find a quiet inlet covered with white gravel.
Ripples are lapping on the surface of the water, which is so clear that you can see through the bottom. Some seagulls are floating on it, others are gliding through the air.
The name of this shore is “Johdogahama”, which means Heaven. There would be the Beyond, beyond those rocks.
Kesennuma, Miyagi
At 6 o’clock in the evening, there sounds The Symphony No. 9 “From the New World”, known as the New World Symphony, composed by Antonín Dvořák. The people living around here listen to this every evening as a time signal.
At the same hour, at the same places, but not in the same views of the town. Making them feel pangs of the nostalgia for the past, the melody would be engraved in their memories for generations.
Now, the port appears to have regained the lights of ships and buildings. Their daily lives still go on. However, even though the melody which we can hear in this town is identical, it has a different tone for them. Reaches From the New World.
Ishinomaki, Miyagi
4 cranes were standing still on the shore like fishermen, in the evening twilight. Letting the fishing lines drift across the air, underwater, and through our minds invisibly, they attempt to salvage whatever the people remember.
The persons here literally lost their homes, properties, workplaces, friends, and families, in a moment, in that tidal bore. Lost the bonds that were used to be the matter of course. Lost themselves.
4 cranes lift and put new tetrapods to develop the region again, in the morning glow. And to crane forward to see into the future.
Tomioka, Fukushima
These towns lay in ruins after the core meltdown of the nuclear power plant in the vicinity. Weeds grow all around, farms were left to run wild, houses, stores and the entire functions as the residential quarter were abandoned.
The dose of radioactivity here still remains about 25 times higher than the safety standard that is set by ICRP (International Commission on Radiological Protection) even after 5 years from the occurrence of the accident.
As the only country which has the cities called Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japanese people have been supposed to understand the serious menace of nuclear energy, deeper than any other nations in the world.
Nevertheless, the government had been constructed an enormous number of nuclear power plants in each district. Then, we have given rise to such an irretrievable calamity by ourselves again.