Natural phenomena in Japan tend to be hyped like movie-stars, attracting feverish crowds in a way inconceivable in the States. I'm in Kyoto at the moment, ostensibly conducting my research, but serendipitously coinciding with the autumn colors season and the massive crowds that they bring. JR Kyoto station feels like rush-hour at all times of day, and riding the buses makes you feel like you're packt like sardines in a crushed tin box. All the same, incidental views of brilliantly yellow fluttering leaves on the way to the station, all the more striking for their suddenness, can shake you from everyday thoughts. A piercing light, a shiver, and you can momentarily forget where you were heading.
-> One hour north of Kyoto, far from the crowds, I found myself at Genkyu Garden within the walls of Hikone Castle. For 2 weeks in autumn they illuminate the garden grounds and permit visitors to enter as late as 8:00pm. Ineffable. Visitors whispered their way along the paths, a long collective sigh.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
1 comment:
yeah, i would stand in line with ya.
looks like lava oozing around the house.
--p
Post a Comment