The flame suddenly appeared.
The mountains seem to be colored gorgeously.
The intense cold air changes them into vivid still more.
The steep slope is the canvas.
The organic paint is melt together.
And heap up...
The blaze will pass away soon.
It leaves only the crisp and clear impression...
The Nature may give lingering sounds to the next season.
色付や 豆腐に落ちて 薄紅葉
松尾 芭蕉 (1644 – 1694)
"葉" (yō, or ha). It is translated as a leaf, etc.
This character is written by Kanzi, Regular script.
Phono-semantic compound
In the East, the fleeting nature of plants
—not only autumn leaves but also cherry blossoms
—has long been cherished in literature and poetic sensibility.
人はみな草のごとく、その栄華はみな草の花に似ている。
草は枯れ、花は散る。
しかし、主の言葉は、とこしえに残る。
ペテロの第一の手紙 第1章 第24 - 25節
For, "All flesh is like grass, and all of man's glory like the flower in the grass.
The grass withers, and its flower falls;
but the Lord's word endures forever."
First Epistle of Peter, Chapter 1, Verses 24–25
Here is in the mountains of Kyuragi-cho, Karatsu City, Saga Prefecture.
- a place unknown to anyone ( even to the Japanese themselves )
ヒソプの枝で私の罪を払って下さい。私が清くなるように。 私を洗って下さい。雪よりも白くなるように。
旧約聖書『詩篇』第51篇9節
Purify me with hyssop, and I will be clean. Wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.
Old Testament, Psalm 51:9
If you find enjoyment in the photos and videos here,
perhaps there’s no need for you to come
all the way to this small island nation in the Far East.
The places featured in tourist guidebooks are invariably crowded.
You could likely find just as much satisfaction by watching videos of them from the comfort of your own home.
As for the profound, mysterious locations you might truly wish to reach
- those may well be out of reach (even for the Japanese themselves).
Perhaps, in the end, no one can ever truly see or come to know the "essence" of this small island nation
- despite how tiny it actually is.
I have forgotten what prompted me to start this blog.
One thing is certain, however: I wanted it to be something not intended for my own compatriots.
I live my life bound by conventions, rules, and order—it is a stifling country,
yet at the same time, it is safe and secure.
In a life where gaining something always means losing something else,
perhaps I simply wanted to envision a private, free space—a realm known only to me.
