I’ve just returned from the trip of a lifetime in Japan…
(A repost as my first attempt went to paid subscribers only and I meant this for everyone!)
We went to Tokyo, Kyoto, Matsumoto, Kyoto, Kanazawa, Osaka and Nara. There were tea ceremonies, temples, anime, manga, gardens and so much more. I went with my whole family. My request were for lots of temples, shrines and temple stays, my partner asked to visit traditional Japanese gardens, my kids wanted to see the bright lights of Tokyo and anime and manga. We went in cherry blossom season and caught the blossom almost everywhere we went.
I asked my daughter how would she go about explaining about our trip to Japan and her response was a list of adjectives: amazing, unexpected, tiring, rewarding, fulfilling, and as I sit here recovering from jet lag writing this I would say that no matter how many books and guides I have read about Japan nothing really prepared me for it. Maybe that’s the way it should be. We travelled around a lot. We experienced countryside and city, tourist spots and places off the beaten track. We had last minute changes of plan and got lost several times. It was a huge adventure.
It’s going to take me a while to process and unpack the richness of this trip. I’ve so much to tell you! Over the next few months I will bring you diary extracts and some wonder of Japan.
Perfect Days
I had awful jet lag on my return trip from Japan, despite rehydration fluids and melatonin patches and sticking to local times. The only thing I could manage to do on my first day back was sit and watch Wim Wenders wonderful film Perfect Days. The Guardian called it a zen Japanese drama in which German director makes a strong case for simple living with this achingly lovely tale starring Kōji Yakusho as a Tokyo public toilet cleaner who finds quiet joy in the world around him. On my trip to Japan I caught glimmers of this fulfilling simplicity: in the machiya we stayed in, in some of the restaurants we ate in, in some of the places we visited. It was the perfect thing to watch on our return.
Suzume
The fantastic anime film Suzume is now on Netflix I watched it on my return flight from Japan. I went to see this on a big screen. This is Japanese animated adventure film written and directed by Makoto Shinkai. The film follows school girl Suzume Iwato (voiced by Nanoka Hara), a 17-year-old orphan on the southwestern island of Kyushu swept up in a cross-country trip to prevent a series of natural disasters. She meets young stranger Souta Munakata, and they team up to prevent a series of disasters across Japan by sealing doors from the colossal, supernatural worm that causes earthquakes after being released. The anime visionary behind 'Your Name' (also on Netflix) captures a very Japanese theme tackling the trauma of earthquakes in this watchable fantasy epic.
We didn’t encounter any earthquakes on our trip to Japan. Although there were some minor earthquakes in Noto while we were in Ishikawa and a Tsunami warning for Okinawa. NHK app charts regular earthquakes in Japan.
About this newsletter: Wabi Sabi Life is a Buddhist exploration of the imperfectly beautiful and unconventional. To access more in-depth content, audio meditations and creative offerings, please consider supporting me by becoming a paid subscriber for only £1.00 a week.
About me: I am a western Buddhist and have been practising for nearly 40 years. I have a love and admiration for the simplicity and beauty of Japanese culture and aesthetics which appeals to my zen minded being.