"If you carry your childhood with you, you never become older."
-Tom Stoppard
Since moving to Japan
I've been chasing my childhood...
...snagging glimpses of it
hither and thither,
but never quite catching up.
But now I'm learning how to balance
childhood and adulthood;
I'm learning
they can coexist.
Lauren took me on the Thunderbird train
to her hometown, Kanazawa {金沢 "marsh of gold"}.
We visited a mountain shrine
where the shishi {lion-dog statues} are famous.
And then it was time for a lunch
of iwana {sea salt fish}.
*om nom nom*
Cat hats.
People hats.
Samurai garden.
I could've meditated by the tranquil koi ponds
all day long.
Tonya has a cherubic smile.
{She and her husband housed Lauren and I so we wouldn't need to pay for a hotel.}
Watching the koi swim,
my thoughts a-swirl.
Refreshed from meditation.
A perfect landscape consists of
spaciousness, seclusion, artifice, antiquity, waterways, panoramas.
And thus, the beautiful
Kenroku-en
the "Six Attributes Garden"
was named.
The famous stone lantern, Kotoji-toro
with legs that resemble
the bridge of a koto instrument.
Yamato no Takeru,
the legendary imperial prince
who founded the kingdom
that would eventually emerge as
JAPAN.
Kanazawa-jo
the castle of Kanazawa.
Ema, or prayer woods,
are hung at shrines.
The ones written by children are my favorites.
This one says:
"I want to win a duel."
And this one:
"Come home soon, Papa."
Colorful mountains of Ishikawa.
Natadera Temple,
home of the thousand-armed goddess, Kannon.
Trekking up the mountain.
A family of guardian shishi
sentry this shrine.
This is the open-mouthed papa.
And this is a baby.
A pluming swan.
We climbed to one of the many
cave shrines,
when it promptly began to rain.
Drip drop,
baby rain drops.
Gazing out from beneath the torii.
Somewhere up in the candlelit caves,
I found a piece of me.
Etched into the very wood and rock
of Ishikawa prefecture.
{Music: "You've Changed" - Sia}
{Music: "Minna no Yume" - Hattori Takayuki}
{Music: "Sora" - Yoko Kanno}
{All but one of the photos of me were taken by Lauren.}
