When we first moved to Japan, I hated it. I’m going to be honest and tell you I had no intention of loving Japan; my heart wanted England as an assignment so desperately I felt as if loving Japan would be traitorous; you know, hope deferred makes the heart sick.
Almost one year has passed since we set foot on this foreign land. I’ve learned my way around pretty well, I think! I’ve made connections; some shallow, some not so shallow. My comfort zone has been stretched, prodded; my personal bubble has been burst; my patience tested.
I refuse to even hint toward having a soft spot for this place; I could leave it today and not miss it too much. Maybe, by the time we’re due to leave, that will all have changed. It’s usually how it does, anyway. 😉
I will, however, let you know about the small gifts Japan hands to me; the special, little moments or surprising finds. Because they’re starting to come to me more often than I can ignore. Like this place: the hydrangea gardens, shrine sales, and temple in Takahata-fudo. Little explorations like we had here make being here worthwhile.
If you didn’t know:
The tiered tower is called a pagoda. Monks live in each level, respective of their rank, with the highest ranking monk at the top. Sometimes I see smaller-scale pagoda statues in the gardens of Japanese homes. Apparently, only wealthy monks have these in their gardens. As with a real pagoda, the more tiers, the more important the monk.
The little idols have hats on to keep them warm during colder weather.
The water and spoons is for cleansing oneself before praying or offering a sacrifice.
The little piece of paper tied to the tree is a prayer. Usually prayers are tied to string with all the other prayers; this pious fellow must have been a rebel. 😉
{If any of my facts are incorrect, please feel free to provide a correction!}
