I remember walking beneath an emerald canopy in Arashiyama, west of Kyoto. A bamboo grove so lush it was hard to see the light sometimes but the sun finds its way. Walk too deep and what came before and what comes after looks about the … Continue readingWhat came before, what comes after
There are very few people here. Some on the shore, a couple on those hideous swan boats on the lake. The waters are placid but they won’t stay that way for long. Autumn brings strong winds, a harbinger of gales come winter. But that season … Continue readingFire and water
Travelling teaches us to eschew the obvious options. Skip the main street and escape to a side street or two. Our bellies benefit from a smidgen of investigation, more often than not. And so it is here in Asakusa, where the grand temple of Senso-ji … Continue readingAbundance and the karē-pan
Deep in the forest, there is a bed so vividly green we can imagine no better embodiment of photosynthesis. We trudge on pebbles and mud, following the flow of the Oirase stream. We exhale gently for the hike is not hard going and the trail … Continue readingA vanishing voice
The world is white, pure white, as far as the eye can see. For a moment, we aren’t sure if we’re looking at a field of snow outside the windows of our bus or if we are still stuck in our hotel room, staring at … Continue readingFlight of snow
We have just finished our katte don, our bowls of “choose your own sashimi” toppings on vinegared sushi rice. Still I’m not satisfied. I need something sweet. “Let’s get some soft serve.” The Kushiro Washo Ichiba market isn’t the first place one looks for ice … Continue readingSomething sweet