Inner Landscape
A road trip in Niigata, Japan.
I drove 300km across the mountain roads of Niigata prefecture with no particular destination in mind, my main intention was to reconnect with my home country by exploring forgotten village landscapes. Along the way, I chose the narrowest roads leading to the most remote areas where human life was barely visible. Lost in between the mountains, I found old wooden houses nestled against the greenest terraced rice fields.
The stillness of the summer air blended with a subjective landscape within me. There was nothing new to discover, my emotions were simply in tune with the beauty that has existed long before us.
Outside, it was 40ºC. After a brief walk, I found an old wooden house which looked like a little dot on the mountain landscape. From its open door, a cloud of burning incense was escaping. I took off my shoes and made my way in. It was empty.
The wood underneath my bare feet was warm and dusty. Irregular lines of gold glowing in the semi-darkness as the sun filtered through the broken sheets of shoji paper.
A young artist had repaired the surface of this house with golden lacquer (kintsugi), an ancient Japanese tradition that believes in the imperfections of a life well-lived. “In this container of human life, a new landscape is revealed.”
As the end of day approached, I drove back to the ryokan, soaked in the hot onsen water for a good hour before writing my impressions of the day. My yukata was neatly folded on my bed, its fresh and smooth cotton as a prelude to a peaceful night’s sleep until the morning sunrise.
1 - “Look at what others have missed, there’s always something important to be found.”
2 - “Look at the condition of the fields and crops, the size of the homes, the kind of roofs they have…”
3 - “If you have time, walk as much as you can, you will learn many things.”
4 - “Do as you like but take care of yourself.”
5 - “When you visit a city or town for the first time, always climb someplace high to see where you are.”
6 - “If you have any money, try the local food and you will know the nature of life there.”
7 - “Whatever you think is good, give it a try, we will not criticize your failures.
(Tsuneichi Miyamoto)
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