The autumn colors have arrived, painting the landscape with rich shades of yellow and red. Were one to fall asleep beneath a Japanese Maple in September and awaken in November, they might think the sky had been set ablaze. Locals speak of earlier times, before the global warming epidemic, when the autumn colors were even greater than those displayed today, something I can hardly imagine when I visit the countryside this time of year.
Mino Mountain, known mostly for its aggressive monkeys that are quick to rob the naïve, who get too close, of anything they can get their hands around, seems to awaken to a whole new world once the leaves begin to turn.
We recently cycled to the top to take in the sites. After living in what seems to be an endless sprawl of apart-ments and houses built so close together you could change the channel on your neighbor’s television if only you shared the same remote, it’s hard to believe you’re still in Japan, that is until you try to sneak a glimpse at the deeply revered waterfall. One peak over the edge reveals a sea of people thicker than a Bloomsday Run.
One note about Japan: its size is relevant to the State of California with a population half that of the entire United States. Now, imagine ninety percent of those people occupying fifteen percent of the land and you can begin to understand more clearly the meaning of population density. On the other hand, as a result of these high concentrations of people, Japan has an amazing gift to offer those who wish to venture out beyond confines of the urban landscape. Somewhere on Yakushima, an island region in the south, there is said to exist the world’s oldest living tree. Imagine the fables enshrined in the core of its thick, twisted bark.
We also took the plunge into the steady flow of people visiting Kyoto in search of something beautiful beyond the small reservations of trees that dot their neighborhoods. It was especially busy as the week before it had been graced with the Thorn who seems to take pleasure in tearing away at the hopes for a sustainable environment; none other than our Commander in Chief.
The irony of the world’s most powerful leader being honored by an all exclusive tour into the cultural heart of Japan, to gaze upon the wondrous beauty in all its splendor while condemning its protocol, which calls for the "stabilization of greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere at a level that would prevent dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system", is more than I care to ingest. The audacity of someone who spits on environmental protection, getting an unfettered tour of anything the natural creation has to offer at the peak of its splendor, while tens of thousands are told to go home, is truly insulting.
Thankfully, we planned our visit to Kyoto the following weekend, although we weren’t the only ones.
Despite the tens of thousands who, along with us, had postponed their visit, turning out in huge numbers to view the fiery maples and bright yellow ginkgos, while at times it was difficult to sneak a peak, doing so was worth the inconvenience. For anyone who hasn’t laid eyes on the Kinkaku-ji, the Golden Pavilion Temple, it a magnificent demonstration of craftsmanship, covered in pure gold leaf. Set among the flaming colors of the autumn trees it’s nearly breathtaking. It’s truly a scene where God’s gifts of natural creation and human ability are realized.
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