Why Japan?

People often ask me: Why Japan? What’s so special about Japan that I return again and again?

Miyajima Torii

Miyajima Torii

The best answer I have for that is one given by a Japanese woman born in Saudi Arabia whom I met while visiting Kanazawa.  Though she is well traveled and a “global” woman in every sense, her magnetic connection is Spain. When I asked why Spain, she answered: How do you explain falling in love?

Exactly. The fact is you can’t. Words don’t touch the ineffable rapture and euphoria. The 12th century waka poet and Buddhist priest more commonly known as Saigyo wrote: I don’t know what resides here, but tears fall in appreciation for it. なにごとのおはしますかは知らねども かたじけなさに涙こぼるる Click here to read more of what captivates me.

To celebrate five years of blogging, this post links to previous content from The Way of Words.Your comments are always appreciated.

This entry was posted in Japan, Travel & Culture, This & That and tagged . Bookmark the permalink.

2 Responses to Why Japan?

Leave a Reply to Lynda Philippsen Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.