| Aesthetic perfection. Anything I
might add is redundant; you have to see it to believe it. Kinkakuji,
the Golden Pavilion, subject of an arson attack by a psychotic monk
and the title of Mishima's novel about the fire; well worth reading before
you go. Where else do they cut the grass with
scissors and their trees with small secateurs? Who else rakes their
gravel gardens to destroy and recreate a work of art each day? Which
other nation puts up bamboo screens to protect their bushes from the cold
and snow?
Go in spring to see "hanamino" or
"cherry blossom viewing" which is a rather romantic excuse for a
piss-up on the manicured grass of the public gardens.
Go in autumn to see trees that put New England in
the shade, but which, more importantly, surround timeless temples and
palaces, perfect in their simplicity and harmony. Do I like Japan??????
Take a credit card! |
