October 3rd, 2008
Burnt sienna
I don’t know what to expect, nor do I really care at this point. Any time I can get away from Tokyo and the Yamanote line, it’s a success.
This weekend I have come to the Chubu region for the first time, running through Niigata straight to the Sea of Japan and down the coastline to Toyama. Like most of my domestic trips, I have rough goals of studying Buddhist relics and middle class life outside of the metropolis.
The buildings, trains, land all bear a faded magenta tint. I wonder if it’s particles in the air, left over from Toyama’s prewar shipbuilding industry. Everything feels like late afternoon the Midwest, and the open spaces suit my brooding mood. Last night I sat alone on the concrete steps of the fishing pier and watched the sun fall across the horizon to eventually be consumed by the sea.
I feel tired, but satisfied. My senses are dulled enough that they filter out most of what’s going on around me, but the quaint, cheery courtesy of the people I interact with pops through and fills me with a rich, complete feeling.
Smoothing out the waves…
