Persimmons hang like jewels on leafless branches of the tree, like ornaments. Harvested and strung up in front of Japanese country houses like coral necklaces, this colorful display announces the end of fall and beginning of winter. Time to go in ~and digest~ and dream the year to come. They say if you can dream it, you can make it happen.
I’ve been thinking a lot about beauty lately. How if we look for it, we’ll see it. There’s a feeling of acceptance that comes from the perfection of nature and how it maintains its beauty even as it changes. The Japanese call this wabi-sabi, the simple, slow aesthetic that reveres authenticity above all.
We walked from Magome to Tsumago on the Nakasendō Trail, in perfect Basho poetic atmosphere. The bright orange and red maples peaking through the tall pines gave depth and color to the green and brown forest.