A summer where you can feel the invisible
Mariko Tagami
It's already mid-July, and around my house
Lively with the sounds of insects chirping!
For some reason, the chorus of cicadas and the sounds of bell crickets remind me of summer vacations as a child.
I'm sure many of you have children starting their summer vacation this week.
Last week, I took an early summer vacation.
My family and I went to the Kansai area for work.
The trip took five nights and six days, and involved a long drive from Fukuoka.
The journey to places I've always wanted to go and people I wanted to meet was an exciting one, like connecting the stars scattered across the night sky.
The main focus of this trip is on two mountain tops.
We visited the mountains in Kimino Town, Wakayama Prefecture, where Shoda and Arisa Kawai, a married couple well known from Utsushiki, live.
Arisa's three-year-old son said of the mountain view from ENS, where she works as the store owner, "It looks like Totoro is coming out."
The calm and gentle scenery of the mountains is almost like a direct reflection of Shoda and Arisa.
The time we spent experiencing the lives of these two people was undoubtedly a valuable experience that will undoubtedly help us in the future.
As we neared our next destination
The mountain that appeared before me had spring water flowing down from all over it, forming rivers.
The heavy rainfall from a few days prior left traces of landslides and fallen trees, giving the place a sacred atmosphere that at first glance seems intimidating, yet seems to protect the land.
Will we be able to get through here?
That thought crossed my mind for a moment.
After carefully climbing the mountain path, the view opens up
We were relieved to find ourselves here, and the one who greeted us with a smile was Sato Takeshi from "Nohara."
The mountain that sits directly opposite Kenji and Nohara's house, as if watching over their life, is the sacred object of Motoise Shrine, and people are said to be forbidden to set foot on it.
Gazing at the mountains
"It's like the world of Princess Mononoke," said my husband.
In a word, mountains and nature
The feeling is so different depending on the place.
Although we are accustomed to seeing mountains and nature,
The reason why we feel different things depending on the place is probably because of the invisible energy of the land.
During my stay, I was planning to help with the restoration work on the mountain behind the house that had been damaged by the heavy rain and with farm work, but the rain kept coming and going...
"Heaven is telling us to take a rest," said Kenji.
The mountain god gently soothes the fatigue of a long journey.
I feel like it guided our journey in a good direction.
Maybe it was connected before we left...
Experience the mountains and nature this summer
Why not try to sense this invisible presence?
Mariko Tagami
