A New Picture - Nezu Jinja

Yesterday before work, I wrote a blog about our trip to Japan next September. The post included an image of an historic Japanese home which had been picked up and moved to the Architecture museum just North of Sapporo in Hokkaido. What I did not include in the post was that I had originally wanted to post a different image, but blogger had been reluctant to accept the upload and thus I had to go to work before being able to capture the image. At work, I had to find another image of peace and tranquility, but I am a creature of unrest, so this morning I decided I would once again try to upload the original image.

This is a watercolo(u)r that I did of a shrine, Nezu jinja, near the University where we will be staying. The shrine is right around the corner from the school and I spent many jet-lagged sleepless mornings at 4:00 and 5:00 AM drinking in the beauty and peacefulness of this shrine complex.



There are three larger buildings and a long series of graceful orange arches for the penitant and hopeful. Reportedly the foxes will come and avenge those who enter with dubious intentions.



I have passed consecutive Spring mornings watching the opening of the plum blossoms and been fortunate enough to see the surrounding hill walls ablaze in the pink of the abundant azaleas.



During the azalea festival, Matsuri, the whole area and neighborhood are hung with paper streamers welcoming Spring. It is a very popular weekend outing as you can see.



Unfortunately we will not have the opportunity to see the marvels of Spring in our next visit, but there will be a new season to experience and I look forward to learning of the nuances and subtle aesthetics of Autumn and to carrying this peace and understanding into the realm of my hectic and nervous personal life. Autumn comes to us all - I am learning that it is important to look for its beauty, even if it is not the season I would choose to be experiencing.