Japan 2024

nara, japan

Japan felt quieter than I expected, at least in the places I remember most clearly. In Nara, the deer move through the shrine grounds like they own the place, and they kind of do. They bow for crackers, which is learned behaviour, but it is still hard not to enjoy it. The temples are huge, the forest keeps going, and the whole place slows the day down a little.

shirakawa-go, gifu

Takayama was a different kind of quiet. About 45 minutes away is Shirakawa-go, a mountain village of steep roofed gassho-zukuri farmhouses built for heavy snow. From the viewpoint above, the houses sit together in the valley in a way that makes the famous photo make sense. It is a popular view because it looks that good in person.