the coast off of Shiretoko on a very grey morning
the Shiretoko Five Lakes
the boardwalk above the grass and trees
the view of distant misty mountains
At first glance the boardwalk may seem surprising, but since access is restricted to the trails, most Japanese visitors are WOEFULLY unprepared to actually walk in the woods, and the raised platform gives you amazing views, it makes a lot of sense.
We didn't have nearly enough time in Shiretoko, both U and I want to go back again and spend some time in the area - preferably camping as we saw so many doing!
Many (I wanted to say most, but decided to be fair) Japanese are WOEFULLY unprepared to actually cope with anything that is actually real nature.
ReplyDeleteSorry, Japan, I know you think of yourself as uniquely sensitive to nature, but there's more to nature than boardwalks, haiku and cherry blossoms.
True enough.
DeleteBut, to play the devil's advocate, the boardwalk could be seen as more sensitive to nature than a path through the forest. Less upkeep needed and less damage to the forest itself. Since the area is known for its bears, it is also safer (bears that have run ins with humans usually end up worse off than the humans!)
OK, maybe not Japanese, but Tokyoites? Oh, dear. The other day I was at my hairdresser. A bug flew/blew in. A little beetle thingie. It landed on its back and lay there kicking its legs in the air. There were four women in the room at the time. They all started screaming.
ReplyDeleteI got up, picked up the bug and carried it outside. (Please note my head was covered in the unspeakable potions they put on your hair at hairdressers, but I ventured outside anyway.)
They were shocked that I didn't kill it. It's harmless, I said. It's kowai, they said. It's not scary, it's scared, I said.
I don't think they goddit. (How do you make that distinction in Japanese?)
Kowai would be scary, kowagatte iru would be scared (something else, not yourself is scared)...
DeleteThe other day it took me twenty minutes to get my students into the classroom because there was a FLY present. One single fly. They had all ran out screaming into the hallway.
ReplyDeleteHeh. A fly! Oh the horror! How can you focus on your studies when there is a FLY in the room?!
DeleteYou really are an inhumane teacher. Expecting your students to study under those circumstances!
;)
I regularly tell my students to open the window when there is a fly. It doesn't seem to occur to them by themselves. They are just frozen with shock!
DeleteSensitivity to nature in as much as it is a perfect cherry blossom, but not when it extends to creepy crawlies or flying things? Sigh...
Delete