Autumn is growing fuller and fuller!
It's funny, the other day in my post I mentioned that the colored leaves won't hit this area, the Eastern half of Aichi prefecture, till later this month. But then I went for a walk and found some leaves that had already started changing! This group is more in the sun than most, so that's probably why.
The wider shot doesn't include any maple leaves. Those leaves that look red are actually cherry trees. You may recall shots I posted from this area back in spring.
But I did find some maple trees on my walk along this bank. You can see some are just starting to turn while others are further along in their transformation.
There is always much playful debate as to whether spring or autumn is the better season. In spring we get the lovely cherry blossoms, while in autumn we get the red maples and the brilliant yellow ginkgos. In spring the weather is still fairly chilly which might otherwise be nice but after a long winter, it still feels too cold. Whereas in autumn the temperature may feel a bit more comfortable but we have more storms and typhoon. The mood of the season in spring is rebirth, while in autumn it is decline.
Long ago the Heian court (794–1185) decided that autumn was the better season for experiencing mono no aware, which is something like the bittersweet awareness of the impermanence of the world. Joyful, but sad, yet not something to be denied. I've posted this before, but one of the best examples of the Heian court's thinking is this anonymous poem from the eleventh century poetry anthology Shūi Wakashū (拾遺和歌集):
haru wa tada hana no hitoe ni saku bakari
mono no aware wa aki zo masareru
nothing but
the blooming of cherry trees;
but when it comes to mono no aware
autumn is far superior
This idea has remained with us and Japanese poetry still considers this season to be the most profound.
Anyway, enjoy the photos. More coming soon as autumn deepens in Japan!
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David LaSpina is an American photographer and translator lost in Japan, trying to capture the beauty of this country one photo at a time and searching for the perfect haiku. |
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