=-=-=-= Japan 2024 series-part 3 from November to early January Iibe Shrine lush moss Awaits the coming wet snows Sacred well now capped Old gate house stands guard Retainers returned to dust No one wears swords now Down comes the old shop Generations' livelihood Soon a memory Godot's coffee shop Serves the old customers well Vinyl and roast beans Gather the old stones Nobody pays a visit Newly dead only Praise the Buddha's words Grateful for golden rice fields Harvest and harvest Pilgrims climb this mount 88 prayer stations here Mini-Shikoku Tree meets steel and wins Winding around the railing Reaching clouds above 1000-year road It goes Kyoto to Fuchu One step at a time Hino River bright Flows northward in all seasons Japan Sea beckons
=-=-=-= Japan 2024 series-part 2 from November to early January Weeks of snow ahead But there's glorious sun now Smiles under blue sky Joiners built fine chests Bride's trousseau to start their home For generations Oroshi soba Simple, cold, and flavorful Burp! The diner sighs Earthly coins offered Leaving one's token anew Safe passage through life Nextdoor temple gone Graves displaced for cars to park Restless spirits drive Ramen best when hot Some few seats for quick eaters Tasty all year round Years of small business Now cars fill that fine old space Cold stone remembers Samurai home life Scant traces to see today What lives they once lived Fearsome castle there Make-believe playground of yore Tourists poke around Another harvest Paddies smolder afterwards Prepared for winter Young farmer burns chaff Rice hulled and polished to store Next year fresh seedlings Pilgrims take this trail Na-mu Amida Butsu 88 temples Dried persimmons sway Warm sun and cold nights to taste Lon...