[sorafoto | 空フォト]
field and history 野原と歴史 (kamakura, japan)
Posted by timothy sullivan (Tokyo, Japan) on 14 December 2007 in Lifestyle & Culture.
i have been living in japan now for over 5 and a half years and yet, i know so very little about its history. i should confess that, actually, i had never been really interested in pursuing knowledge about what had transpired at a particular place in ages past, prior to my coming to japan. in high school and junior high, i would become interested in certain periods of time, or in certain people's lives-- but not so much about places.
now, however, i find myself wishing i had paid more attention in history classes, or that i had read more about asian history.
kamakura is an amazing city-- and should you ever visit japan, i implore you to spend a day walking around and listening to its history. a great narrator by the name of Lady Bouchier is perhaps the best guide to follow; her book, originally published in 1918 entitled "kamakura: fact and legend" provides a glimpse into two other worlds. the first, retelling kamkura's historical setting, unfolds as the backdrop for an amazing contemporary comparison between the amazing wealth and riches of the past kamakura and today's bustling beach community. 1918 is another amazing comparison with the current time; the Lady writes of numerous places-- some still visible, while others, such as this meadow of reeds that was once a huge pond surrounded by a temple complex, have faded into distant history.
as i walk in her footsteps, i hope to eventually write my own modern account of the area and how it compares with the tales she weaves-- and while i cannot do her poetic words justice, i hope that my photographic voice will compensate.
(by the way, i should recommend the manga Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou to you; if you enjoy a kind of nostalgia for the present, you may enjoy it)
