Recollection of New York City

Here I have compiled and presented two short movies representing my recollection of NYC this time. I didn't go uptown nor to Central Park but, instead, stayed in the downtown area including the Village and the port. Hope you enjoy them.

- MT

Heading for the Conference

This video describes what my impressions are before the Special Conference started. I appreciated for the tranquility of the center and the enthusiasm of the participants very much. I'm also grateful for the kindness and generosity of those who participated in the conference, especially Dr. Khaled Abou Fadl.This video describes what my impressions are before the Special Conference started.

- MT

Arriving in New York City

I recently went to New York to attend the Seicho-No-Ie Special Conference for World Peace, which was held on August 4-5 in a suburb of New York City.

The following video is my impression of the city.

- MT

Before Praying

A little boy is wandering away from the shrine before his parents and sister have had a chance to finish praying. My mother tells me that I was a restless kid, too. I might have had a short attention span, but it also might be that I, like the little boy in the photo, was paying attention to something other than what he was expected to. Just as this watchful mother pays extra attention to him, my mother may have made extra efforts in raising me, something for which I am very grateful.

- MT

Road from a Shrine (2)

A young couple is walking out of the shrine, probably after praying for their future and happiness. I am reminded of the early years of my marriage or even before that, when I envisioned a bright but somehow uncertain future with my (prospective) wife. Looking back from after 25+ years, I now feel certain and am confident that the sharing of our lives has produced a rich, fruitful experience that we could not have had without marriage. I hope this couple will walk together in that direction.

- MT

Road from a Shrine

I took this photo immediately after having paid homage at a shrine. Feeling at peacel after praying, the same path I climbed toward the deity a few minutes before looked different. I felt relieved and relaxed and found the scene very congenial to my state of mind. The symmetry of the scene perhaps held the scret of this state of mind.

- MT

Road to a Shrine

The path leading to a shrine or temple is often made to imply a "difficult path." There may be a long flight of steps or a series of gates to pass, or both. Pilgrims are willing to surmount these obstacles in order to get a sense of being spiritually uplifted. This is sometimes similar to endurance sports such as mountain climbing and long-distance running. It may be that the ultimate objective of the sports and that of the pilgrimage are the same.

- MT

Tree-Lined Road

We love to plant trees along the roads. This is not done necessarily to suggest a destination for pedestrians nor to provide an opportunity for unexpected encounters. I look at it as a way to enjoy distractions. Life can be described in terms of destinations or a series of choices, but it also has plenty of distractions. The gingko leaves are beginning to turn the vibrant yellow of the fall. By this time, the female trees are full of fragrant fruit and sprinkle them on the road. Some people hate the smell and avoid going near the fruit, but other don't hesitate to pick them up from off the road to serve for dinner. In this sense, life consists of many distractions, and we love them.

- MT

Stepping Stones

Unlike railway tracks which suggest a predetermined direction, a path of stepping stones may give us the sense of it being a series of choices. It nevertheless leads to a predetermined place as well. In this sense, it may be more like real life, in which we make many decisions, but may sometimes feel we cannot help but lead ourselves to an inevitable place.

- MT

Railways

Railway tracks are laid to transport people and things to far-away places, smoothly and quickly. When seen from above, they make clear silver lines that sometimes stimulate our imagination. These lines in the photo stir a sense of destiny in my mind. Two sets of lines merge into one in the distance. It can be likened to marriage or friendship. Another set of lines approach from the left. This may be a sibling or someone from our past. A woman and a dog crossing the tracks can be another relationship we come across in our journey throughout our destiny.

- MT

Ticket Booths

I am not particularly fond of bicycle racing but found the color combination of these booths impressive. The Japanese usually do not paint buildings in bright colors such as yellow, red and green. This building is therefore an exception. And, when I look at the scratches and cracks on the wall, I can almost see those who win and lose at the race and hear them screaming and grumbling.

- MT

Osaka Night

Osaka is the third largest city in Japan in terms of population. Being a Tokyoite, I am not very familar with the city even though I have visited it for short stays several times in the past. This photo was taken from a high-rise hotel and probably reflects one feature of the city: highways and buildings spread to the furthermost edge. Night effectively conceals the chaotic intricacy of the cityscape with the lights giving it a sense of composition.

- MT

A Remote Mountain (3)

When I went to the mountain in the Spring, I was impressed with the serenity of Lake Yakuwa, where trees, half-submerged in the waters, survive and are even thriving, 45 years after the construction of Yakuwa Dam. In the novel I wrote, the newspaper reporter scuba-dives in the lake to find a way to get to the old deserted village about which he heard from a retiring police officer.

- MT

A Remote Mountain (2)

The idea of the story was inspired by the movie "Nell"(1994) in which a small-town Southern doctor discovers a woman who's been raised completely apart from civilization. I changed the situation a bit by moving the locale to a Japanese moutain in which a newspaper reporter discovers a 15 year-old girl. Her parents became isolated from civilization when they refused to move from their mountain home when water from a dam constructed nearby flooded the area around their house.

I'd rather not reveal the whole story. This photo shows one of a few dams located near Tsuruoka, where the main part of the story develops.

- MT

Remote Mountains

The photo was taken a couple of years ago when I went to Tsuruoka, Yamagata Prefecture, in order to begin writing a novel I entitled "Hikyo" (A Remote Mountain). The story is about a girl living alone in a remote mountain region, completely secluded from modern civilization. Of course, no such place exists in present-day Japan. However, this scene fit my idea perfectly. I recently started a painting based on this photo for the forthcoming book.

- MT

Lobster Cook

These lobster dolls may tell us a few things. Firstly, we can eat them because they are ridiculous. Secondly, we can punish them because they act like humans. Thirdly, they should be resurrected as cooks because they deserve compensation. The cooked become cooks by association, or by guilt?

- MT

A Mad Cow

Often times, restaurant owners like to caricature the animal featured in his/her business. By poking fun at it, they may feel that it helps us eat the animal meat without feeling very guilty. This rather serious-looking cow, however, led me to speculate that there may have been other reasons for the shop owner to display this figure.

- MT

Rainy Shrine

It was raining when I came across this modest and unassuming shrine. It looked very natural with the greens of the moss and leaves. It may be that the rain combined with and enlivened all the components of the scene.

- MT

Symmetry

Symmetry has long been used to attract our attention. This Buddhist temple was not an exception. I was impressed with the numerous vertical lines of the roof, which contrast with the simplicity of the doors and windows.

- MT

The Road Midway

A husband and his wife, probably with a baby in her womb, are walking on a wooden bridge in a park. They may have had a long conversation on the way. The husband is pointing to a discovery he made midway through their walk... Well, scenes like this spark the imagination.

- MT