Rooted in the land
I have not spent perhaps enough time outside of the cities, in Japan. Understanding the Japanese is impossible if you don't understand the land (the mountains, the rice fields) and the sea. Here's a little visual homage to the agricultural roots of the country, from the visit to Takayama, in Gifu Prefecture, across the Japanese Alps. Sake brewing, and grilling of sake lees, is a longstanding tradition of the town, just as the now forgotten silk making industry which was practiced in amazingly beautiful, all-wood atelier-homes.
