yanaka.walk

you may have already return to your adopted lowland, but somehow your mind and your thoughts are still hovering over the pacific rim, over the land of the rising sun.

perhaps there is never an appropriate moment to write about yanaka, an area that full of temples and full of graveyards.

you were there a few weeks ago when you were tired of the modern tokyo and wanted to have some glimpse of old edo, and yanaka seems to be the nearest and is within the tokyo city.

strolling in and around the graveyard was never the agenda of the day. but yanaka itself is an area that full of graveyard.  taking photos of these tombs were not your cup of tea either. 

 

you were more interested in the fruitful tree that full of yuzu but there is no way you can avoid the wooden encraving of the tombs in the picture.

it was the tomb of the last shogun of the tokugawa shogunate that arouse your interest and gave you the courage to step into the cemetry. you still remember you were reciding psalm 23:4 "yea, though i walk through the valley of the shadow of death,i will fear no evil; for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me" while walking in the midst of the death.

it was hard to find, you make a few rounds and finally found his tomb.

been there, done that, you make your way out, and perhaps it is not a co-incident that you bump into this rather special and radical tombs.

 

it clearly stated in the encraving - the tomb of christian. what a great declaration.  certainly is a bold statement and radical proclaimation in the nation and society as such japan.

the toll of death is increasing each day, so much more that you can no longer cope with the figure.  many of these lost souls will not even have a place in cemetry like these in yanaka.  their bodies are gone with the wind wave, in split seconds.  many of the bodies will never be found.

today you donate all your performance reward points (equal to hard cash) to japan red cross for the tsunami and earthquake relief. you believe there’s a reason why you never bother to use those reward points for the last years, for you are saving it up for this. this is the least thing you can do for japan while you are here in lowland.

there is a talk about getting you back to tokyo as soon as possible. non essential travel to japan is still banned but there is an escalation and business case to get you back to tokyo. you discussed this with your hubby, you got his blessings with the promise that if emergency situation arises you will evacuate as soon as possible. you have been praying about this the last few days since your return to the lowland. you know your heart will never be at peace if there is no official end about you time and your season in tokyo, in japan. you need to finish what you were called to do in the first place, the project and to make a difference to the people surrounding you. perhaps the impact may not be great but you must do your best.

life is fragile, cherish and do something with your life while you can.

to end you want to finish with this quote - “You arouse us so that praising you may bring us joy, you have made us for yourself, and our heart is restless until it rest in you” - a famous quote by saint Augustinian.

while will you return to japan is still pending the global approval, so if it is God’s will, so be it done.you believe you are ready to go return to tokyo. people surrounding you may disagree, but you know the best thing in life is to obey and follow God’s will. you are at peace when that decision is made. you know this season you are meant to be in tokyo and any disruption to the plan will put you unease, in atonement. you have no worries, all you ask from your readers is their blessings and send you off with their prayers. and you will surely return to europe in summer to start another new season. by then you would have live your destiny. as you know, the tsunami and the earthquake has change the course of your life, your perceptions about life and the awakening of your inner self.