I will be somewhat terse today with only one short observation. Last night I saw on television news the before and after satellite photos of the areas in northern Japan hit by earthquake and tsunami. The images showed stark changes and the commentator remarked that the before photos showed brightly colored roofs and distinct shorelines whereas the after photos showed only indistinct mud.
What occurred to me in terms of property loss (leaving aside the loss of life that is implied by such physical devastation) is that beneath or near those colorful roofs were small treasures that have also be wiped out. Our friend and guide in Japan when we were there recently explained that most Japanese homes and businesses try to add something esthetic to their property to show balance and harmony in life. So, for example, even though the spaces are small, you might see a small rock garden or some asymmetrically sculpted bushes on someone's property. These small spaces are beautiful and a testament to a life seeking beauty and peace in nature. And these spaces require a lot of work to maintain the esthetic quality. Here is an example of one such space I saw in an ordinary property in Kyoto. Multiply this space by all the roofs that were obliterated as shown in the satellite pictures and you get another layer of loss that main stream news overlooks.
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| garden space outside a home in Japan |
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