Friday, May 27, 2005

Empty Spaces

There are places in Japan known for being rural, and Akita Prefecture is one of them. Being a midwest girl, when I think rural I think sprawling farmland. And in my mind there can't be a country that doesn't have a little of that hidden away somewhere. This trip, however, is finally convincing me that this is impossible in Japan. Everywhere you go there will be either cities or mountains. The fields are squeezed in between railroad tracks and foothills like misplaced puzzle pieces. Even in the most rural places, the landscape is crowded.

2 comments:

*MP* said...

In a place where you can make fake flushing noises with the toilets to make your neighbor feel more comfortable one can only expect lines so delightful as "The fields are squeezed in between railroad tracks and foothills like misplaced puzzle pieces" to come from the keypad of my observant friend. Well, it seems you're not a native after all, Laura, and you can still see the foreign-ness of the place you are visiting. I hope that's refreshing.

Anonymous said...

akita-ken, huh?
I'm gonna go there! I'm excited! weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee