March 17.
I headed first to Kyoto Gyoen, intending to photograph the peach blossoms.
But the peaches were not yet at their height.
What surprised me even more was that the weeping cherry had already begun to bloom.
With a cluster in the far distance that seemed to be peach trees in sight, I first photographed the Kyoto Gosho at top speed.
Kyoto Gosho is as familiar to me as my own garden.
And yet, I still miscalculate the scale of Kyoto Gyoen as a whole.
Then, as I made my way toward what I had taken to be the peach trees, I was surprised again.
The plum blossoms were still in bloom.
I go to Kyoto Gyoen to photograph it some forty days a year.
And still, I misjudge its full extent.
On March 19, I am convinced that I will once again encounter another young violinist whom Japan can proudly present to the world.
The reason why Japan continues to produce splendid young female violinists like stars scattered across the heavens is that, throughout its history, Japan has been the nation that has cherished and loved women most deeply, and the nation in which women have been happiest.
On this point, I intend in due course to bring down the severest judgment, on my blog, upon the women of the nations that make up the United Nations Human Rights Council.
For the music, as a preparation for March 19, I used Bach’s Chaconne.
I was also struck by the fact that its duration of 14 minutes and 52 seconds was almost exactly the same as the length of the video.
The performance is a great one by Sayaka Shoji, one of Japan’s national-treasure-level talents, as published on YouTube.