On the first day of a long weekend, Kyoto unexpectedly welcomed a flawless sky. The writer reflects on “heaven’s providence,” recalling the previous autumn’s miracles, and rushes to Arashiyama with a close friend to capture the day’s beauty as a gift to readers worldwide and to SW in Sendai.

2016-01-09

I sometimes think about heaven’s providence.
So it was during last year’s season of autumn leaves.
And so it was today.
Today is the first day of a long weekend.
Until yesterday the weather had been passable, yet the air was unmistakably wintry and leaden.
The mountain ridges could not be seen clearly.
But today, the sky was perfect.
It was nothing less than heaven arranging flawless weather for all the good men and women visiting Kyoto from around the world.
I asked my closest friend to accompany me, and we rushed straight to Arashiyama.
I now offer today’s photographs of Arashiyama—my own garden—to readers across the world and to everyone back home, especially SW in Sendai.