One week before November 30,
November 23 at Ryōan-ji was also,
without question, a day of historic perfection.

The autumn leaves had not yet reached full peak.
Yet the moment I passed through the gate,
what completely captured my heart
was not the foliage,
but a persimmon tree in full fruit.

For more than twenty years I have continued to observe Ryōan-ji,
yet I had never witnessed such a magnificent abundance of persimmons.
Fruit hung from every branch,
forming a complete and self-contained landscape in itself.

If the autumn leaves of November 30
represent a finished form at its absolute peak,
then November 23 was the very moment
when beauty had just begun to rise.

The leaves were only beginning to reach their best condition,
retaining a freshness like that of young foliage,
and in the air, there was still room to breathe.

Music used:
J.S. Bach — Orchestral Suite No. 1, Overture,
and Partita in A minor for Solo Flute, Allemande.