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Mountains and Water

In Yamanashi Prefecture, before it crosses Fujino's western border, the Sagami River is called the "Katsura River." The topography along the river in both Fujino and Yamanashi is rough and at times weird, reminiscent of the strange landscapes of Chinese and Japanese ink drawings. In a practical sense, though, if you're looking for a place to live, it says: think of the potential for landslides. The photograph above was taken from alongside the Katsura River in Uenohara, where the shanshui (Jp. sansui) effect is particularly striking. Fishermen gather along the river to catch smelt and carp. The mountain range behind Green Gables is crisscrossed with numerous trails, some of which have lovely vistas. I took this photo near sunset in early spring, 2004, looking westward from the peak of Mt. Hizure, about thirty minutes' walk from the house. The slight haze in the late-afternoon air washed out the color and softened the light, revealing these sensual mountain waves. I went ahead and converted to gray scale to produce the photo here.

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Green Gables: A Contemplative Companion to Fujino Township
by Norman Havens nhavens@gol.com
Updated: September 26, 2004

URL: http://www2.gol.com/users/nhavens/