Spiritual Landscape
"Floating Sanctuary --Water scape with Torii gate"

Since ancient times, torii shrine gates in Japan have symbolized the boundary marking the threshold of sacred ground. It is believed that the practice of torii construction based on bird worship dates back to the Yayoi period (around the 5th century BCE).

People revered the natural realm that lay beyond the reaches of human power as holy, regarding mountains, seas, waterfalls, islands, and ponds as objects of worship, and erecting torii to protect them. In some instances, they deemed these sacred places “forbidden lands” to protect the land itself or the vegetation growing on it; at the same time, they prayed that the spirits inhabiting the natural world would guard them in their daily lives. Whenever I glimpse one of these torii within the natural landscape, my spirit feels for an instant like it has been purified, and an unstoppable feeling of devoutness washes over me. The next moment, I sense this divine presence evaporating and rising into the sky.

In the case of torii built in water, they are often constructed on top of small islands in a sea or lake or off the tip of a cape, on protruding rocks, or amid other landscape elements that draw the eye. Our ancestors who lived on the Japanese archipelago, surrounded by seas, must have sensed divinity in the slightly extraordinary elements of an otherwise ordinary landscape. They built torii in these places, and in doing so began a prayer that has continued across generations, for safe oceangoing journeys and fishing expeditions, for abundant harvests of the sea’s bounty. Torii are not only the gates we pass through when visiting a shrine; those that stand within the natural landscape function as symbols of awe and piety toward nature’s power that have shaped the spirit of the Japanese people throughout history.

There are times when nature unleashes its power in the form of natural disasters, causing great harm and evoking our fearful awe, but nature also supports our livelihoods and daily lives. The Japanese language provides over a thousand ways to express the concept of “rain,” and as many for “wind”; the fact that these words are scattered as a matter of course throughout Japan’s ancient texts is evidence of the inseparable link that the Japanese people sense between nature and religious belief. Language, faith, and prayer, in other words, are for us intimately connected to natural phenomena, climate, geology, and topography.

The reason I feel both piety and spiritual calm when I see a torii rising from the water is, I believe, because this is an elemental landscape for the Japanese, a symbol of stopping in the midst of our busy lives, and looking and offering up a prayer to nature. It is the real landscape that is the foundation for the imagined landscapes we see in our mind’s eye. I believe this is perhaps the prehistoric source of the Japanese concept of spirituality that we call the Eight Million Gods—the belief, appearing even now in modern films such as those by Studio瀀栀漀琀漀最爀愀瀀栀猀 漀昀 琀栀攀洀 椀渀 琀栀攀猀攀 椀洀愀最攀猀⸀㰀⼀猀瀀愀渀㸀㰀⼀瀀㸀਀㰀瀀㸀㰀猀瀀愀渀 猀琀礀氀攀㴀∀昀漀渀琀ⴀ猀椀稀攀㨀 ㄀㐀瀀砀㬀 挀漀氀漀爀㨀 ⌀挀　挀　挀　㬀∀㸀䤀琀 椀猀 洀礀 栀漀瀀攀 琀栀愀琀 琀栀攀 椀洀愀最攀猀 椀渀 琀栀椀猀 瀀爀漀樀攀挀琀 眀椀氀氀 愀氀氀漀眀 甀猀 琀漀 最氀椀洀瀀猀攀 琀漀最攀琀栀攀爀 栀漀眀 漀甀爀 愀渀挀攀猀琀漀爀猀 猀漀甀最栀琀 爀攀氀椀最椀漀渀 愀渀搀 猀瀀椀爀椀琀甀愀氀椀琀礀 眀椀琀栀椀渀 琀栀攀 渀愀琀甀爀愀氀 氀愀渀搀猀挀愀瀀攀Ⰰ 愀渀搀 栀攀氀瀀 甀猀 琀漀 瀀愀猀猀 琀栀漀猀攀 瘀愀氀甀攀猀 漀渀 琀漀 昀甀琀甀爀攀 最攀渀攀爀愀琀椀漀渀猀⸀㰀⼀猀瀀愀渀㸀㰀⼀瀀㸀਀㰀瀀㸀㰀⼀瀀㸀਀㰀瀀 猀琀礀氀攀㴀∀琀攀砀琀ⴀ愀氀椀最渀㨀 挀攀渀琀攀爀㬀∀㸀㰀猀瀀愀渀 猀琀礀氀攀㴀∀昀漀渀琀ⴀ猀椀稀攀㨀 ㄀㐀瀀砀㬀 挀漀氀漀爀㨀 ⌀挀　挀　挀　㬀∀㸀☀渀戀猀瀀㬀 ☀渀戀猀瀀㬀 ☀渀戀猀瀀㬀 ☀渀戀猀瀀㬀 ☀渀戀猀瀀㬀 ☀渀戀猀瀀㬀 ☀渀戀猀瀀㬀 ☀渀戀猀瀀㬀 ☀渀戀猀瀀㬀 ☀渀戀猀瀀㬀 ☀渀戀猀瀀㬀 ☀渀戀猀瀀㬀 ☀渀戀猀瀀㬀 ☀渀戀猀瀀㬀 ☀渀戀猀瀀㬀 ☀渀戀猀瀀㬀 ☀渀戀猀瀀㬀 ☀渀戀猀瀀㬀 ☀渀戀猀瀀㬀 ☀渀戀猀瀀㬀 ☀渀戀猀瀀㬀 ☀渀戀猀瀀㬀 ☀渀戀猀瀀㬀 ☀渀戀猀瀀㬀 ☀渀戀猀瀀㬀 ☀渀戀猀瀀㬀 ☀渀戀猀瀀㬀 ☀渀戀猀瀀㬀 ☀渀戀猀瀀㬀 ☀渀戀猀瀀㬀 ☀渀戀猀瀀㬀 ☀渀戀猀瀀㬀 ☀渀戀猀瀀㬀 ☀渀戀猀瀀㬀 ☀渀戀猀瀀㬀 ☀渀戀猀瀀㬀 ☀渀戀猀瀀㬀 ☀渀戀猀瀀㬀 ☀渀戀猀瀀㬀 ☀渀戀猀瀀㬀 ☀渀戀猀瀀㬀 ☀渀戀猀瀀㬀 ☀渀戀猀瀀㬀 ☀渀戀猀瀀㬀 ☀渀戀猀瀀㬀 ☀渀戀猀瀀㬀 ☀渀戀猀瀀㬀 ☀渀戀猀瀀㬀 ☀渀戀猀瀀㬀 ☀渀戀猀瀀㬀 ☀渀戀猀瀀㬀 ☀渀戀猀瀀㬀 ☀渀戀猀瀀㬀 ☀渀戀猀瀀㬀 ☀渀戀猀瀀㬀 ☀渀戀猀瀀㬀 ☀渀戀猀瀀㬀 ☀渀戀猀瀀㬀 ☀渀戀猀瀀㬀 ☀渀戀猀瀀㬀 ☀渀戀猀瀀㬀 ☀渀戀猀瀀㬀 ☀渀戀猀瀀㬀 ☀渀戀猀瀀㬀 ☀渀戀猀瀀㬀ⴀ 䔀爀椀欀漀 䬀愀渀椀眀愀㰀⼀猀瀀愀渀㸀㰀⼀瀀㸀਀㰀瀀 猀琀礀氀攀㴀∀琀攀砀琀ⴀ愀氀椀最渀㨀 氀攀昀琀㬀∀㸀㰀猀瀀愀渀 猀琀礀氀攀㴀∀昀漀渀琀ⴀ猀椀稀攀㨀 ㄀㐀瀀砀㬀 挀漀氀漀爀㨀 ⌀挀　挀　挀　㬀∀㸀㰀猀琀爀漀渀最㸀ⴀ☀最琀㬀☀渀戀猀瀀㬀㰀愀 栀爀攀昀㴀∀栀琀琀瀀猀㨀⼀⼀猀攀渀猀攀最爀愀瀀栀椀愀⸀樀瀀⼀⌀⼀最愀氀氀攀爀礀⼀昀氀漀愀琀椀渀最ⴀ猀愀渀挀琀甀愀爀礀⼀猀愀∀ 琀愀爀最攀琀㴀∀开戀氀愀渀欀∀㸀㰀猀瀀愀渀 猀琀礀氀攀㴀∀挀漀氀漀爀㨀 ⌀挀　挀　挀　㬀∀㸀䜀愀氀氀攀爀礀㰀⼀猀瀀愀渀㸀㰀⼀愀㸀㰀⼀猀琀爀漀渀最㸀㰀⼀猀瀀愀渀㸀㰀⼀瀀㸀਀㰀栀爀 ⼀㸀਀㰀瀀㸀㰀⼀瀀㸀਀㰀搀椀瘀㸀☀渀戀猀瀀㬀㰀⼀搀椀瘀㸀਀㰀瀀㸀㰀⼀瀀㸀਀㰀搀椀瘀 挀氀愀猀猀㴀∀瀀漀爀琀昀漀氀椀漀开爀漀眀 昀甀氀氀 挀氀攀愀爀昀椀砀∀㸀਀㰀搀椀瘀 挀氀愀猀猀㴀∀昀甀氀氀 愀氀椀最渀挀攀渀琀攀爀∀㸀㰀椀洀最 挀氀愀猀猀㴀∀挀漀氀甀洀渀开椀洀最 洀挀攀开椀洀最开漀瘀攀爀爀椀搀攀∀ 猀爀挀㴀∀栀琀琀瀀猀㨀⼀⼀栀漀洀攀⸀爀攀搀昀爀愀洀攀⸀挀漀洀⼀猀攀渀猀椀渀最愀氀椀瘀攀⼀攀搀椀琀漀爀䄀猀猀攀琀猀⼀昀甀氀氀⼀䘀氀漀愀琀椀渀最ⴀ匀愀渀挀琀甀愀爀礀⸀樀瀀最∀ 愀氀琀㴀∀ ∀ ⼀㸀㰀⼀搀椀瘀㸀਀㰀⼀搀椀瘀㸀਀㰀瀀㸀㰀⼀瀀㸀਀㰀搀椀瘀㸀☀渀戀猀瀀㬀㰀⼀搀椀瘀㸀਀㰀栀爀 ⼀㸀਀㰀瀀 猀琀礀氀攀㴀∀琀攀砀琀ⴀ愀氀椀最渀㨀 挀攀渀琀攀爀㬀∀㸀㰀猀瀀愀渀 猀琀礀氀攀㴀∀昀漀渀琀ⴀ猀椀稀攀㨀 ㄀　瀀砀㬀 挀漀氀漀爀㨀 ⌀挀　挀　挀　㬀∀㸀䌀漀瀀礀爀椀最栀琀 ⠀挀⤀ ㈀　　㠀ⴀ㈀　㈀㔀 戀礀 匀䔀一匀䔀䜀刀䄀倀䠀䤀䄀ⴀ 䔀爀椀欀漀 䬀愀渀椀眀愀⸀ 䄀氀氀 爀椀最栀琀猀 爀攀猀攀爀瘀攀搀⸀㰀戀爀 ⼀㸀䄀氀氀 䤀洀愀最攀猀 漀渀 琀栀椀猀 猀椀琀攀 愀爀攀 昀甀氀氀礀 挀漀瀀礀爀椀最栀琀攀搀Ⰰ 洀愀礀 渀漀琀 戀攀 甀猀攀搀 眀椀琀栀漀甀琀 眀爀椀琀琀攀渀 瀀攀爀洀椀猀猀椀漀渀⸀☀渀戀猀瀀㬀倀氀攀愀猀攀 挀漀渀琀愀挀琀 洀攀 昀漀爀 愀渀礀 椀渀焀甀椀爀椀攀猀 爀攀最愀爀搀椀渀最 甀猀攀 漀昀 椀洀愀最攀猀⸀☀渀戀猀瀀㬀☀渀戀猀瀀㬀㰀⼀猀瀀愀渀㸀㰀⼀瀀㸀਀㰀瀀 猀琀礀氀攀㴀∀琀攀砀琀ⴀ愀氀椀最渀㨀 挀攀渀琀攀爀㬀∀㸀㰀⼀瀀㸀਀㰀⼀搀椀瘀㸀ഀ੄慴攺⁓畮Ⱐ㈸⁓数′〲㔠ㄵ㨵㈺㔴⁇䵔ഊ䱡獴ⵍ潤楦楥携⁔桵Ⱐㄵ⁍慹′〲㔠ㄳ㨳㤺〷⁇䵔ഊ䕔慧㨠∶ㅦ挶㥥㍦㉥㠵ㅡㄷづ㐹㙤扡㑢ㅥ挰㐢ഊ砭慭稭獥牶敲⵳楤攭敮捲祰瑩潮㨠䅅匲㔶ഊ砭慭稭浥瑡⵲敱略獴⵩携″儴䭆娸䝂䠰吴報䜍੸ⵡ浺⵭整愭楤ⴲ㨠牚噲伫䝉塨㘳噧㠰䰳吰摸㕊䝑穫㝭䥈䥃䐵佖䴸兣㉅䭱渱煶⽬灃煏獮䅆扂䵗楓穕噌洱楡儽ഊ砭慭稭浥瑡ⵥ瑡机•㌹〵搷〲㙥㜸ㅥㄵ㤵㑥㔰㝦〲〶㐷㙦∍੸ⵡ浺⵭整愭獥牶敲⵳楤攭敮捲祰瑩潮㨠䅅匲㔶ഊ砭慭稭浥瑡⵭搵⵨慳栺‶ㅦ挶㥥㍦㉥㠵ㅡㄷづ㐹㙤扡㑢ㅥ挰㐍ੁ捣数琭剡湧敳㨠批瑥猍੃潮瑥湴ⵔ祰攺⁡灰汩捡瑩潮⽯捴整⵳瑲敡洍੃潮瑥湴ⵌ敮杴栺‱〲〲ഊ卥牶敲㨠䅭慺潮匳ഊഊ

ANIMALIA ~ AESTHETE

Aesthete: It is the word--Someone with deep sensitivity to the beauty to the ART or NATURE. 
I was so impressed the word and noticed how much I have been adoring and pursuing however still far from it. 

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