Thursday, April 8, 2010

Sagae - Part 2 (Country Life)

Founded 400 years years by Dutch migrant workers driving their station wagons through Japan, Sagae is a cherry and rice growing town. The Dutch proceeded to be massacered by the surrounding locals, but their memory lingers on in one dilapidated windmill and a special species of tulip native only to Sagae.












Currently, the two types of people living in Sagae are those too young to move away and those who would never fathom wanting to leave the place. Japan doesnt't have the love of the countryside the country folk of Canada and America do. If you are country folk in Japan, you hide the fact and stare gape-jawed at city folk just passing through in a tone of quiet awe. In contrast, North American rurality think their brethren in the city are gay. Both are just two forms of the same activity : Learning how to cope though hatred - either self (Japanese) or other (N. American) directed. Loathing can be highly functional (and fun, and constructive).

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