Machiya Kyokisetsuryori Ringetsu

As daylight hours increase, mosses that withered under last summer's intense sunlight regain life, transitioning from a fresh yellow-green to lush and vibrant greenery. In mid-March, the Hisakaki flowers bloom, densely clustering delicate pale blue blossoms on slender branches, releasing a striking fragrance that wards off malevolence. By June, the movement of abundant flowers portrays a flowing effect, with white Nandina and Manryo showcasing exploded white grains, while evergreen trees rejuvenate sequentially from new shoots at the tips of their branches. Vigorous greens cover branches and gradually conceal garden stones. The varied hues of green set a tranquil rhythm, drawing the observer into an ethereal realm.

Under the intense summer sunlight, the moss at one's feet withers gradually, starting from the sunlit areas. Meanwhile, the greenery of the trees deepens its shades-vivid green, Tokusa, Oribe, deep blue-green, and dark green. The transitions in color, moving from shade to sunlight or from the base of the branches to the tips, seem to evoke a sense of tranquility. As midsummer approaches, amidst fatigue and heat overwhelming the ability to control consciousness, this rich green unconsciously invites one into a posture of deliberate resolve.

In early autumn, the moss, which appeared weak and engulfed in withered hues, gradually holds its own against the fading colors. Hidden in the shade of rocks and shielded from the sunlight, the moss begins to energetically release its spores. The tsuwabuki steadily extends its flower stalks, producing cool and refreshing yellow blossoms. At the back of the garden, the fatsia blooms with its playful, whimsical-shaped flowers, while the holly exhibits fleeting, sparkler-like blossoms. The white nandina, coral berry, and coral bush bear red fruits, and the swelling buds of the sasanqua camellias subtly reveal a hint of crimson.

A winter day under cloudy skies. The flowers of the camellias in the courtyard garden add bright and vivid red accents. At the center of the garden, the camellias, resembling a rising dragon, continue to bloom from December through March. During this time, the camellia trees produce large crimson blossoms, which fall within just a few days. However, the heavy and sizable flowers remain vibrant even after falling, leaving an impression and lingering resonance. The camellia petals scatter over the garden stones and moss. As spring approaches, the petals gently flutter, spreading deep green and red hues across the garden. It represents the duality of existence-a vivid, dreamlike world where illusion and reality intermingle.

When you visit just before sunset, you can feel the flow within the garden scenery. As darkness deepens moment by moment, the trees and garden stones blur their colors and shapes into the encroaching night. In an environment demanding increasing rationality, filled only with matter constructed through high-level rationality, we are forced to exert strong conscious effort during the daytime. This leaves us fatigued, burdened by the stark clarity of the black-and-white cross-section of a two-dimensional world. However, within the natural movements of the garden scenery lies an unbroken flow. The ability to sense such a flow within the cross-sectional world perceived through our vision might stem from subconscious memories-small fragments of information embedded in us, familiar to our bodies. It may be this subconscious, expansive three-dimensional world that our senses perceive which provides us with unconditional peace. As exhaustion overtakes us, allowing our minds and bodies to rest and close off conscious thought, our senses begin to work. This opens us up to feel the peace and freedom of the subconscious world, which we find unfolding deeply in the courtyard garden before our very eyes.