July - Oct, 2024
Reading time: 15 minutes
Japan 2024
A Life of Contrast and Adventure
July to Octobre
The powerful energies of a nature
We dive deep into the heart of the Land of Fire, the Japanese Archipelago. Here, we experience the powerful energies of a nature whose voice is shouting louder and louder. We came face to face with its elements in ways we could never have imagined, revealing both its healing power and its destructive force, revealing in us visceral fears as well as intense moments of pure magic. Adventures were at the heart of this journey through Japan land, just as much as the encounters, which seems like winks at humanity in search of meaning. Humanity, like the Earth, brought us face to face with our greatest anger, as well as with the deepest gratitude of an unconditional welcome. This year has been a plunge into the heart of contrasts, a balancing act that seeks to nurture harmony and confidence in the chaos of confusion, only to open up to the grace that the unknown can bring.
Kyushu
The Iki islands were a discovery. In these small fishing villages, the smiling inhabitants waved to us, as if they wanted to share a little of their joy and vitality. This place is incredibly lively and some say that Shintoism was born here. The ocean calls us. We bathe in the incredibly clear water. We enjoy its freshness and this contact with the ocean’s energies. We let ourselves float, the four of us together like a star in the blue immensity, surrendering to the water and to our trust in Life.
After reaching the main island of Kyushu by ferry, we cycle from island to island in Nagasaki prefecture. And although the scenery is fascinating and the ocean crystal-clear, we are entering into the strong energies of Tsyusu, the rainy season. The humidity is becoming unbearable, and the mosquitoes are having a feast. And yet we still don’t know what lies ahead.
The rainy Season
On the Shimbara Peninsula, a small road follows the rugged coastline of Nagasaki. We found a secluded spot under a few pine trees. We decide to set up camp in this peaceful spot. At 4 o’clock, with the first light of dawn, so many lightning bolts dance across the sky. A huge black front came straight at us from the sea. The wind howls and the big waves, carried by the strong currents, crash against the rocks with an infernal noise. Thunders join the show. The girls trembled next to me. Nature is giving us a demonstration of its power. What’s more, we were at the foot of the Unzen Volcano, infamous for its disasters and the scars it has left on the landscape and the lives of its inhabitants.
Then suddenly, the impact is 3 seconds away. A minute later, the impact is instantaneous! Lightning and thunder! We were shocked, … but alive!
In the chaos, we were solid, our senses alert, reassuring Nayla and Fibie. However, a few hours later, when everything calmed down, we start to feel the intensity of it all. Instead of blessing this moment, I can’t seem to calm down, especially as a week of terror awaits us. Every night powerful storm fronts sweep across the land, storms, floods, landslides, tornadoes. Every day, we’re soaking wet. It’s impossible to dry our clothes. We try to pitch the tent out of the huge puddles in the soaked ground, that can no longer absorb the water. Fibie and Nayla are incredible. They’ve never complained about setting off in the rain again, never had their optimism dented. I can still hear Fibie saying, ‘Well, at least we don’t have to take a shower tonight!” I’m filled with gratitude for their resilience, their courage and their great strength. It takes great spirit to accept being washed day after day in tumultuous times. And yet, I have the intense feeling of cycling through the chaos, in a place where the weather is going wild. We feel very small on our bikes and in our tents.
The fear that grips my guts has nothing to do with an imaginary world; I’m experiencing the fury of the sky. I feel the unmistakable call of the Earth. I feel that humanity has a choice to make, the choice of our future. And yet I’m confident. The 400 wild dolphins between the Shimbara Peninsula and Amakusa Island remind me of this certainty.
A long Climb
We continue in the mountains. A landslide blocks our path, so Tomiyama San welcomes us in his small house. He’s 80 years old and we can feel it’s no coincidence that we met him. In fact, Fibie sent him a letter and a drawing thanking him for his profound humanity. Then we continued for 2 days of climbing to reach the Ebino plateau. 5 km at 10% … the muscles were aching, but above all it was the spirit that was cracking! I shed a few tears before the climb finally continued, no longer with a struggle, but with a resilient slow pace.
We finally arrive in front of the sumptuous Kirishima volcanoes. The craters appears, some of them smoking and burning. We’re standing on a ridge and a huge void reaches the lake that has formed in one of the calderas. We marvel at the beauty that unfolds before us, and yet we feel the power of the volcanoes, these incredible mountains that connect us to the earth’s magma. Their fiery energy is unsettling. We are all more sensitive and warlike, at times opening the wounds of our inner lands. Aware of this, we try to soothe with gentleness when the power of the volcanoes pours into our being. However, we feel that the approach of these sacred mountains are true passages, teachings for our being that we are only partially aware of, but whose power cannot be ignored.
A number of waterfalls, swollen by recent heavy rains, guide us down to Kagoshima Bay. Here, dolphins greet us as the mighty Sakurajima, one of Japan’s most active volcanoes, looms in the background. Suddenly, an eruption shoots out plumes. We witness a large cloud of ash.
Tonight, after dusk, a sumptuous full moon rises over the ocean. The energies of the moment, linked to the vibration of Sakurajima, are truly powerful. We feel at the heart of a vortex. At once carried and buffeted. Fortunately, the indigo blue of the bay has a calming effect, as if the water could cradle the fire of the volcano.
