"Sliding Space" by Natalia Muradova

Mysterious and magical - that's how they describe Japan, which once again draws heightened interest. Amazing and beautiful, it doesn't reveal itself immediately, not always and not to everyone; its treasures must be sought...

After many visits, an interesting picture emerges, but one can't even think about reaching any real depth, which seems to grow deeper, more alluring, and hazier the further you go... Bright flashes of wonders, secret springs of chance, coffers of preserving memory - that's essentially all there is.

The automatic door of the ultra-modern airport opens, and scorching, suffocating heat engulfs you. There's no escape from it; the nighttime temperature matches that of the day - you have to adapt. In the morning, like all Japanese people, you hang out your bedding to dry; otherwise, mold will develop in the high humidity. People appear on the streets wearing hats, covered faces, long-sleeved clothing, gloves, and carrying umbrellas - many with fans. The sun burns like a laser. Men in Western suits also carry fans, some with small towels around their necks. It's customary to always carry your own towel in your bag to wipe away sweat and, in public places, to dry your washed hands. Everywhere, they distribute wet wipes and water. In some places, they offer thirst-quenching tea and iced coffee. This year, the heat was exceptional even for these parts, and many people appeared on the streets wearing kimono. And it's so beautiful, natural, and organic with the environment, weather, and what we expect from Japan. It's impossible not to stare at this living woodblock print.

Everyone looks elegant in kimono: it's decorative, slimming, and conceals any figure flaws. It's better adapted to this difficult climate than anything else. In summer it refreshes, in winter, becoming multilayered, it warms. Incidentally, houses here have no heating. It's dry and sunny, while outside it might be 5, 10, or even 0 degrees Celsius, and sometimes there's snow. Rare, fluffy, and artistic.

In buildings, despite the lack of space, you might find an uncovered corner, literally a meter wide, where snow falls freely - for admiration. That is, it falls right into the living space, reminiscent of falling cherry blossom petals, covering stones, a branch, or an azalea flower that blooms year-round. It quickly melts, running down a chain of metal cups, gurgling, splashing, sighing... It's impossible to tear yourself away from this captivating concert. Evidently, Tarkovsky heard it...

Windows in houses are often positioned in the most unexpected ways: level with the floor, near the ceiling. Not to comply with architectural laws, but where they offer the best view of a mountain, flowering tree, or clouds. Behind a blank wall might stand garden tools or a bicycle, but the window shows only a perfect picture of living nature. There's no place for painting as we understand it.

In the mountains, heavy, wet snow falls abundantly. It's extraordinarily beautiful but dangerous for trees. And the hardworking people every year set wooden poles next to the trunks for winter, tying large branches in a circle with ropes. Particularly valuable specimens are supported with wooden crutch-like poles.

The exterior architecture is also unusual. Often it's more decorated than the interior space. The outer wall presents a complex surface, frequently unfolded in origami traditions, adorned with flickering lights, plants and flowers, and sometimes even lace. Woven from metal or some kind of plastic, they begin inside, appear in the window-display, and burst outward onto the façade.

All this exists amid modern skyscrapers that boggle the imagination. Of cyclopean dimensions, despite being in a seismic zone, they showcase breadth and boldness, originality of thinking, and the use of new materials and technologies. This is where the past truly meets the future. And although they'll never understand each other, these bizarre interpenetrations provide new breath, perspective, inspiration.

Cafés, restaurants, and tiny eateries are scattered here and there, sometimes seating just a few people. After work, most office workers stop by before heading home, drinking beer, having snacks, continuing to discuss work matters. That is, they haven't really left work, they just can now remove their jackets. Relax. They get eight days of vacation per year. The sound of conversations and laughter can be heard everywhere. They serve raw fish and raw meat, tempura and rice, seafood delicacies. Many fried pieces in all forms. Everything is used: meat, liver, stomachs, skin, and even cartilage. Each region of this large country tries to offer local cuisine, explaining how, who, and when gathered, grew, and prepared it, what benefits this particular dish brings. There are seasonal specialties too. Great variety. All food is served in amazing dishware of intricate shapes, often handmade - true works of decorative art. The plate is just a background for the dish, interacting with it through color and texture. There are numerous small cups, bowls, and saucers. The table resembles a colorful flower bed. Even small cabinets with doors and curtains appear, from behind which peeks something edible. A small gastronomic theater! How can one not admire it?! And the colors!

The Japanese distinguish more color shades than we do.

Until recently, everyone in the metro sat absorbed in their phones. By the way, nowhere in public places and transport can you talk on the phone, and you must disable the ring tone. This rule is strictly observed. Now more and more people are carrying books.

It's hard to judge what kind, traditionally there are many comics. But my goodness, what bookstores! Amazing in their own way.

Dwellings in Japan are modest in size, with low ceilings - eternal land shortage, earthquakes, typhoons. Tiny sidewalks along which stand poles with powerful power cables. The frightening tangles of wires resemble aliens from other planets, but in case of cataclysms, they're easier to restore than those buried in the ground. And people love spending time in public places - spacious, comfortable, air-conditioned, with many entertainments. Here you'll find concerts, cinema, gardens and fountains, exhibitions and theater, and a new type of bookstore. Huge, with sofas and computers, decorated with exotic bouquets and large displays explaining how these bouquets were created. Here's an exhibition of ancient swords against the background of books published on the topic. Photographs by famous photographers. A café decorated with artworks, wall panels, a handmade table from rare wood. Museum-quality dishes in display cases, a gold painted screen behind glass. All surrounded by shelves of books and magazines, with a dwarf azalea in bloom at the center. A wine cellar below. Next door - a kimono salon. To enter, as in many places, you must remove your shoes. It's a shop, exhibition, and museum where a real loom stands, creating unique fabrics using ancient technologies. Experts help compose the correct outfit. And if visitors sometimes don't even notice all these subtleties, the extraordinary atmosphere, created by the hands and talent of professionals, envelops, influences, educates. It creates an environment that, even unconsciously, everyone uses. And the level of this everyday culture, dissolved in daily life, present in small details, is very high.

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