In Japan, millions gather every spring to watch cherry blossoms fade. We admire them because they disappear so quickly—a beautiful reminder of life’s transience. But there is another plant that the Japanese quietly adore: Koke, or moss. While cherry blossoms capture a single, fleeting moment, moss captures eternity. It does not flower. It does not rush. It grows slowly, layer by layer, in the shadows, taking decades to cover a single stone. While the world chases the dramatic and the temporary, moss reminds us of the power of steady, endless endurance. Perhaps that is why we find such deep peace in it. Cherry blossoms show us how to die beautifully, but moss shows us how to live forever.
梅雨の季節になると、苔が美しく見える。
桜はドラマチックに咲いて散り、永遠には続かないという無常の象徴として知られているが、
私は、一見すると地味な苔にも日本人の美意識が表れていると思う。
君が代の「苔のむすまで」という表現にも、その感覚が見える。