Friday, December 30, 2016

Giving Thanks and Saying goodbye

The time I spent with Mr Hata this year really changed me, and I wanted to visit his grave to give him my thanks and leave an offering.

Yesterday I visited Mr Hata's home. His favorite cherry tree by lake Inawashiro was covered in snow as Mt Bandai looked on.


After leaving offering of wheat liquor on alter in Mr Hata's home, I retraced our steps from late spring when we buried him in the forest.


Wearing Mr Hata's long rubber boots I found in his shed, I headed into the forest that holds his grave.


Mr Hata's forest grave is a place of peace. May we all find such peace both in life and in death.


I am so grateful to have met Mr Hata. My gratitude to you for sharing in his story. Much peace, health & happiness to you all in 2017, Ian


(Originally published on Twitter at @DocumentingIan on December 30, 2016)

Original story about Mt Hata I published on Storify: https://storify.com/DocumentingIan/mr-hata-and-t-a-reunion-after-30

My article about Mr Hata published this month by the Foreign Correspondents' Club of Japan (FCCJ) magazine: http://www.fccj.or.jp/number-1-shimbun/item/881-the-making-of-a-twitter-documentary-the-last-wish-of-mr-hata.html

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