Adventures in Japan no. 26

From the rooftop of Tenmaya I have the perfect view of Yonago. The peninsula is laid out before me, and I can see the ocean on both sides of me. It's dusk and overcast, and the air is humid. I smell the faint aroma of incense – lingering around me from teaching at Mrs. Ikuta's house – her family alter alive with offerings of incense.

The beginnings of summer are all around me – familiar sounds of the returning cicadas, the hot salty air.