Proposed by Ototabi DirectorⓇ Jun-ei Ohsako
Three Elements
of Travel
Water · Sky · Light
Why are we drawn to travel?
Let me answer through three elements.
“Water,” which nurtures life.
“Sky,” which opens up the world.
“Light,” which guides the heart.
After five years of radio broadcasts,
these are the three elements of travel I arrived at.
They are not only
for admiring the scenery.
They are deeply tied to our lives, our hearts
and to travel itself.
Every journey comes down to
“water,” “sky” and “light.”
Water 01 — WATER
Both blessing and awe.
We live together with water.
Water is essential to sustaining our lives. Much of our body is made of water, and water is deeply involved in the food we need to live. Rice, wheat and vegetables cannot grow without it.
The oceans cover about 70 percent of the Earth’s surface. That vast presence of water is what makes our planet so rich.
It gives blessings — and at times becomes a blade.
The water that brings us blessings can also bring disaster. At times it becomes torrential rain or floods that threaten our lives.
Water washes our bodies and our belongings clean. Yet that same water can become a flood that covers everything in mud.
And water changes its form — into vapor, into mist, into snow. Changing shape, it is part of every corner of our world.
It is both gentle and severe.
That is exactly why
we are drawn to “water.”
In the landscapes that move us, there is water.
The beauty of the sea. The flow of a valley stream. Waterfalls, lakes and rivers. Atmospheric rain, clouds and snowy scenes.
In so many of the landscapes we find beautiful and moving, water is present.
Water also shapes the weather, which can change a journey completely. Our “lives” and our “journeys” are deeply supported by water.
Sky 02 — SKY
Travel through the sky.
And empty your heart.
In Japanese, the character for “sky” (空) carries many meanings. The sky we look up at. The air that surrounds us. The space through which we travel. And “emptying” (空 / kara) the heart.
The “sky” we look up at
A clear sky, a cloudy sky, a sky that brings rain. What kind of journey you have is decided by the sky that day. Each is different, yet each is the best sky for you. That, too, is an encounter on the journey.
The “air” that sustains life
The air that fills the sky is essential to life. It is the air that lifts the wings of an airplane and carries us far away. Taking a deep breath and refreshing ourselves — air is the source of our health.
The “space” we travel through
The same character also means “space.” We move through that space and meet landscapes and people we have never seen. It is this space, too, that carries sound.
“Emptying” the heart
By letting go of assumptions and emptying our hearts, we learn a great deal — so that we can openly receive whatever we encounter on our travels.
Emptying the heart.
It is the principle of the heart
I value most on any journey.
Light 03 — LIGHT
To see the light.
The light of hope, the light of the soul.
Light connects us with the universe.
Water and sky are the world spread out before our eyes. Light leads our thoughts from that world to the universe, and on to the world of the spirit.
The Japanese word for sightseeing, “kankō” (観光),
is written with the characters for “seeing the light.”
To travel is to see the light.
That light is the energy of the land, and it is also the people who are rooted in that place and shine there.
All the vitality and power that lives there dwells in that light.
Without light, we cannot see what is in front of us. Color, shape and movement are all revealed to us by light.
Because there is light, we can gaze at a landscape and encounter its beauty.
And the light I look for on my journeys is not only the light we can see.
The light that guides us.
It is the light of hope.
And the light of the soul.
The three elements of travel: water, sky and light.
When the three are in harmony,
beautiful, shimmering landscapes are born.
Yet when the three rage,
life itself can be put in danger.
In the balance woven by these elements,
we feel the many faces of nature.
And water, sky and light
become the “signposts” of our journeys.
The pivot that holds all three together is sound
Water, sky and light.
What binds the three and turns them into the emotion of travel —
that is the “sound” I seek.