The Graveyard
While living in Japan I went on a walk and found myself in a graveyard. Unlike in the United States, cremation is the norm, so graves are usually indicated by stone monuments for families and wooden planks for individuals. If you’ve ever been admonished for leaving your chopsticks (hashi) standing in a bowl of rice, that’s because they resemble grave markers that way, and it brings bad luck. Of course, its a serene place, and is home to a silent Buddha statue and a local cat population.
