Rising Sun
Like many Americans who have visited Japan, we have experienced initial “Lost in Translation” sensations. The long flights, the jet lag, and the many cultural differences can combine to produce feelings of disorientation upon arrival. After a short while, though, we regained our footing enough to embrace the wonders that we discovered, both subtle and profound, in the Land of the Rising Sun.
A number of Jun’ichirō Tanizaki’s many works explore the contrasts between East and West. Known primarily as a novelist, he was once short-listed for the Nobel Prize. He also published a variety of essays, including one in 1933 on Japanese aesthetics called “In Praise of Shadows.” An English translation of the essay by Edward Seidensticker came out in 1977, more than a decade after Tanizaki’s death.
The quote we selected for this acrostic appealed to us in part because it reminded us of moments we have each experienced in Japan, moments when “immutable tranquility” prevails, whether in Japanese temples, in Zen gardens, or in quiet buildings. In these days of frenzied chatter, many of us crave the spirit of calm his words evoke. With that quote as inspiration, we sprinkled a variety of other references to Japan throughout the puzzle, our favorite being “origami” and its clue – “in-creasing activity?” How many did you spot?
We also used the acrostic to honor Bob Newhart, who passed away this summer after a remarkable, and remarkably long, career. Here’s a clip of him and Suzanne Pleshette, his co-star on the show that bore his name: