Today, like many of you, I spent a great deal of time looking at images of the tsunami. Images of the waves moving through the Japanese landscape in real time were totally mesmerizing. It was easy to marvel at the forces of nature unfolding in real time, shortly followed by the horrible realization that there were real people suffering and expiring in before our eyes.

The Japanese live under the constant threat of violent forces of nature. Earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanos and typhoons. It is a constant worry stoically buried in the depths of their national psyche.

The origins of the Japanese Shinto faith trace back to spiritual reverence for the forces of nature or kami. Much has been written on the meaning of the term. The Kojiki Den is considered the consummate work on the subject and the following quote by it's author Motoori Norinaga is said to capture the essence of "kami" better than any other:

[kami is] any thing or phenomenon that produces the emotions of fear and awe, with no distinction between good and evil.

What better way to describe today's images, I thought of some traditional and modern Japanese icons denoting the tsunami phenomena and juxtaposed them with what I was looking at. I also thought of kami.

The following images are my way of capturing the moment.

I pray for the health and safety of all who are struggling through this monumental disaster and I offer my sincerest condolences to the families of those less fortunate.

WB7