by axxxm
Abe's place
31/March/2023 in Tokyo
Visited here 2 weeks ago
Visiting this place was actually one of the main reasons why I went to Nara
This is where I had to visit
This is where Abe was shot dead last July
Since death of Abe/ex-prime minister, I've written overly lengthy, overly sentimental stuff here several times so far
This time, I physically went to a place where he had passed away
Hence, more wordy more sentimental sentences were expected to come out of myself
But actually it didn't
In fact I felt nothing there
In fact there was nothing there
I've seen so many articles/photos/videos about Abe's assassination, happened on 8 July 2022 in front of one of the main stations in Nara
I expected I could easily recognise the spot where Abe was shot & collapsed
But when arrived I couldn't figure out where
Because extensive construction work was underway
Landscape changed a lot
But still, I expected that I could see flowers, a bottle of drinks, letters etc.. were piled up on the street to pay respect. At least this was what I saw on news 1 month ago
I couldn't find any
Walked around
Still couldn't find any
It was actually impossible to make such a space, due to construction work
An old male construction worker
sitting on the street
doing his work
looked very focused
I was standing behind him
I couldn't see his face
But his existence, his physicality, and the atmosphere he gave off somehow made me sharply realise it's just impossible to make a space, even a small space for flowers
It'd be just an obstacle for his construction work
Practicality, or reality, was the priority there
100 - 150 meters away from the contraction site
I prayed for a while and left the place
Felt like we forget anything & everything like this
It's not only about Abe but about everything & everyone
Some sad thing happens, then new situation appears, then another thing happens, the same thing repeats over and over again
Things rise & fall
People meet & leave
And slowly but surely we forget
In a sense it's sad
But all of this felt like strangely very Abe
Strangely fit an image of Abe
Still a sense of loss is somewhat alive in me
but as time goes,
it would get colder gradually
lose freshness completely
& go away inevitably
as if nothing happens from the beginning
