High Mountain Zazen on Rishiri Island

Rishiri Island is a mountain rising from the Japan Sea off the coast of Northern Hokkaido. There were still patches of snow near the peak in August, when we climbed, but the air was warm, the grass was green and hundreds of swallows swooped and sailed around the crags, chasing bugs and butterflies.

We came down hot and thirsty to find a fisherman's festival in full swing, ate plate after plate of scallops and sea urchin roe, washed it all down with beer and slept hard in our tents until morning.