Let me tell you a love story. Grab your drink, your pillow, your snack. Sit comfortably, enjoy the love story, the incredibly beautiful photos, and the journey.

There was a fine young man
There was a fine young woman
They live in Yamanashi Prefecture their whole lives
They didn’t know each other
However

The fate has been written; they will fall in love
No matter how, no matter what
They met
In ordinary circumstances
Maybe in the train heading for the city

Or they were passing by each other in the forest nearby

or …

when he bought the best ice cream in town

or they exchanged glances on the street

They didn’t fall in love

He didn’t know she has a thing for himawari

She didn’t know he loves himawari too

For them there’s no such thing called ‘love at first sight’
It’s not real
It’s always, ‘lust at first sight’
They didn’t want that
so he bought an omamori
praying he would fall in love with an incredible woman
and she bought an omamori too
with the same prayer
they didn’t know
they were there at the same time, at the same place…

At night

the mount fuji and the stars shone beautifully
they were sitting apart
loving the sight
praying upon the shooting stars
and the falling leaves

in a hope to be with ‘the one’

they met again
on a fine afternoon


they walked together
talking about this
talking about that
deep down
they knew
they were in love
they knew
they would be together
but
they took it easy
They tried to get to know each other
What did he like
What did she like
What was his deepest fear
What was her deepest fear
Turned out
They were two ordinary people
With fears
With hope
And they were okay with that
Because
Two ordinaries would create one extraordinary love
Days, months, years, winters, springs, summers, autumns were passing by



One of their favorite things to do,
is stroll around lake kawaguchi and mount fuji




admiring momiji
counting the falling leaves


They are still two ordinary people
Living ordinary life
Still trying to cope with their fears
They watched sakura bloomed together
He loved the bright pink with many petals sakura
She loved the pale white five petals sakura
They would argue
This sakura is the most beautiful one
No, this one is
And he would say, you, are the most beautiful sakura
And she would blush, her cheek would turned pink, just like the color of her husband’s favorite sakura
They did this for many seasons. Many, many seasons
They have this special spot at the park
Where sakura would bloom, and the petals would fall
And they would have their hanami in that special spot
They would travel together in the summer time
They would go to their favorite shrine in the autumn
Watching the leaves. Red. Yellow. Orange. Brown. Green. Fall. One. By. One
He would say, death can be so beautiful



And she would say, i know one thing
And he would reply, what is it, my dear
And she would smile, i know you would think i am still beautiful when i die
He would frown, that’s a terrible thing to say, my love
She would tease him, so i will not look beautiful when i die?
He would stroke her hair, you are such a tease. There will be so much more autumn for us. And you are more beautiful than the momiji
And she would say, take a picture of my old wrinkle face
And he would say, yes.

Like always
For always
Two ordinary souls
Living ordinary life
Love each other in extraordinary way
And like always
they would walk together
hand in hand

like… always

P.S
Setelah baca tulisan ini dan melihat foto-fotonya, apakah kalian sudah memantapkan hati untuk main ke prefecture Yamanashi saat musim gugur? Apakah kalian akan ke Kawaguchi? Main ke Forest Museum? Melihat taman bunga matahari di Oishi Koen?
Atau… menatap kota kecil di kaki gunung Fuji dari Arakurayama Temple?
Terbengong-bengong mengamati daun musim gugur yang cemerlang warnanya di Shosenkyo dan di kota kecil Hokuto?
Informasi lebih lanjut tentang where to go dan what to do di Yamanashi, bisa kalian baca di sini:
Yamanashi Official Travel Guide,
atau di: Aishiteru Yamanashi Facebook Page
Apakah kalian akan jatuh cinta di Yamanashi seperti cerita di atas?
I hope the answer would be all ‘yes’. :)