Notes from the Nog is a blog I enjoy, particularly when Ted, its author, sets out on one of his walks retracing an ancient Japan way. An aside in one such recent post reminded me of the affectionate cynicism of Ambrose Bierce’s Devil’s Dictionary, which brought us such definitions as “love, n. a temporary insanity curable by marriage.”
Ted had come upon a sign indicating a “Power Spot,” a Japanese fad of a few years ago that is showing staying power. Power spots are places believed to be strong in spiritual energy, and they are sold as places to visit to make your wishes come true. Ted suggests an alternative definition:
power spot, n, “any weathered religious edifice that requires an effort to reach.”
(Cover of Teruo Wakatsuki Yuu’s bestseller “This Power Spot is Amazing.”)
Does anyone have any other definitions to add to Japan’s Devil’s Dictionary?
--Julian
Thanks for the shout out. And I too love Ambrose Bierce. But I hope we don't share the same fate, and I wind up vanishing in the wilds of Okinawa or somehting...
Posted by: ted | 01/14/2014 at 06:05 AM
I'd forgotten Bierce's mysterious disappearance in (probably) Mexico. Yes, please be sure to stay on the map!
Posted by: Julian Bamford | 01/15/2014 at 09:52 AM