Inspiration from Japan

Japan is a place that probably inspired me more than anything else I've ever experienced. The strangest thing is, is that most of the general landscapes and cityscapes that we passed through were nothing too exciting - a little worn down, wires and neon signs everywhere and lots of dingy concrete. However, that mediocrity was absolutely riddled with pockets of sublime beauty, sometimes just a little dish in a windowsill, an angle cut by a tilted wall, or an insanely beautiful temple garden. Just thinking about it makes me hungry for soba...