In land of Greece, in the north-west of Thessaly, in the depths of Mount Olympus, there is a base of the Olympic Five - the very first, unofficial mascots of the Olympics: Smokey the black dog, kappa named Kapa, the cartoon skier Schuss, the red jag...
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Look at this wonderful Mount Fuji! Look at its peak, sharp as a tiger's tooth! Look at the clouds around it, light as a dove's feather! And the water of Lake Kawaguchi below, clear as a dragon's eye!
Look at these evergreen ginkgos! Their fan-shaped leaves are so distinctive, like the fin of a frog. And how old are they? They have seen the city grow and survived countless storms and typhoons. They have witnessed the rise and fall of empires, and the coming and going of people.
And sakura! How beautiful Sakura is in April! Their pale pink petals fluttered in the breeze, dancing like ballerinas on the branches. The contrast between their delicate beauty and the bare, strong trunks, black as ebony, is striking. It's like the balance between strength and fragility, between the old and the new, between the past and the future.
And look at these black-headed gulls flying over the blue sea! They come here every year, from the far north, to spend the winter in Tokyo Bay.
And look at this pink, as a peach, sky and the sun, red as a trail of blood! The Japanese dawn is wonderful! It's like a painting, a living painting, with Mount Fuji on the horizon, the clouds above, the trees, and the water below.
And look at these buildings! Of course, they are not as high as they are now, not as shiny, but they still have the charm of the old times. And they are still standing, strong and resilient.
And people? Ah, the people of Tokyo! They are as diverse as the city itself. You can see them everywhere, hurrying to work or school, laughing and talking with their friends... They are proud of their city, proud of their country, proud of their traditions. And yet, they are also open to new ideas, new cultures, and new experiences.
And this year, it was the Olympics. The Japanese tried to open up to the world and make them forget about their ancient, as a mammoth, flaws. They built a stadium that was like a bird in the sky, a work of art, a dream come true. And people came from all over the world, to compete, to share their passion, their joy, their pain.
But wait - what kind of creatures are there in the distance?
Ah, those are kappas! The yokai of Japanese folklore, are usually depicted as amphibious creatures with the body of a turtle and the head of a monkey. Kappas are centenarians, like turtles, they can live even a thousand years! They just love cucumbers and everything related to them. People say they also like to steal horses, but this seems to be slander. Kappas love to frolic, they are active, brave, and sometimes even cunning. Kappas do not like iron, deer antlers, and monkeys. Once, after arguing with a monkey who would stay underwater longer; the kappa lost by standing for 12 hours, while the monkey stood 24. Kappas can live anywhere in Japan, in a village or city. They just don't want to be seen by people.
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