Spring in Japan is always so beautiful - not only the cherry blossoms, but also hundreds of other plants and trees, plus the birds, the sky, the sun, the air and the whole of nature waking up. Also, most people seem happier and more cheerful in the spring than in the depths of winter. At times like this, it seems obvious that we humans are a part of nature, even though we may live in cities made of concrete, steel and glass. We tend to think that we are different from the rest of nature, but really each of us is as much a part of nature as a tanuki, a frog, a spider or a typhoon. The idea that we humans are fundamentally different from animals and nature is just a very common belief which we have picked up from our family and culture.