No. 64 If the people of Saga Prefecture had built a pyramid, would it have ended up looking like Yoshinogari?

There is no "what if" in history.

However, humanity loves "what ifs."

What if Oda Nobunaga had a smartphone? What if Sakamoto Ryoma used social media? And recently, I arrived at a question that seems trivial but is actually grand.

If the people of Saga Prefecture had built a pyramid, wouldn't it have ended up looking like Yoshinogari?

The pyramids built by the Egyptians are truly magnificent.

They are huge. Tall. And heavy.

Even when modern people look at them,

"Why did they build something like that?"

they think, they are that massive.

However, what if the people of Saga Prefecture had participated in the design meeting?

First, five minutes into the meeting, someone would say,

"It doesn't need to be that tall, does it?"

Then another elder would continue,

"Transporting millions of stones is a waste of shipping costs."

The person in charge of finance would frown,

"It's over budget."

As a result, what would have been completed is likely not 150 meters tall, but

"a large moated settlement with a moderately good view and elevated warehouses"

instead.

In other words, the Yoshinogari ruins.

Of course, this is a joke.

However, the essence of culture is hidden within jokes.

Walking through European castles is surprising.

Massive stone walls. Multiple castle gates. Towers that pierce the sky.

People in France and Germany,

gave form to the philosophy of,

"If the enemy comes, defend thoroughly."

On the other hand, the Japanese are a bit different.

They try to achieve the maximum effect with the minimum necessity while coexisting with nature.

Especially when looking at places like Yoshinogari from the Yayoi period,

"Practicality over appearance"

is a spirit that can be felt.

Dig a moat. Build a fence. Place a watchtower.

In modern terms,

it is close to the idea of

"a fuel-efficient hybrid car rather than a luxury sports car."

It does not have the flashiness of a World Heritage site.

But it has the wisdom to survive for a long time.

Takeshi Kitano would surely say,

"Humanity likes to build big things, you know. But the question is, who is going to pay for the maintenance?"

That is correct.

It is harder to maintain any building than it is to build it.

The same is true for companies, families, and life itself.

The ability to continue is more difficult than the ability to create something luxurious.

The ability to continue is more difficult.

Thinking about it that way, the wisdom of the ancient Japanese people, represented by Yoshinogari, is truly profound.

They do not show off more than necessary.

However, they protect what must be protected.

It is not flashy.

But it is rational.

I see in that not only the people of Saga, but the unique sense of reality that flows through all the people of Kyushu.

People from Nagasaki gaze at the sea.

People from Kumamoto talk about their castle.

People from Kagoshima take pride in Saigo Takamori.

And the people of Saga say quietly,

"That is enough."

There is an indescribable philosophy in those words.

The world sometimes aims for tall towers.

But there is another path in life.

It is the path of not decorating more than necessary, and carefully stacking up what is needed.

What if the people of Saga Prefecture had built a pyramid?

The finished building might not have been the tallest in the world.

But thousands of years later, archaeologists would likely scratch their heads and say:

"For some reason, it looks incredibly comfortable to live in."

That might actually be the wisdom humanity arrives at in the end.

Not grandeur, but sustainability.

Not vanity, but daily life.

The view from a place slightly lower than a pyramid isn't bad either.

#Hashtag

#SagaPrefecture #YoshinogariHistoricalPark #HistoricalSpeculation #KyushuPeople #JapaneseCulture #Frugality #ShiftInPerspective #ConnectWithHistoryLovers #NoteArticle #AdultLearning #LocalWisdom #LifePhilosophy