They glide around so gracefully in the water, not a care in the world. I have heard before that watching fish can ease ones mind. All I have ever had the chance to look at, for an extended period of time at least, have been guppies. Somehow, there neurotic, jumpy movements never relaxed me much. On the upside, I have been to aquariums, but they always felt so rushed, I never got the chance to watch and relax, like I wanted to. The goal at an aquarium is to move on and look at the next tank before the place closes. Where is the peace in that? Here, however, in the Taniguchi garden, nobody is in a hurry, and the fish are a sight to see! They look so placid and close at hand. They fit in well with the peaceful sense that the garden holds. Although they live in the middle of a fairly large city, the fish would never be able to guess this (if they tried that is). Everything surrounding them is so slow. People re sauntering by with smiles on their faces. Children are staring in awe of their massive size, and feeding them for extended periods of time, but their parents are not telling them to "hurry up." What is this mystical sense of peace that the place holds? I can feel it all around me as I sit in this garden. It is not only in the calmness of the fish swimming under my feet, but in all parts of the garden. I take a lot of time out from writing, just to sit and soak in a peace that I have not felt in a while. I become like one of the fish that are making lazy circles in the water, not a thing on my mind. I smile at the people walking by and talk to some of the children. Everybody looks happy, and like they too are feeling at one with nature, and at peace. For each person, the thing that makes them feel the best in that garden may be different (I like the fish, others may like staring at the waterfall, some the pretty green plant-life). All the same, we are all united by a love of nature, and a peaceful feeling provided by the garden. It is a lovely way to spend the afternoon, even though you cannot leave the city, you at least get to take a break from it.