Slipback and Forwards

Deep underground in one of the subway stations of Tokyo (that of Nihonbashi) is a long illustrated scroll depicting the old time Edo period, with an additional description above and below it of the many goings-on there in terms of the people and the places.  At first hand, it looks like an alien atmosphere, but this is really only the surface.  When one takes a closer look at the small gestures, and thinks of its many modern day affinities, then time has not really moved so far forward, and what is seen is merely a small slip-back.

Progress is really quite relative.  It's just time.