Isn’t it obvious by now, that home is far in the past, if not far across the globe? People away from home in space just have three more dimensions to blame the distance on. Who said it first?

The JR platform sign says that this station is 今日 Today, between 昨日 Yesterday and 明日 Tomorrow. A train arrives from 明日 Tomorrow in a whoosh—it’s all modern and metallic—次は 昨日 回送 Next stop Yesterday Out of service.

Life proceeds in tail form; there is no return. I now understand the names of the 新幹線 Shinkansen trains.