Just before dawn, mist rises from the water's surface in the chilly air. This is the pond behind Todaiji Temple's Great Buddha Hall. The fallen autumn maple leaves, edged with white frost, look like works of art. As the sunlight reaches the pond, the frost disappears like an illusion. It's as if a spell has been broken. *According to the 24 Solar Terms of Reiwa 6 (2024), Taisetsu is from December 7 to 21.