Spring Colours

Spring is returning to Japan and I remember why I stayed here. There is a strange and powerful natural beauty.

These flowers were found is Seibuen Park, just across from the stadium. They are only two in a field of thousands. Each plans at least a meter high.

Old Red Roof

On the walking path between Kodria and Hanakogane is a small "old time" village. It was a house donated from some prominent family and used as a post office.

The day itself was cold and windy, the sun was setting and the clear sky ushered in the night. I good day for a cafe.

A Site of Worship

This picture was taken on a trip to Kamakura. The small coastal village has a distinctly different feel to it and boasts over 70 shrines and temples. It has he Great Buddha statue, as well as many famous cultural sites. This is not one of them.

On a small path, up a small hill, beside a quiet cemetery lies this tiny collection of stone and statue. Behind it are a few trees and a soft valley. Behind that is the majestic Fuji.

Hidden Winter Messages

It is a warm winter in Japan and the trees have taken notice. Small yellow blossoms form on the grey green tree which hide a small wooden message within. The message could be as simple as the name of tree or other some such, I don't know. What is for certain is that this simple offering in the middle of a Japanese nunnery, heralds resounding beauty on the winter day.

5:33 on Any Given Day

Taken at Ikebukuro, this is a small piece of one road. There are streetlights, but they take second stage to the overwhelming commotion of the city signs. The light is earily ambient and covers the people in a warm safety.

Unlike the day, the depth of the city can be clearly seen at night. Each sign advertises for the shops at the signs floor (or level). Some of the best places are hidden in the clutter of the nights glow. It also hides the stars.

A Street, half full

This is from a bridge that crosses from the Shinjuku station to the southern Shinjuku terrace. It is about 2 in the afternoon, so the traffic has died down a bit.

What I could not capture, was the sound. It was not a cacophony, not an intrusion, but it suited the colours so well. Speckled and varying.

Rain Falls

Today is quite rainy and reminds me of this picture. It was taken in Chichibu, which is west of Tokyo by about an hour. The scene was a large field of cultivated flowers of different colours.

I like this photo for two reasons:
First, It captures the rain. Second, it captures the people.
It reminds me that travel need not only change the land and buildings.