sorafotosorafotophotos from daily life around different places in japan Articles
kimono and child
2007-11-10 06:00:00 mother and child celebrating Shichi-go-san at meiji-jingu shrine in tokyo. So, why are the numbers 3, 5 and 7 significant? according to Japanese numerology, these numbers are very lucky; they also symbolize a transition from toddler into middle childhood. one of the reasons i find this festival so very heartwarming is because of that fact of transition: though they are wearing very expensive, beautiful kimono and hakama, and though they may look more akin to adults on this day, they are still in nature quite child. More About: Child , Kimono
children and kimono
2007-11-09 06:00:00 this is the first of a series of photos showing a bit about the celebration of Shichi-go-san (Seven-five-three) Day, one of the most interesting (and, in my humble opinion, the most heartwarming) festivals in japan. around November 15 every year, children aged three, five and seven dress in kimono and head to their local temple to receive a special kind of candy meant to bring longevity-- chitoseame, or "thousand-year (age) candy". as with many rites of passage, parents often want to bring their children to really popular temples. in Tokyo, perhaps the most famous temple for Shichi-go-san is the Meiji-jingu Shrine in Harajuku. More About: Children , Kimono
lake Chuzenjiko and mountains
2007-11-08 06:00:00 renowned for its splendid views, temples, waterfalls, and hot springs, Nikko also has a majestic lake surrounded by what appear to be dormant volcanic mountains. in fall, though the hillsides do not burn with the flame of maple leaves as in other parts of the country, there is a comfortable mix of reds, oranges and yellows that definitely gives that autumn aura. also well-worth the journey here is the cascading waterfalls a five-minute walk downriver from the southern tip of the lake. the whole experience is so overwhelmingly popular that the otherwise 1-hour journey takes anywhere from two to three hours during peak season. More About: Mountains , Lake , Mount
Chuzenji temple and leaves (nikko)
2007-11-07 06:00:00 i have always found Japanese temples and shrines to take a more minimalistic approach toward adornment. whereas in the west we tend to construct cathedrals to touch the clouds, or fashion ornate patterns and scenes out of multi-colored glass, the Japanese tend to simple. let the temple be part of nature; let the voice of nature speak for the temple. thus, the beautiful gardens surrounding each temple harness their colors as voices and sing with their seasonal rainbows: the deep greens of moss and well-cultured evergreens; the vibrant pinks and bass violets of peach, plum and cherry blossoms; the harmonic blues and purples of hydrangeas. each floral variety has been timed, so that when one color wanes, another waxes--and each temple's surroundings become a rhythm. musical. poetry. and scent. every temple in japan has its own perfume-- the delicate lilting note in the air; that aura, that unforgettable mixture of flora, loam and incense that gives you pause. burning the hillsid... More About: Temple , Leaves , Aves , Temp
jizou statues and moss (nikko)
2007-11-06 06:00:00 i have a confession: Buddhas make me cry. not just every Buddha, mind you. but the ones that have these captivating, sublime expressions truly make me feel at peace. calm. serenity. a flittering taste of nirvana. it is within these moments that i fathom something far greater and deeper than i am; and i understand all of my worries are trivial. every time i feel this elusive emotion, something draws me back into reality and there i am again, gazing upon an image in stone or metal. in this case, dozens of jizou statues line a riverside path (kanmangafuchi) in nikko; each statue waits patiently for a traveller to happen upon them and begin that difficult process of unthinking introspection. More About: Statues , Moss
river and trees (nikko)
2007-11-05 06:00:00 autumn. every year, i try spending some time in Kyoto doing a kind of mental celebration for fall's arrival. i so dearly love this season of change and unpredictability: it can be rainy and wet, leaving one with a sad soul and longing eyes; or it can delight you with its warm sunny kiss. but, best of all, autumn can be everything in between. the Japanese seem to enjoy fall as part of their culture; tourists surge and crowd around various temples and areas with any reddish tinge to their leaves-- remarking with phrases like ehhh, kireiiii desu neeee... and i, myself, agree wholeheartedly with that sentiment. the leaves are beautiful, yes; but they seem to resonate with something deeper-- as though the very soul and spirit of japan is drawn up from within the trees' roots and gushes out through every petiole, pouring into the blade of every leaf and into the souls of those nearby. this year, however, i decided to spend a weekend in nikko. as i have been there only once befo... More About: River , Trees , Rees
dragon and fountain
2007-10-22 07:00:00 nothing particularly amazing about this photo-- justwanted to take a few photos of the dragon figurines along the edge of a fountain at sensoji temple in asakusa More About: Fountain , Dragon , Drago
radial streak and temple
2007-10-21 07:00:00 lately i have been doing a lot of experimenting with photos by moving the camera, lens or aperature in different ways during the exposure. while this hasn't yielded the most exciting photos, some of the results are kinda interesting. this photo was made by simply pivoting the cameraon the tripod during the exposure. More About: Temple , Adia , Temp , Dial
lanterns and light
2007-10-20 07:00:00 lately i have been doing a lot of experimenting with photos by moving the camera, lens or aperature in different ways during the exposure. while this hasn't yielded the most exciting photos, some of the results are kinda interesting. this photo was made simply by zooming out during the exposure. More About: Light
pinwheels and statues
2007-10-18 07:00:00 more jizo statues at Zojoji Temple in Tokyo More About: Statues , Eels
statues and pinwheels
2007-10-17 07:00:00 right in the heart of tokyo, near Tokyo Tower, lies a farily large temple-- Zojoji. on on side of the temple are scores of jizo statues, each with a pinwheel by their side. (jizo are buddhas who look after children in the afterlife; when an abortion, miscarriage or other traumatic event is experienced, people will often buy a statue to look after the spirit of the departed.) More About: Statues , Eels
pond and gassho
2007-10-09 07:00:00 a traditional japanese gassho house and pond; taken in gifu city More About: Pond
buddha and yen
2007-10-07 07:00:00 thousands of small buddha figures are scattered all around kamakura; people offer them small change in exchange for good fortune. More About: Buddha
man and yakitori
2007-09-29 07:00:00 an older fellow ordering at a yakitori (kind of chicken kebab) place in gifu, japan
phone and sakura
2007-09-28 07:00:00 the last of the "springy" shots-- i hope you enjoyed a small, two-day taste of spring in autumn! More About: Phone , Sakura
painter and sakura
2007-09-27 07:00:00 photo of a painter sketching cherry blossoms for a piece this past spring; in shinjuku gyoen, tokyo. (reason i added this photo: today was pretty warm in tokyo; and when i looked around with that balmy autumn breeze i thought-- wait, isn't that a balmy spring breeze? lol) More About: Painter , Sakura
yukata and temple
2007-09-26 07:00:00 asakusa temple with yukata-clad women More About: Temple , Yukata
temple and kimonos
2007-09-23 07:00:00 asakusa temple and ladies dressed in yukata, or summer kimono More About: Temple
lanterns and temple
2007-09-22 07:00:00 more lanterns with asakusa temple in the background; the festival lasts until september 29th More About: Temple
lanterns and pagoda
2007-09-21 07:00:00 lanterns at a festival in asakusa, tokyo (now through september 29th) More About: Pagoda
surfer and shore
2007-09-19 07:00:00 a surfer in kamakura watches others ride on the waves More About: Shore , Surfer
fish and kiss
2007-09-09 07:00:00 two fish "kissing" at a pond near meiji-jingu in tokyo More About: Kiss , Fish
incense and sticks
2007-09-02 07:00:00 smoke wafting from incense sticks; zeniarai-benten temple, kamakura More About: Incense , Sticks
covered bridge and blurred car
2007-09-01 07:00:00 buskirks covered bridge, upstate new york also while with my parents, we visited a nearby covered bridge. though fairly plain on the outside, the lattice structure on the inside proved to be an interesting image More About: Bridge , Covered
bridge and rust
2007-08-31 07:00:00 old rusty railroad bridge in upstate new york. when i visited my parents two montha ago, they asked where i would like to go to take photos; it was an odd question, because i never thought of the states as a place for photography-- it being my "native" home and all. still, as i enjoy taking photos of old, falling-apart objects i found this bridge had particular soul.. More About: Bridge , Rust
eft and moss
2007-08-30 07:00:00 a little photo i had taken in the woods behind my parents' home in new york state. when i was younger, i loved seeing these little newts; their color was completely unique for semi-aquatic animals: something bright and captivating--especially for kids. Eft?????????????????????????????????????? ???????????? More About: Moss
archer and warming up
More articles from this author:2007-08-11 07:00:00 a kyuudo archer warms up at a temple in kita-kamakura More About: Armin 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 |
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