The Photodiarist In Color

Kyoto: Fushimi-Inari-Taisha

Kyoto: Fushimi-Inari-Taisha

Inspiration: I love the varying shades of color of in this close-up of torii gates at Fushimi-Inari-Taisha. 

Kyoto: The Vermilion Gates

Kyoto: Fushimi-Inari-Taisha

Inspiration: These photos do not do this place justice. Hundreds of shrine gates stand in this wooded mountain creating beautiful and peaceful pathways of vermillion. Back in the day (as in the 8th century), the shrine was originally dedicate to the Inari, the god of rice, by a rich agricultural family. These days, Fushimi-Inari-Taisha, which consists of five shrines, attracts thousands of visitors a day. We went early in the morning . . . way before the arrival of hordes of tour buses. What an incredible experience.

The Path of the Geisha

Kyoto: Kiyomizo Temple

Inspiration: I've always been fascinated by geishas. I've read that there are just 85 geiko (what they call full-fledged geishas) and 26 maiko (apprentice geishas) in Kyoto and fewer than 1,000 in all of Japan. Indeed, geishas are quite rare these days.  So, when I saw her at Kiyomizo Temple, I could not stop myself from following her path, so to speak, if only for a few minutes.

The Middle Gate

Tokyo: Asakusa (The Middle Gate)

Inspiration: The lines of the pagoda and middle gate of Kannon temple entranced me. I must have taken a dozen shots of the pagoda and the gate at various angles.  

The Cherry Blossom

Tokyo: Akasaka

Inspiration: The cherry blossoms are in full bloom in Tokyo!