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Viewing the peak fall colors in Japan can be bit tricky as it's not always possible for a free day, good weather, and peak fall foliage to all line up on the same day. This was my frustration this fall—trying to find a day when it all came together. Finally, in late November, I jumped out of bed thinking, "Today is the day!" and off I went. As I sat on the train to Kyoto, I suddenly decided to change my destination. Over-tourism has become a significant problem in Kyoto in recent years, and it was highly likely that my original destination would be overcrowded. Instead, I chose to visit Bishamondo, a Buddhist temple on the outskirts of Kyoto. It was my first visit, and I managed to get lost both on the way to the temple and on my return – not all that surprising since I hadn't prepared at all! (I don't have a cellphone so I usually prepare maps and such before my outings.) However, the temple grounds were stunning with the beautiful fall foliage at its peak. There were only a few visitors, most of whom were couples having wedding photos taken or participating in professional photo shoots. I spent a peaceful morning meandering the temple grounds, enjoying the foliage, and watching the various couples. I'm so glad I changed my mind! Bishamondo: www.discoverkyoto.com/places-go/bishamondo/  View of the main temple. (That's not a person on the other side of the fence. It's a stone monument of some sort.)  The trees along the walkway in all their fall glory!  The brilliant red fall foliage!  This couple was on a professional photo shoot. The photographer was quite entertaining! He was very vocal about what he wanted and he let everyone know how proud he was of himself when he got the image he wanted. Quite a few of us watching were chuckling the whole time.  The spectacular fall colours were everywhere!
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Some time back, Janet Anderson, a Canadian artist from Victoria, BC, painted my photo of a yellow ranunculus in my garden. To say I was pleased is an understatement! (Click here to see the original photo and the painting.) Well, Janet has done it again. This time it's a painting of photo of a weathered rose that I took while visiting the Rose Garden in Hirakata Park. (Most people know this park as a theme park called "Hirapa" but it has a huge rose garden too!) I'm just so honored to have such a talented artist take interest in my photos. I love this one too, Janet! Below is the original photo, the painting (taken from her Instagram page) and a shot of the painting in her home. As far as I know, the painting is not for sale. Janet's Instagram: www.instagram.com/janetspaintedlife/ Janet's Website: www.janetspaintedlife.com/  Weathered Rose (Original Photo)  Janet's Painting (a screenshot of her Instagram page where she posted her progress)  The painting in it's natural habitat. (^.~) The last 2 months have been a whirlwind of activity including the usual Christmas busyness, several unexpected turns of events (all good but they took time), and a one-month visit to Canada to spend time with my parents. Whew! I returned last week expecting to leave Canadian winter behind, only to discover that Japan was experiencing a record-breaking cold spell! For one week Osaka was colder than Vancouver every single day! Yikes! (Keep in mind we don't have central heating so when the temperatures go below freezing, we are COLD!) So, although it's plum blossom season, I wasn't very optimistic when my husband suggested we visit the plum blossom orchard at Yamada Ike Park yesterday. However, to my delight, the plum trees had started to bloom, though they were only at about 30%. Here's some of what I saw yesterday.       The plum blossom orchard in Yamada Ike Park, Hirakata, Japan. Soon this will be a riot of color. |
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I'm a photographer based in Osaka, Japan. I like to share.
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