Greetings from the Land of the Rising Sun! I’ve been in Japan for several days and will be exploring this amazing country for three weeks. During this time, I’ll be sharing a series of carefully curated daily photos with minimal context. These mini-blog posts will be like a series of postcards for my readers.
This abbreviated format will allow me to soak in every minute of this adventure without getting distracted by blog story planning, writing, research and editing. There should be lots more to share after I return home and have time to delve deeper.
Here’s this week’s selection.
This first photo features gorgeous purple wisteria in full bloom at the Kameido Shrine in Tokyo. It’s proof that some of the best experiences are discovered by chance rather than carefully planned in advance.
Evidently, renting beautiful kimonos for a stroll around the Sensoji Temple in Tokyo is very popular. I love the juxtaposition of traditional dress against the modern setting and behaviors in this photo.
We found the perfect rainy-day activity at Taro’s Origami Studio. The origami works of art on display, including a cherry tree covered in pink blossoms, were inspirational.
The Edo Taito Traditional Crafts Center is packed with a vast variety of traditional crafts such as precious metalwork, wood joinery, silk braiding, leatherwork, lacquerware, and tortoiseshell carving. One of my favorites was the “Edo Oshi-e Hagoita”. These elaborately-decorated paddles, referred to as “padded collage battledores”, were traditionally used in a game similar to badminton.
Getting a clear view of iconic Mount Fuji can be difficult. We were fortunate to have a sunny, clear day for our trip to Lake Kawaguchiko (one of the Fuji Five Lakes) where we enjoyed the beauty and majesty of this famous, snow-covered mountain peak.
The lake offers a variety of water sports and activities including these large, swan-shaped pedal boats.
A cherry tree in bloom is a pretty sight—hundreds of cherry trees in full bloom is breathtakingly beautiful! The sights in Hirosaki Park, in northern Japan, were spectacular!
And it’s a wrap! I hope you’ve enjoyed this first mini-blog post from Japan!
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