Japan

The Magnificent Torii Gates at Fushimi Inari Shrine (Kyoto, Japan)

One of the main objectives from my trip to Japan was to capture the row of vermilion torii gates that straddle the paths at Fushimi Inari Shrine. Since early Japan, Inari was seen as the patron of business, traditionally worshipped by merchants and manufacturers. Each of the torii at Fushimi Inari Taisha is donated by a Japanese business. First and foremost, though, Inari is the god of rice. Due to the extreme popularity of the site, the only way to avoid the masses and “pull off” the shot was to get there early in the morning, as soon as the shrine opened to the public.

The Maiko (Kyoto, Japan)

Kyoto is the heart of Japan’s geisha world. In Kyoto, however, fully-fledged geisha are properly called geiko. Young ladies, usually between the ages of 15 and 20, train for five years to become a geiko. During this period, they are known as maiko. Today, only a few hundred true geishas remain in Kyoto. Meeting one of Kyoto’s geishas was truly a magical and memorable experience.

The Ryōan-ji garden (Kyoto, Japan)

The Ryōan-ji garden is considered the finest surviving examples of kare-sansui. Adjacent to the garden is the Daiju-in, the first temple, which served as a mausoleum for several emperors. Their tombs are grouped together in what are today known as the "Seven Imperial Tombs" at Ryōan-ji. #traveldeeper #yahootravelexplorers #leicam240 #natgeoexpeditions #Japan #Ryoanji

Temple of the Golden Pavilion (Kyoto, Japan)

Kinkaku-ji, officially named Rokuon-ji, is one of the most popular Zen Buddhist temples in Japan. It's a three-story building housing relics of the Buddha (Buddha's Ashes).

Arashiyama’s bamboo grove (Kyoto, Japan)

The magical Arashiyama bamboo grove was very difficult to photograph due to the constant flow of crowds. I was looking for an angle that would contrast an empty pathway against the busy, complex forest. It took me over an hour to get this shot! #traveldeeper #yahootravelexplorers #natgeoexpeditions #Japan #Arashiyama

Seiryo-ji donation plaques (Kyoto, Japan)

Seiryo-ji, also known as Saga Shakado, is one of the main Buddhist temples in the Arashiyama district of Kyoto. Its main hall was built in 945 by order of the imperial princess and offered to the Fujiwara clan, then the most influential noble family. After many wars, fires and reconstructions, the current main hall was built in 1701. Next to most temples (if not all), wooden donation plaques are displayed, indicating the “level” of donation, the family or business name, and the neighbourhood they were from.

Okunoin cemetery

The Goma ritual of consecrated fire (Mount Koya, Japan)

As the priest sits in front of the fire, he has an array of bowls, tongs, and other ritual instruments in front of him. He uses tongs to stack small but carefully cut pieces of kindling. He uses long sticks with small cups at the end to place spices, seeds and other items on the fire, all of which are very symbolic. All the while, a monk is chanting in the corner while the priest mumbles words and whispers what one assumes are prayers and incantations. The ritual, which lasts about a half-hour, builds in intensity. At one point, the monk in the corner begins striking a taiko drum in the corner. The monk is making all kinds of hand signs, I notice, as he goes through the ritual, each of which having an esoteric meaning. He eventually gets to one part of the ceremony where he picks up many small pieces of kindling, each of which are carefully cut to approximately the same length and size. I later come to find out that there are 108 of these pieces of wood that are thrown on the fire, representing the Buddhist belief that there are 108 "attachments" in this world from which we need to free ourselves. Meanwhile, the drumming continues, along with the chanting. The fire grows larger and larger, burning away both the wood and - symbolically - our impurities.

Kazurabashi suspension bridge over the Iya river (Iya Valley, Japan)

In the past, suspension bridges made of mountain vines (kazurabashi) were one of the only ways to easily move people and goods across the river of the of the Iya Valley. History is unclear about their origins, but legends say that they were either first raised by Kobo Daishi, founder of the Shingon Sect of Japanese Buddhism, or created by Heike refugees hiding in the area after their defeat in the Gempei War (1180-1185) as a means of quickly cutting off access to the valley. 13 bridges once spanned the valley, but only three survive today. I tried to cross the Iya Kazurabashi bridge, but traffic is limited to one way only, and for the hefty fee of 550 Yen…

Zentsuji Temple (Kagawa Prefecture, Japan)

Zentsuji is the birthplace of one of the most revered figures of Japanese Buddhism, the high priest Kobo Daishi, or "Kukai". He built this temple himself when he returned from China in 807, and named it after his father.

Pilgrim at the Zentsuji Temple (Kagawa Prefecture, Japan)

The Ritsurin Garden Teahouse (Takamatsu, Japan)

Dating back over three centuries, Kikugetsu-tei is a traditional Japanese sukiya-style teahouse that was used by successive generations of feudal lords. The origin of the name derives from a line in an old Chinese poem: "When I scoop up the water, I hold the moon in my hands.” This teahouse is the central building of the whole garden, and the view of the South Pond, as seen from the rooms of this teahouse, is a magnificent scene that can be experienced nowhere else…

Yayoi Kusama's Yellow Pumpkin (Naoshima Island, Japan)

Yayoi Kusama is one of the most acclaimed Japanese artists. She is a precursor of Pop Art and influenced Andy Warhol as well as Claes Oldenburg. Her yellow pumpkin, dotted in black, has become somehow the icon of Naoshima, the Japanese island transformed in a cradle of modern and contemporary art. @travelbabbo and I braved the rain at sunset to get a few shots of the pumpkin just before darkness set in. #traveldeeper #yahootravelexplorers #natgeoexpeditions #Japan #benesse

The awaited sunrise (Naoshima Island, Japan)

One week into this trip, the weather finally gave us a break and honored us with this magnificent sunrise, witnessed from the terrace at the sublime Benesse House on Naoshima Island. #traveldeeper #yahootravelexplorers #natgeoexpeditions #Japan #benesse

A night out in Koyasan (Mount Koya, Japan)

Dreamy Mountain Scene in Miyoshi (Iya Valley, Japan)

Oku-Iya Kazurabashi bridge over the Iya river (Iya Valley, Japan)

The Tea Ceremony (Miyajima, Japan)

Not to far away from the famous torii gate of Itsukushima, I witnessed a private, traditional tea serving ceremony, also called Chanoyu, Sado or simply Ocha in Japanese. It is a choreographic ritual of preparing and serving Japanese green tea, called Matcha, together with traditional Japanese sweets to balance with the bitter taste of the tea. Preparing tea in this ceremony means pouring all one's attention into the predefined movements. The whole process is not about drinking tea, but is about aesthetics, preparing a bowl of tea from one's heart. It was a very nice experience.

Pilgrimage at the Shinomiya Shrine (Miyajima, Japan)

Two Japanese girls in traditional pilgrim dresses, make their way to the Shinomiya Shrine, under the brilliant canopy of autumn leaves in Momijidani park.

Itsukushima Shinto Shrine Torii (Miyajima, Japan)

Considered one of the top three sites in all of Japan, the Itsukushima Torii appears to float when observed at high tide, adding to the sense of place of this incredible and sacred shrine. The key elements seemed to come together, the light, the tide, the sky, the clouds... I managed to pull a 30 second exposure at mid-day using a 10-stop neutral density filter, along with a 0.3 soft graduated filter, smoothing out the water and capturing the slight movement of the clouds.