Lifestyle

I was asked recently whether I would like to introduce a book detailing the history of Japanese photography from the period 1853-1912. The book is a recent publication by Tuttle Publishing which gives quite an in depth and amazing look into…

An afternoon out feeling the breeze at Lake Biwako

Walking down the banks of the Kamogawa in summer is always a nice way to cool down. Sitting up on the wooden decks with a cool drink in your hand is another good way.

Heading up the trail on Mount Kongou in Osaka

Such great weather out today. It was nice to see the temperature reach 20 degrees and enjoy the sunshine.

A quick glimpse of the fields as the sun starts to set

I went for a drive late in the day and caught some snow on Mt Hiei about half way up.

The new Carlton Ritz Hotel in Kyoto, on the banks of the Kamogawa River near Nijo, will open soon. Looks like they will enjoy some nice views.

As summer cools off and the Autumn breezes arrive, it's nice to take a weekend walk down the banks of the Kamogawa River.

Towards the end of summer I played a round of golf at Ohara Public Golf Course.

On August 16th each year the traditional Gozan no Okuribi 五山送り火 bonfires are lit on the mountain side around Kyoto. This is part of the obon festival. There are five bonfires in total. I managed to capture a few of them this year.…

As the summer months get warmer the sunsets in Kyoto hot up as well. I took a few shots from the top of the Kyoto Station building with the Sony NEX7 camera.

I visited Osaka Castle a while back and enjoyed the nice walk around its gardens. The Castle has been rebuilt a number of times over many years.

The weather is great today. Lots of people out taking advantage of the sunny weather on Mothers Day. I changed up my cameras today and took this one with the Sony NEX7. I have had the camera sitting around for about a year now and…

Cycling around Lake Biwa over Golden Week, I got to see some great countryside. This was one of the standout views. Shirahige Jinja with its Torii Gate in the clear waters of the lake. Lots of people around here taking photos. Great…

I took a brief visit to Hikone a few days ago. I didn't get chance to see Hikone Castle yet. Maybe next time.

These children were enjoying themselves at the local temple. On a warm spring day it looks like a great place to play and pray.

Some very nice plum blossoms our in Kyoto ahead of the more famous sakura season to follow

Always nice to catch a glimpse of Mt. Fuji when traveling on the Shinkansen. Everyone on the left side of the train had their cameras and phones pointed at the window. I didn't want to be left out so here is my iPhone snap

I took a quick morning walk to catch some sun and was surprised it had started snowing. Just a few scenes here of nothing much. My hands started to freeze off and I had to come back indoors. I would like to take better photos in winter,…

Went for a short walk in the winter wind and spotted this heron strolling around. The birdlife on the Kamogawa always gives the river a flow of being alive.

Each year the Kyoto City Fire Department have a small parade and demonstration of their fire fighting skills. They show the assembled crowd near Okazaki Park their fire fighting equipment and their skills to use it. The demonstration…

I visited a number of Temples and Shrines on New Years Day just to have a walk around and see the crowds. I started in the center of Kyoto and walked to Yasaka Jinja, Kodaiji, Kiyomizudera and then back to town.

Kiyomizudera crowded on New Years Day today.

A calm view of Biwako lake in the early morning

Wanting to take some photos of the Autumn colors, I visited Nanzenji and Eikando at the beginning of the week. The orange and red colors were amazing. The colors were so bright in real life it was hard to take photos and get a result…