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Zenkokuji Temple
The main temple of Kagurazaka and its blooming trees.
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Dodda Basavana Gudi
Dodda Basavana Gudi (the Bull Temple) is situated in the N.R. Colony, Basavanagudi, area of South Bangalore, part of the largest city of the Indian state of Karnataka. The Hindu temple is inside the a park called Bugle Rock. The bull referred to is a sacred Hindu demi-god, known as Nandi; Nandi is a close ...
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Oshogatsu in Kamakura
On this first of January 2013, we woke up early and headed for Kamakura to visit the Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine for Oshogatsu (New Year Festival – お正月). The city center was closed to traffic so had to park in Zushi and continue by train. Luckily, at 08:30 in the morning, it was not very crowded ...
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Shichigosan
Celebrating Naoko’s Shichigosan at Tokyo Daijingu :) Shichi-Go-San (七五三, lit. “Seven-Five-Three”) is a traditional rite of passage and festival day in Japan for three- and seven-year-old girls and three- and five-year-old boys, held annually on November 15 to celebrate the growth and well-being of young children. As it is not a national holiday, it is ...
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Tokyo Daijingu
Tokyo Daijingu near Iidabashi is one of the five major shrines in Tokyo and is the birthplace of Shinto-style weddings. Tokyo Daijingu is also famous for making your love life work, and is therefore mostly visited by women (young and old, but predominately young) praying for finding a good boyfriend or husband.
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Yet Another Temple at Night
With pictures that can still be used at ISO 12,800, the 5D Mark III opens up a whole new range of photographic opportunities : here Tokyo Daijingu at night.
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Night Temple
Night stroll in my neighbourhood : Kagurazaka, and one of its temple – ISO 8,000 :)
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Shrine in the Snow
Nice looking little shrine in Hakone, at the top of a mountain, in the snow !
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Cleansing
Usual equipment at the entrance of a temple or a shrine but unusual water : warm with a smell of sulphur ! Shot at Owakudani near Hakone.
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New Year Girls
Pretty girls in pretty Kimonos for the new year at a temple in Tokyo. For the connoisseurs, this picture belongs to my new gallery on Japanese Girls :-)
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Creamy Bokeh
50mm/f1.2L in action in Kamakura, wow ! From a pure technical viewpoint, there are probably better and cheaper lenses out there, but artistically, it’s hard to beat.
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Japanese Beauty
Upon popular request, here is another one :-)
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Japanese Beauty
I usually leave my photos untouched but thought I would give some lightroom filters a try. What do you think ? Should I post more or stop ? :)
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Shishi Mai
The Shi-Shi-Mai (Lion dance) is known to have the power to ward off evil spirits and summon the god off harvest and wealth, bringing prosperity. It is a longstanding tradition in Japan as it brings good luck in the new year.
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The Japanese Art of Archery
Beautiful demonstration of Kyudo today at Yasukuni (follow the link for a complete gallery).
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Spooky Temple in Saigon
The Jade Emperor Pagoda in Saigon is dark, smoky, dusty and frankly a bit spooky !
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Good Luck Throw
Three consecutive throws like this in a Chinese temple in Taiwan = good luck !
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It’s a small world after all
The world’s most famous sites a 1/25th scale : Tobu World Square near Nikko.
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Japanese Shinto Wedding
If you want to see a traditional Japanese wedding, just go to Meiji Jingu on weekend and it is quite likely that you’ll witness the solemn procession of a Shinto wedding. This procession is part of the Shinto wedding ceremony. A typical procession is led by two priests and two shrine maidens, followed by the ...
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Beautiful Ginko Trees
Ginko trees shine of a brilliant yellow in Autumn. Photos taken at the controversial Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo. Why there? Well because, it’s within walking distance from home and one has to admit that it does feature some very nice trees! The first photo has been over-exposed on purpose, let me know what you think ...
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Meiji Jingu
Torii (Shrine Gate) made of Japanese cypress and because it is highly water-resistant, it is unpainted and used in its natural state.