Autumn, and indeed the entire year, seems to have passed in a heartbeat but before we enter 2018, I wanted to share some photos of the marvellous fall foliage that we are blessed with in Japan each year. The red leaves (koyo) of late autumn are a breathtaking sight, especially against a backdrop of a temple or a well-groomed garden. Read more
After a fitful nights sleep, I awoke early on Day 3 and had a healthy breakfast of fish, rice and salad before heading out the door at 8.30am. My legs were starting to feel the strain but I was in high spirits. Read more
After a good nights sleep at Sekisho-in temple, I got up early to attend the 7 am morning prayer service. It was cold to the bone in the main hall which I was surprised to find packed to overflowing with adherents and curious bystanders like myself. I sat next to a mother with her disabled son who had a special prayer said for him. Read more
On my return trip to Shikoku in late October, I alluded to an upcoming expedition. I spent six days walking the Kohechi route of the Kumano Kodō pilgrimage and now, as 2016 comes to a close, I’ve managed to pull together a full report. Read more
Nagatoro (長瀞町) is a small town in Chichibu (秩父郡), about two hours north-west of Tokyo by train. It’s known for the Arakawa River (荒川), with its white-water rapids and beautiful spring/autumn foliage on the trees which line its banks. Read more
At the tail end of fall last year I had a chance to visit Hondo-ji Temple (本土寺) near Kita-Kogane Station in Chiba, renowned for its spectacular autumn foliage. While I had missed the best of the seasonal colours, strolling around the grounds still made for a nice half-day trip. Read more
For the past few years I’ve enjoyed the spectacular autumn leaves in Tokyo by exploring the city’s many pristine parks but for the prior season I decided to head out of the metropolis to Okutama (奥多摩), a mountainous region located west along the Tama River. Read more
You might remember that last year I missed most of momijigari (紅葉狩) autumn colours because I was busy dashing to and from the UK to sort out a visa issue. This year I was a bit better prepared and managed to visit a number parks around Tokyo, the most impressive of which was Koishikawa Korakuen (小石川後楽園). Read more
This weekend I had another chance to take the camera out for a spin, this time in the leafy Winkworth Arboretum about 30 miles from London in the corner of a sprawling Surrey estate – now owned by the National Trust.
Here the leaves have already begun to turn and although the weather was a bit cloudy, in the few bright spells there were, I got some nice shots.
Note to self: learn how to use a tripod properly to avoid blurage!!