Japan: Running Through Time

"Japan: Running Through Time"

Taken on my trip to Kyoto, Japan (京都日本) at Fushimi Inari Taisha (伏見稲荷大社).

I choose this title first because I felt like the little girl in the photo, who was playing at the shrine, kept running around in a seemingly different world built over the years without knowing it. 

The second reason though comes from this photo's background. This photo was lost to me for a year and through some miracle, I found a copy of it again. It had been one of my favorites from Kyoto, so when I found it, it felt like it was just returning from a journey, apologizing for not calling.

This is the third photo in my "Kyoto Series". For the first and second, follow the links here: Japan: Kin and Japan: A Little Moment .

I hope you like it!

About "Top Places in Tokyo"

Hello Everyone,

(Kaminarimon, 雷門)

It has occurred to me that many people go to Tokyo, not realizing what exactly it has to offer. Granted, most people may know Tokyo Tower (東京タワー), Akihabara (秋葉原), or Tokyo Disneyland (東京ディズニーランド) (which is actually in Chiba, the Prefecture adjacent to Tokyo) and some might know the Ghibli Museum (三鷹の森ジブリ美術館) , but that tends to be the extent of most people's knowledge.

Most people I meet who are not familiar with Tokyo will say to me, "Oh cool! You live close to Tokyo? What're some cool things to do there?" As I list off the many things to do, they become surprised by all of what there actually is in Tokyo.

I think this may be due to the fact that a lot of places have names that are difficult to pronounce, say or even remember if one is not familiar with Japanese. Furthermore, Tokyo is HUGE. So there are a lot of things to do, but with so many names, confusion can occur which leads to a lack of knowledge on sights to see in Tokyo.

So I wanted to compile a list of places that I believe are worth visiting within Tokyo. Each place is divided by area, has a description of said place, who I would in particular recommend should go see said place, and a personal rating (5 being the best).  Some will also include links to more detailed reviews of locations that I have been as well. But yes, anyway, that's what this section of my blog will be for. I will tag general areas to help everyone find what things are close to one another as well. Anyway, I hope that for some this helps you plan your trip to Tokyo!

LDS Tokyo Temple

Hello friends!

Today, I wanted to show you what I consider to be one of the most beautiful spots in Japan: the Latter Day Saint Tokyo Temple. The first LDS Temple to open in Asia in 1980, the Tokyo Temple is a short walk from the Hiroo Station (広尾駅) (less than a 5 minute walk). For LDS members, our Temples are sacred, important places, that we believe to be Houses of God where we can be sealed together forever with our families. Being sealed means that we are connected to our families and are able to meet again after death. So Temples are a very big deal for us!

I felt very blessed to go for the first time in five years to an LDS Temple and the Tokyo Temple no less! Temples for me are a place of peace, so regardless of the language barrier, I felt very calm and peaceful going there. In a way, it was rejuvenating. Because of that, I wanted to take and share some pictures of the LDS Tokyo Temple and share them here with all of you! Most are just shots of the Temple and the Temple grounds, but at the bottom before my selfie are two special shots of the Temple in particular. I hope you find a reason to feel joy today!

Special Shots:

"Light"

"Brilliance"

Till Next Time!

Japan: A Little Moment

"Japan: A Little Moment"

Taken on my trip to Kyoto, Japan (京都日本) near Fushimi Inari Taisha (伏見稲荷大社). 

I choose the title because like me, the woman in the photo seemed to be off by herself, trying to capture the simple beauty of the paper cranes like I was. It felt like a small moment where I was seeing a kind of reflection.

This is the second photo in my "Kyoto Series". For the first, follow the link here: Japan: Kin .

I hope you like it!

Japan: Kin

"Japan: Kin"

Taken on my trip to Kyoto, Japan (京都日本) of the famous Kinkaku-Ji （金閣寺), also known as "The Golden Temple" or "The Golden Pavilion". 

The title I choose comes from the Japanese word/Kanji " 金 ", read as "Kin", which means "Gold". This places literally was covered in Gold, so much so that it was almost to the point where you wondered if you were really looking at a real place. 

This is the first photo in my "Kyoto Series".

I shall try to get more up soon from this trip, but for now, I hope you like it!

Tanabata

Hi guys!

This is just a mini-post to show a little piece of what I saw on Tanabata (七夕) when I went shopping in Omiya (大宮) in Saitama that day. Inside the Lumine, in a small overpass bridge, they had these beautiful decorations out where you could write your wishes. Pretty isn’t it? (きれい、ね？)

Anyway, I hope you are having a good day! Ja,

Cherry Blossom Lunch

Hello again!

Another post with more pictures than text. In the spring time in Japan, I was lucky enough to be able to take my lunches outside. Near my work place, there is a mini-park with benches where I enjoyed eating my food and watching the trains go by. Sometimes I would see my students walk by or older women walking their adorable dogs, some of which would come right up to me, lie down, and expect a belly rub. But the best part of that spring was when the Cherry Blossom Trees in the park started to bloom and would softly fall around me while I ate lunch. It was so peaceful and stress relieving. But even more so, I just liked being in a small, beautiful place while I ate my lunch.

(The beginning of the bloom) 

(The end result!)

Hope you liked the photos!

About "Photography of Japan"

Japan is Beautiful. Plain and simple. And this wouldn't be a blog about "Beautiful Japan" if I didn't show WHY it's beautiful. 

As a film major, I love both film and photography. Before coming to Japan, I would often work with my friends in photography projects. Often times they would play the role of photographer while I would play the role of the editor using Photoshop or Lightroom. And while I didn't play photographer often, I still enjoyed the role whenever I got the chance and took some classes pertaining to it.

Now that I'm in Japan and on my own, I want to use all of those skills to show the world why I believe Japan to be a beautiful place. So instead of telling you about it, this page will simply be a place for pictures of Japan.

今日は！

Hello and Welcome to "Beautiful Japan"!

Japan has always been a place of interest for many people the world over. From the history, sights, people, culture, and language, Japan continues to capture our attention.

As a foreigner living in Japan, there is so much to see and do. There are so many places to go, things to experience, and things to learn about Japan!

It is my hope here that I can share my experiences of living in Nihon (Japan) with others through blog posts and my photography.

よろしくおねがいします。