Yamanashi Prefecture, on the shore of Lake Kawaguchiko. On New Year's Day 2022, Mt. Fuji under a clear sky full of fresh energy after watching the first sunrise.

Eye shooting green beauty of Hokkaido. I feel so relaxed after visiting this place. It was from Hinode park in hokkaido's Furano area in 2021 summer. Fresh and beautiful green scenery.

Heaven on earth. The rainbow colored flower field with blue sky. The white clouds creates more scenic environment. In the background there is patchwork field and mountain range. What else one nature lover can expect? Its a perfect place to visit in summer. This photo was taken from shikisai no oka in the Furano area of hokkaido. I was amazed to see this beautiful park. If you have any chance to visit this park in next summer then I would highly recommended it.

Japanese pampas grass in Tomine Highland in Kamikawa, Hyogo Prefecture The pampas grass here is always beautiful and you can see the Milky Way at night.

Cherry blossoms cuddling like a couple found by chance in Shiso City, Hyogo Prefecture I like the cherry blossoms here because the place of relaxation is under the cherry blossoms, and I often visit them to eat lunch with my family during the day.

Hyogo Prefecture Mt. Hiyori is Ryugu Castle. I used a filter with a long second exposure to shoot the waves like clouds.

The patchwork field is very popular among the tourist because of its scenic beauty. Luckily when I visited hokkaido in summer I was able to see this beautiful patchwork field. On the background there is are hills which makes the scenery more beautiful. I would love to call this as patchwork hill. The photo was taken in furano area of hokkaido in July 2021.

Tottori Sand Dunes in winter I have visited the Tottori Sand Dunes many times, but on this day it was difficult due to the bad weather and snowstorm, but unlike the usual sand dunes, the pure white sand dunes were a wonderful sight.

edgeworthia chrysantha group in Shiso City, Hyogo Prefecture edgeworthia chrysantha was also the raw material for banknotes and was truly a golden forest.

It was taken at Naritasan Shinshoji Temple.

Beautifully decorated Yokohama China town during chinese new year using red lantern, chinese hoardings and lantern dragons.

This photo was taken at Naritasan Shinshoji Temple. ? When I visited for the first time, I was attracted by the beauty of the five-storied pagoda on the site and took this photo. We were able to get a glimpse of 1500 years of history.

The title is "Dancing Yosakoi Flag" I hope that one day there will be a special four days where you can feel the enthusiasm of the dancers and the audience again.

The shrine and its nearby area at China town, Yokohama were well decorated with lights and lanterns before the Chinese new year. It looks very beautiful and charming.

Just some more photos to wrap up our trip to Nikko. I took a bunch of photos of different monuments and buildings that seemed important or had lavish decorations. I can't make out what the writing on the monument says but I can at least make out the kanji for heart (心). I also liked the golden palanquins inside the the building in the forth photo, although I'm not sure if they were used at some point or are simply for decoration. The other photos are from Futarasan Chugushi Shrine (二荒山中宮祠神社) located in front of Lake Chuzenji. Unfortunately we didn't have time to go inside the shrine but I was at least able to take some nice photos of the torii gate. Apparently it has a kagura hall as well and the entrance to Mt. Nantai is located inside the shrine as well. And finally, just an assortment of food that I haven't posted yet. All of it tasted great. It was definitely a trip I'm never going to forget!

Some more photos from our trip to Nikko. There were so many awesome monuments, landmarks, and buildings that it'd be impossible to fit it all into one post. I was so glad that I had my mobile battery with me because I was taking so many photos that I was just burning through my battery lol. I really liked how the incense burner looked and I tried looking up how old it was but I wasn't able to find anything about it, only the one in front of Tokugawa Ieyasu's burial site. I would have liked to use the chozuya as well, but unfortunately it was closed off due to covid. I also liked seeing the sake barrels as well as they always brighten up shrines. The "Ippon Toro" lantern was interesting as well. I'd never heard of Empress Tofukumon'in before either, so it gave me some interesting things to read about Japan's Edo Period. Apparently she helped rebuild prominent temple in Kyoto and collected art and pottery from famous artisans of the time and even those of the past. Some buildings I'd have to look at a map to know their names but there was definitely no shortage of decorations. Unfortunately we weren't able to take photos inside some of the main buildings, but a few of them had ceiling paintings done by famous painters. Many of them were birds, and I'm not an expert, but I think they were mostly cranes and they were all really beautiful.

Continuing on from yesterday's post... On the second and final day of our trip we woke up and ate a light breakfast followed by some udon and soba at a nice little restaurant on the way to the Kirifuri Highlands (霧降高原). We were originally planning on hiking up to the observation deck around 880 meters up the mountain, but it proved to be a little farther than we thought it would be an had to stop at around 650 meters as there was a massive staircase to reach the observation deck and not everyone in the group was up for the challenge lol. Not having the proper gear didn't help much either. Most people had on snow shoes and they could easily trek through the snow but wearing just boots or tennis shoes we were a bit under-equipped and decided it'd be better not to overdo it. We got to see some really amazing views and talk to an 85-year-old man who told us what gear we should buy if we're planning on hiking in the snow, about how the dam located on the mountains across from us rises and falls during the day/night, and how this was his ~60th time climbing the mountain but the woman he came with has done it more than 300 times. She had to turn back early that day, but those are some impressive numbers! After enjoying the outdoors we headed over to Nikko Edomura/Edo Wonderland (日光江戸村) and had a blast exploring the theme park. We arrived at about 2pm so we got a nice discount on our all-day passes. Walking around we got to see all of the different buildings that gave the theme park its Edo-Period-feel. We also got to see the oiran procession (花魁道中) which was really awesome as well. It seemed like they tried to make it as accurate as possible too. The way the courtesan walked was in the traditional figure eight style which, from what I've read, is not easily done, so I assume that this is a sort of special type of profession as she was doing it (to my untrained eye) perfectly. One funny thing was that the girls in red in front of the courtesan had to slouch somewhat because they were too tall and the theme park obviously can't employ children to play the role like they would have traditionally. We also got some temporary "tattoos." They got some cute Nyan-mage tattoos and I got a Shinsengumi tattoo lol. After that we watched a really awesome performance inside of the ninja theater, but we weren't allowed to film or take photos so I don't have anything to post unfortunately. It was really cool seeing the ninja actors jumping off of rooves and fighting though. On top of that we also tried out the ninja maze where I was unfortunately the last one to make it out as I got unlucky and hit a dead end at the last part of the maze. This was a really fun experience as there were a lot of hidden and revolving doors that you had to find to escape the maze. We also did the shuriken experience and I managed to get 3/5 but I gave one of my shuriken to my girlfriend in the hopes that she would stick one in the target but unfortunately she wasn't able to lol. I guess I was technically 3/4 because of that. Overall the whole trip was a blast and we got to make some awesome memories out in Tochigi. I definitely recommend it as a travel destination!

Took a trip out to Nikko, Tochigi over the three day weekend and had an incredible time. The purpose of the trip was to celebrate my girlfriend's sister's college graduation so we wanted to make it as memorable as possible. I don't have enough room to fit this into one post so I'll post the rest throughout the week. We started out from Tokyo and had lunch somewhere Nikko Toshogu Shrine. I'm not sure if Yuba is a local specialty but it seemed like literally every single restaurant in the area was selling it so I'm assuming that was the case. It was my first time trying it and it was pretty interesting I guess you could say. It tasted alright with the soy sauce and radish but I think I prefer normal tofu instead. Either way it was a nice experience. After eating we headed out to Nikko Toshogu Shrine nearby and man was it amazing. Everything was so lavishly decorated that I couldn't stop taking photos. The pagoda was incredibly beautiful as well and the snow covering the Nikko area made everything even more beautiful. I was lucky enough to get a really nice shot of the corridor full of lanterns while no one was walking through the area as well. I also took a photo of the torii gate at the top of the steps as it had a very strong presence and signaled the end of the long journey up the steps to reach the inner shrine. Unfortunately the main gate was undergoing repairs so it was completely covered in tarp and surrounded by staging so I wasn't able to get a photo of it, but I did get some really cool shots of the main shrine. I tried as hard as I could to get some good photos of the grave of Tokugawa Ieyasu, and while I think the photo of the gate isn't bad, I think I'd need a better camera to get a good shot of the crane and his tomb. That being said it was still really awesome to see. After checking out the shrine we headed out to Kegon Falls and I managed to get some really nice videos and some decent photos as well. I can't post the videos or I would. It was really awesome seeing the icicles surrounding the waterfall and all of the frozen scenery as well. Even just taking the lift down to the waterfall was an experience. After we left the waterfall observation deck and went back up the elevator we got some suiton (水団, flour dumplings in soup) and shared it between the three of us as a light snack before dinner later that evening. We also visited Lake Chuzenji and admired the scenery there for a bit as well. We didn't spend a ton of time here so this photo was the best I could do. I like that I was able to get the sign in the shot though so I can't complain. After enjoying the view of the lake we headed to our hotel and ate dinner and had some wine. The place we stayed at was called "Lamb Chop" (ペンション・ラムチャップ日光). The food was great and service provided by the the owners was top notch, so I definitely recommend checking it out if you're looking for a place to stay in the area. After dinner we headed back to our room and I was so exhausted I fell asleep almost instantly. And that was the end of day 1! I'll post day two tomorrow since this post is getting quite long now!

Although the samba dance is from Brazil but I saw it 1st time in Tokyo at Asakusa area. It was from 38th Asakusa Samba carnival in 2019. I was really very excited and happy to see it. Unfortunately from 2020 because of corona the event is not happening but I wish this 2022 I could see it again.

Things made by humans from the past to the present Nature is all good I wish ☺️ I could leave it for the future

Festival held in Nagasaki City from October 7 to 9 [Nagasaki Kunchi] It is designated as an Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property of Japan. The float in the photo is [Kokkodesho] It is a popular votive dance among Nagasaki kunchi. The rough skill of throwing a float high into the sky and grabbing it with the thrown arm outstretched, masculinity, and bravery of shouting There is no doubt that it will be full of charm that will hook the viewer. I think that other votive dances are also unique and very enjoyable festival events. There are many stalls, and there is no doubt that both children and adults can enjoy a fun time! !! I wanted to capture the power and dynamism of the moment when I threw it high into the sky, so I shot with the shutter speed down. I think I was able to capture the movement of the hand and the expression of the bearer well in my own way.

Take a ? walk in the Bikan district of Okayama Prefecture I don't know anything about the old days. Just walking is exciting A place ☺️ I love no matter how many times I go Nothing but ♡ happiness to eat and drink delicious

This Kasaboko (flower parasol) used in 300 years old Japanese festival in Chichibu which actually looks stunning. This chichibu night festival is also known as 'chichibu yomatsuri'. I was really very excited to see it.

The annual Rokko Meetup at Mt. Rokko Rokko Meetout that my family looks forward to every year because it is the autumn of art I thought it was difficult to produce in Corona, but all the works are wonderful and I am really grateful to the creators. And we are looking forward to revitalizing Mt. Rokko not only with the night view but also with art, and seeing more tourists than ever before and showing more fun and bustle.

I went there because I had the opportunity to see the Japanese umbrella lit up at Amanohashidate Chionji Temple, which I had wanted to visit for a long time. The fireworks festival after this was also good, but I personally liked Japanese Japanese and it was very beautiful.

I went there because I had the opportunity to see the Japanese umbrella lit up at Amanohashidate Chionji Temple, which I had wanted to visit for a long time. The fireworks festival after this was also good, but I personally liked Japanese Japanese and it was very beautiful.

First visit at Meiji Jingu Camera: canon eos40d Lens: TAMRON XR Di II We also do Twitter and Instagram, so please follow us! Both have an account ID etuko_photos!!

From the snowy Meiji Jingu Shrine. Camera: canon eos40d Lens: TAMRON XR Di II We also do Twitter and Instagram, so please follow us! Both have an account ID etuko_photos!!

I usually visit my hometown for the first time, but when I went to the Himeji Manto Festival, an event that has been going on since 1978, I was surprised by the number of lanterns. Since tripods are prohibited, I took a hand-held photo so as not to disturb the worshippers.

Lion dance Tenjin festival held on Iejima Local children perform a lion dance on a gorgeous boat, but this is also not possible to see due to Corona. Up Allowed