months and years

Kawagoe Hikawa Shrine | A refreshing wind chime featuring the shrine's name

This photo was taken at Kawagoe Hikawa Shrine, where I positioned the wind chime so that the characters for “Kawagoe Hikawa Shrine” would be visible when viewed from a slightly lower angle.

2026July 2026JulySaitama prefecture (Kantou area)Kawagoe Hikawa ShrineVarious Scenerywind chime

Kawagoe Hikawa Shrine | A lantern with the focus set on the second one

This photo was taken at Kawagoe Hikawa Shrine. It captures the row of lanterns stretching into the distance, and I focused on the second lantern from the front to emphasize the sense of depth.

2026July 2026JulySaitama prefecture (Kantou area)Kawagoe Hikawa ShrineLanternsShrines, Temples, CastlesVarious Scenery

Kawagoe Hikawa Shrine | A lantern in focus in the foreground

This photo was taken at Kawagoe Hikawa Shrine. I focused on the lantern in the foreground while capturing the orderly rows of lanterns at the shrine, paying special attention to the sense of depth.

2026July 2026JulySaitama prefecture (Kantou area)Kawagoe Hikawa ShrineLanternsShrines, Temples, CastlesVarious Scenery

Kawagoe Hikawa Shrine | A Beautiful Row of Wind Chimes Seen from Below

I took this photo at Kawagoe Hikawa Shrine, holding the camera at an angle to look up at the front of the shrine, with the intention of capturing the wind chimes neatly lined up.

2026July 2026JulySaitama prefecture (Kantou area)Kawagoe Hikawa ShrineVarious Scenerywind chime

Kawagoe Hikawa Shrine | A row of lanterns stretching all the way to the back

I took this photo at Kawagoe Hikawa Shrine from a slight distance, focusing on the row of lanterns stretching into the distance.

2026July 2026JulySaitama prefecture (Kantou area)Kawagoe Hikawa ShrineLanternsShrines, Temples, CastlesVarious Scenery

Kawagoe Hikawa Shrine | A Faded Amulet and the Shrine's Name That Stands Out

This photo was taken at Kawagoe Hikawa Shrine; I blurred the surrounding talismans slightly so that only the words “Kawagoe Hikawa Shrine” written in the center stand out.

2026July 2026JulySaitama prefecture (Kantou area)Kawagoe Hikawa ShrineVarious Scenerywind chime

Kawagoe Hikawa Shrine | Wind Chimes Featuring Glass and Amulets

This photo was taken at Kawagoe Hikawa Shrine, looking up from the lower left diagonal, with a composition designed to show both the glass part of the wind chime and the talisman, to create a sense of depth.

2026July 2026JulySaitama prefecture (Kantou area)Kawagoe Hikawa ShrineVarious Scenerywind chime

Kawagoe Hikawa Shrine | A Crystal-Clear Wind Chime Set Against a Green Background

This photo was taken at Kawagoe Hikawa Shrine, where I arranged the background in vivid green to make the translucent wind chimes stand out beautifully.

2026July 2026JulySaitama prefecture (Kantou area)Kawagoe Hikawa ShrineVarious Scenerywind chime

Kawagoe Hikawa Shrine | Cool, Refreshing Wind Chimes Against a Green Background

This photo was taken at Kawagoe Hikawa Shrine, with greenery in the background to make the refreshing wind chimes stand out beautifully.

2026July 2026JulySaitama prefecture (Kantou area)Kawagoe Hikawa ShrineVarious Scenerywind chime

Niigata’s Principal Shrine: Hakusan Shrine | Lotus Flowers Blooming Under the Blue Sky

This photo was taken at Hakusan Shrine, the principal shrine of Niigata, using a composition that looks up at a beautifully shaped lotus flower from below, with a large portion of the blue sky included in the frame.

2026July 2026JulyNiigata PrefectureNiigata’s Principal Shrine: Hakusan Shrineblooming (esp. of cherry blossoms)lotus

Niigata’s Principal Shrine: Hakusan Shrine | Beautiful Lotus Flowers Enveloped in Lotus Leaves

This photo was taken at Hakusan Shrine, the principal shrine of Niigata Prefecture. It was composed to look up at a beautifully shaped lotus flower from below, with plenty of the lower leaves included in the frame.

2026July 2026JulyNiigata PrefectureNiigata’s Principal Shrine: Hakusan Shrineblooming (esp. of cherry blossoms)lotus

Yorii Beach (Niigata) | The Crystal-Clear Shores of the Sea of Japan

This photo was taken at Yorii Beach (Niigata) and captures the crystal-clear coastal scenery of the Sea of Japan.

2026July 2026JulyYorii Beach (Niigata)Niigata PrefectureseaVarious Scenery

Niigata Prefecture | A landscape of rice paddies stretching into the distance

This photo was taken in Niigata Prefecture and shows a rice paddy with a view stretching far into the distance.

2026July 2026JulyNiigata PrefectureWithin Niigata Prefecturepaddy fieldVarious Scenery

Niigata Prefecture | Green Rice Fields and Distant Mountains

This photo was taken in Niigata Prefecture and shows a vast expanse of green rice paddies with a range of mountains stretching into the distance.

2026July 2026JulyNiigata PrefectureWithin Niigata Prefecturepaddy fieldVarious Scenery

Niigata Prefectural Botanical Garden | Looking Up at a Ginkgo Tree

This photo was taken at the Niigata Prefectural Botanical Garden, with a composition that looks up at a ginkgo tree from below.

2026July 2026JulyJapanese Black PineNiigata PrefectureNiigata Prefectural Botanical Gardenblooming (esp. of cherry blossoms)

Niigata Prefectural Botanical Garden | Hydrangeas and the Greenhouse Dome

This photo was taken at the Niigata Prefectural Botanical Garden and shows both the hydrangeas and the greenhouse dome.

2026July 2026JulyNiigata PrefectureNiigata Prefectural Botanical Gardenhydrangea (Hydrangea macrophylla)blooming (esp. of cherry blossoms)

Echigo Hills State Park | Hydrangea Stairs and Paths

This photo was taken at the Echigo Hills State Park, focusing on the hydrangeas in the foreground while capturing the hydrangea-lined stairs and paths.

2026July 2026JulyEchigo Hills National ParkNiigata Prefecturehydrangea (Hydrangea macrophylla)blooming (esp. of cherry blossoms)

Echigo Hills National Park | Pink Hydrangeas and the Mountain Range

This photo was taken at the Echigo Hills State Park, showing pink hydrangeas and the distant mountains as seen from the top of a hill.

2026July 2026JulyEchigo Hills National ParkNiigata Prefecturehydrangea (Hydrangea macrophylla)blooming (esp. of cherry blossoms)

Echigo Hills National Park | Hydrangeas and Mountains Seen Through a Wide-Angle Lens

This photo was taken at the Echigo Hills National Park using wide-angle mode to capture a sweeping view of the pink hydrangeas and the surrounding mountains from the top of a hill.

2026July 2026JulyEchigo Hills National ParkNiigata Prefecturehydrangea (Hydrangea macrophylla)blooming (esp. of cherry blossoms)

Tsukuba Experimental Botanical Garden | Bellflowers Blooming Under a Cloudy Sky

This photo was taken at the Tsukuba Experimental Botanical Garden on a cloudy day, showing the bellflowers blooming throughout the garden.

2026June 2026JuneAssam indigo (Strobilanthes cusia)Tsukuba Experimental Botanical Gardenblooming (esp. of cherry blossoms)Ibaraki prefecture (Kantou area)