Japan Travel Memories

 I returned from a trip to Japan with this view from Kyoto etched in my mind. 

Image 1: Kiyomizu Dera Temple in Kyoto, Japan

I took this photo of the Kiyomizu Dera Temple around sunset.  It was the last day that the temple was illuminated for the cherry blossom season in April 2025.  

My daughter and I had checked out of our Tokyo hotel and took a fast Shinkansen bullet train from Tokyo to Kyoto.  We raced to check our bulky luggage into our hotel, and then we ran up the roads, paths, and steps leading to the Temple, not knowing what to expect.  I had made the note "last night of the Kiyomizu Temple illumination" on my calendar, but had no idea what the Temple illumination actually meant.  Much of our time in Tokyo had been rainy, so we hadn't see many "illuminations" in Tokyo.

As I stood there, shivering in the cold, I had been wishing that the clouds hiding the setting sun would somehow magically disappear.  (Shivering because the side of a mountain is much colder than valley below, and Kyoto was colder than Tokyo was, and the temperature rockets down once the sun disappears, and the extra layers of clothing and gloves were safely packed miles away in our hotel room...)  As the sky turned darker we caught our breath.  I began to appreciate the temple's orange glow against the blue and purple skies and hills framing the city lights of Kyoto.  In the cold air (I couldn't see my breath, but I felt like I should have been able to!), the crowds thinned and I felt incredibly lucky to be able to share this day with my daughter.

Image 2: Night Illumination of Kiyomizu Dera Temple in Kyoto

Back at home, I have thousands of images to backup, sort, and process, which will allow me to relive and savor the trip.  Reviewing the photos from Japan might become my major project for the summer.  I plan to share more photos over time.

Until then, I am posting a collection of other travel memory posts below - click and enjoy!

Canadian Rockies Hike

Italian Garden

New York Christmas Lights

Canada's Bow Lake

Yellowstone Memories

Grand Canyon Indian Ruins

Grand Canyon South Rim

Yosemite's El Capitan

German Castle

NY Christmas Window Display

Paris Museum

Paris Reflections

Appalachian Evening

Autumn Color in Canada

NY Christmas P2

NY Christmas P1

Chicago Christmas

New York Eggs

Las Vegas Night

Dogs of New York

Washington DC

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