Autumn in Japan

This past April I visited Tokyo during cherry blossom (Sakura) time. It was my second visit to Japan's capital city, and it was as beautiful and exciting as the first. In November, I decided to include a side trip to Japan on my way to the U.S., recalling the brilliant yellow leaves of autumn when I was there a few years before in November. This photo tour begins in Kyoto and then concludes in Tokyo. The two cities are quite different, but are similar in their cultural norms, customs, history and beautifully preserved parks and temples.

All photos are by the author © John R Stiles 2016. It is illegal to use any photo without permission. For information, write to jsscience@yahoo.com.

KYOTO

The maples in Kyoto were changing, and although the two days I spent there were barely sufficient, I was thoroughly taken by the historic former capital city and its beautiful green spaces and temples.

A peek into the kitchen of a restaurant in Kyoto's Gion area. This part of Kyoto is a walker's paradise: interesting shops, temples, cobbled streets, and oozing with charm.

A traditional hand washing station at a temple. The Japanese take great pains to design around and include nature.

Traditional rickshaws are available for hire in Gion.

This restaurant scene through the window design drew my attention. Many restaurants are tiny and cozy, like this one.

Everything about this restaurant scene fascinated me: the chef, casually hung umbrella (it was raining), the sign and passing pedestrians gave it a balanced, and somewhat surreal effect.

Kyoto tower reflected in nearby office building. This landmark is across the street from the central train station and has a very comfortable and reasonably priced hotel, which makes catching buses at the train station to go to Kyoto sights very convenient. 

Pagoda at To-Ji ("East") Temple, southwest of the Kyoto train station. It is the tallest wooden tower in Japan. The entire grounds of the temple have been designated a World Heritage Site. The temples are also made entirely of wood and house magnificent wooden statues of Buddha statues and other related deities.

The "Golden Temple", Kinkakuji, a Zen Buddhist temple. The entire two top stories are layered with gold leaf. Many people, mainly women (not just Japanese), dress in traditional kimonos in Kyoto to be in tune with the history and culture. There are many shops around the city that rent kimonos.

Umbrellas neatly lined up outside of a gift shop as their owners browse merchandise.

TOKYO
Rikugien Gardens

"Rikugi-en" means "Garden of the Six Principles of Poetry" and is landscaped to reflect Waka style poetry. A serene park for strolling and reflecting.

This sculpted pine tree seemed to have an iconic Japanese shape.

Togetsukyo Bridge, a beautiful site in the gardens. It was named for a famous waka poem in which the moon moves across the sky and the cry of a crane can be heard from a rice paddy.

Brilliant autumn color in the gardens.

The pine trees in the park had woven straw sleeves around the trunks or large limbs. Added in autumn, the lower rope is tied tightly to keep the sleeve on the tree, and the top one is tied loosely to allow pine beetle larvae to enter where they spend the winter. In spring, the sleeves are gathered along with the dormant larvae, and burned. An ecological alternative to spraying toxic pesticides.

A pleasing scene at one of the ponds in the park.

Shinjuku Gyoen

This National Garden is vast and beautiful, with many paths through groves of trees, along meadows, a Japanese garden and French rose garden.

The huge trees in Shinjuku Gyoen were ablaze with a mix of colors. It was striking.

Surprisingly, I saw no other artist in the park, but there were many photographers, some serious, some casual.

One of hundreds of beautiful blooms in the French garden.

A stunning stand of large trees along the path.

Gingko leaves.

Rose in the French garden.

A Tai Chi practitioner

Ueno Park

Ueno Park, Tokyo's most popular park, is near Ueno Train Station. Famous for its spring cherry blossoms, it is also beautiful in autumn. The biggest difference is that the throngs of people that mass in spring are largely absent in autumn. The park is Tokyo's largest (300 acres) and houses many influential museums, temples, the national zoo, and... a Starbucks.

A bit early for the peak colors, the trees were nonetheless beautiful.

Walkway to Hanazono Inari Temple. Ueno Park is where the vast Kaneiji temple grounds once stood, but now only a few buildings from the powerful temple remain, including this small but beautiful temple.

A semi-annual ceremony at the temple. The ceremony was quite somber and ritualistic. I was told that at this particular temple, animal spirits are important and figure into the nature of the religious rites.

Also known as the "Fox Temple", it honors the spirit of foxes, as this guardian fox shows. Japanese believe very strongly in animal spirits.

Entrance to Toshogu Shinto Shrine ("Golden Shrine") near the zoo.

Reflections in puddles from a recent rain.

Three of the dozens of stone lanterns that border the path to the shrine.

View of the shrine's gilded main entrance.

View of the National Museum.

Schoolboys and a jogger share a path under the colorful spreading trees in Ueno Park.

If you go to Tokyo, plan for some time in the city's spectacular parks. You will be rewarded with serene paths and beautiful gardens, a respite from the frenzy of Tokyo's tourist and shopping areas.

Leaving the nest

All photos are © by the author. They may not be used without permission.

As I was driving across the Penobscot Narrows Bridge onto Verona island in Maine, I noticed an osprey nest on a platform, and since the daylight was fading, I planned to return the following morning to see if I could observe and photograph some osprey behavior. What I realized when I returned the next day, was that two of the fledglings had left the nest, and i was witnessing the parents encouraging the third young osprey to join its siblings. 

As both parents took turns coaxing the last fledgling to spread its wings and fly, I also heard chirping from nearby trees and realized that the other two young were waiting for their sibling, and calling out encouragement.

The parents launched themselves off the nest, demonstrating to the young osprey just how to do it. Patiently they returned to a perch below the nest and took turns returning to encourage their last nest-bound offspring.

Here a parent encourages the youngster, who is not seen in the nest. Finally...

The remaining fledgling mustered up its courage and launched itself out of the nest.

It soared across the highway in front of the bridge, and was joined by first one sibling:

and then the other. They soared in circles, chirping and shrieking in what can only be described as exhilaration. They circled directly overhead, climbing higher and higher as I and the two parents silently watched.

And then they were gone. I do not know if they returned to the nest, or simply found their own way. The parents did not join them in the celebratory flight. Perhaps they were tired, and relieved that their job was done.

For me, it was an incredibly serendipitous few moments during which I was privileged to watch this event unfold. I was literally in awe. What a magical experience!

Norway's master glassworkers

In the small town of Jevnaker, Norway, 40 km north of Oslo, the Hadeland Glassverk has been producing exquisite glassware for over 250 years. Founded by Denmark's king Christian VI when Norway was in a union with Denmark, it is Norway's oldest company, and the only glassworks in the country. I was fortunate to be taken on a tour of the factory by Odd-Erik Johnsen, who was my host during my stay in Norway, and who has been a master glassblower for over 40 years.

According to Odd-Erik, one must practice the art of glass blowing, shaping and etching for at least six years to be a master. Following are images and descriptions of the process.

All images are © by the author. All rights reserved. If interested in using any image, please send an email inquiry to jsscience@yahoo.com.

To begin creating each piece, glassworkers dip a long hollow metal tube into a vat of melted glass (1,100 degrees C) to scoop out a mass to be worked. The glass is imported from eastern Europe. Here Odd Erik Johnsen begins the process.

Sometimes the glassworker will shape the hot glass before blowing it into the desired piece.

The glass is then shaped by blowing it to conform to a mold.

Once the glass piece has been formed, blowtorches even out any problem areas and smooth the surface.

Each piece is then transferred to an oven for carefully controlled cooling over several hours to add strength.

Three persons are required to make an intricate candlestick. Here two masters add another piece to the stick.

The final piece has been added and is fired while being rolled to even out the applied heat.

The base is melted to smooth it. This candlestick takes about 30 minutes to make, and three people working together. This piece retails for about 7,000 Norwegian kroner, or $875 (31,500 THB).

Many pieces, including this goblet, are etched with various designs. A master craftsman (this man has been etching for 35 years) marks the edges of the design on the glass, then manipulates it on a circular diamond saw. It takes 5 years of practice to become a master etcher.

A beautiful final design.

Hadeland Glassverk is a unique company that produces beautiful glass items. The parking lot is overflowing every day during the summer months, as visitors from several countries come to buy the unique products. If you are ever in Norway, a trip to this company nestled in the beautiful countryside of lakes and mountains, is well worth it.