I guess yesterday's A Simple “What am I?” Quiz wasn't as simple as I thought because there have been no correct answers yet. While I give it some more time, above we have a view of the entrance foyer from the same visit that produced the quiz photo.

I've so much to post from yesterday's visit, but I don't know when I'll find time, considering that we're now really starting to get into the fall foliage season in Kyoto. I spent a long photographic today in Arashiyama with Paul Barr and Damien Douxchamps, ending with the most-tasty chicken at Uroko. [...]

It's been a while (almost a year!) since my last "What am I?" Quiz... I'll have to do better.

Today's "What am I?" quiz is fairly simple (it's clearly wood), so today I add a "Why?". Why is the What above what it is?

The photo is from an amazing day today at the Seifuso Villa (清風荘) near Kyoto University. The subject of the photo is something one sometimes sees to a small extent at temples; what I saw today was by far the best example of (whatever it is) I've ever seen.

(As usual, I'll hold all comments back [...]

The load photo on the other day's post (Why Does Photography with an iPad Look so Silly?) showed the picturesque Kintai Bridge in the background.

According to its Wikipedia page, it was first built 340 years ago, but was destroyed by a typhoon 60 years ago and rebuilt 50 years ago, and refurbished 10 years ago.

It's a few miles from my father-in-law's childhood home, so we stopped by during a visit last month.

Some of the huge stones at the top of the piers were locked to other stones via small bowtie-shaped insets, four of which (of presumably six [...]

Given yesterday's post about how iPad photography looks silly (not is silly, mind you, but looks silly, to me), when I was out and about in Kyoto today with a friend visiting from The States, seeing someone taking pictures with an iPad caught my attention more than average.

The scene above, at the Kiyomizu Temple (清水寺) not long before sunset, really warmed my heart. I loved the juxtaposition of old and new... traditional and revolutionary... young and old (and young at heart)... all wrapped in the aura of understated but undeniable class and style. I was tickled pink just to [...]

Over the years I've posted many sunsets from the Shogunzuka Overlook (将軍塚) in eastern Kyoto, from spectacular to quiet but nice to the most common: downright bland. It's been a source of occasionally dynamic views for a long time, but the practical reality is that for every one time I show something from up there, I've visited and returned empty-handed many times.

Overall, the median experience is, basically, a waste of time.

I tend to keep track of the sky's potential for a nice sunset throughout the day, all while mentally juggling my schedule to see whether a trip up [...]