Buddhas on Naoshima Island.
Single chair lift at Amanohasidate.
Beautiful Koto, in Takamatsu’s Ritsurin Garden. I hadn’t realized that these instruments are so large, something around six feet in length. I am getting a Koto lesson tonight, in Hiroshima!
Edit: My koto teacher said that, traditionally, the koto represented a dragon. The left side of the koto, in the above picture, is the head, while the right side is the tail.
Dragon detail on the Koto, above, on the right side. Also, note the thousands of pieces of inlaid wood.
Carp in the Ritsurin Garden. These are two of thousands!
Finally, my favorite. The covers are designed to depict something about the town, city, or history where they are placed. This one, in Takamatsu, is both archery evocative and with an interesting story. A famous battle in Japan’s history (1,100’s) ended with the defeat of the enemy. As they retreated by boat they raised their banner as a sign of defiance in spite of defeat. An archer rode into the water and, with one arrow, struck the banner which fell into the sea, thus further humiliating the vanquished foe. This history/legend/myth is said to have taken place in the sea near Takamatsu. In the cover you can see the archer, his horse, the poised arrow, the banner of the fleeing vessel, and the waves of the sea. Here it is, in color.
Autumn In Japan 