The first plum blossoms this year

I decided to walk to the office I work, because I missed a commuting bus this morning. It takes about 40 minutes from my house to the office.
However, fortunately, I could see the plum blossoms on the way to the office. It was the first plum blossoms seen this year. I felt on the plum blossoms that spring is coming soon. So I took pictures of plum blossoms as shown in below. Thus I was late to the office.

Larch in autumn colour

star and jet trails

It was very cold during taking pictures of the star trails last night. I was just standing on a playground nearly one hour. My camera was taking pictures automatically based on the setting I provided. I was just waiting until my camera finished shooting of 350 frames. The picture above was composed from 350 frames of photograph.

The Satoyama of early spring

The Vernal Equinox Day is about two weeks later.　It becomes warmer day after day.　
The plum blossoms are starting to open in the Satoyama too.
Days of hay fever begin for me with the arrival of spring from now on for few months.

The heavenly place where the primroses bloomed gregariously.

The photo has been originally uploaded by Yuichi Momma's photostream in flickr.

I visited such a heavenly place on one day of a break in the rainy season. The place is at an altitude of about 1,300 meters, and the site is located at the Lake Chuzenji side in the Oku-Nikko.  The place cannot be accessed by own cars. Because, the area is limited to vehicles in order to prevent natural destructions. We have to park own cars in a parking lot where is about 10 miles away from that area, and we have to take the hybrid bus of the lower pollution performs shuttle service.

Trees of White Birch and Snow-huts

Trees of White Birch and Snow-huts, originally uploaded by photoholic image.

I enjoyed hot spring bathing in one Ryokan at Yumoto Onsen after two miles of snowshoe trekking in Senjyo-ga-hara.
The Yumoto onsen is located at the far end of Oku-Nikko area, and the place is famous in hot spring resort. People visit there to enjoy both ski or snowboard and hot spring bathing. The photos here show Kamakura Matsuri, that means Snow-hut Festival, held at Yumoto onsen in order to promote tourism. Many foreign visitors from Australia, Taiwan, Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore and other countries also visit there to enjoy wonderful nature of Oku-Nikko.
As for the access information for Nikko, try to check here.

Silhouette of trees on the snow

Silhouette of trees on the snow, originally uploaded by photoholic image.

The photo was taken at the snowshoe trekking in Senjyo-ga-hara, Nikko, Japan.
Senjyo-ga-hara is very beautiful and nature-rich place where is an altitude of 4600 feet above sea level.

feel cold??

feel cold??, originally uploaded by photoholic image.

Icicles and waterflow were shining with morning sunlight. It was 23 degree Fahrenheit (-5 degree Celsius) at Ryuzu-no-taki waterfall, where is about 4200 feet above sea level, in Nikko, Japan.

A Christmas tree with winter cherry blossoms

A gorgeous Christmas tree is set at the Brick Square in Marunouchi, Tokyo. At the same place, there is a cherry tree that is in bloom now.

The left side image shows Christmas tree with cherry blossoms, and, right one shows up-closed image of cherry blossoms in the Brick Square.

Christmas illumination in Marunouchi

Marunouchi Nakadoori Avenue is illuminated by so many LEDs after 5:00 p.m. for Christmas season.

a train and rapeseeds

a train and rapeseeds, originally uploaded by photoholic image.

A train of 115 series is running on a local railway which is called Ryomo Line of the East Japan Railway Company.
This local railway, operation started in 1888, connects Oyama station in Tochigi Pref. with Shin-Maebashi station in Gumma Pref. and its operation distance is about 84Km (52 miles) with 18 stations including both terminals. The journey takes about one and half hours from Oyama to Shin-Maebashi.

A small temple where women pray for an easy delivery.

A small temple where women pray for an easy delivery., originally uploaded by photoholic image.

This small temple is dedicated to Goddess of Mercy and it is called "Kan-non-do San-no-miya　(観音堂産の宮）" commonly known as "Kyosha-do(香車堂）" among local people.
You can see so many pentagonal shaped wooden pieces on which two characters are written like "香車" saying "Kyosha" that is one of pieces of Japanese Chess called Shogi. The chess piece of Kyosha can move straight forward only so that people thought it can be associated with an easy delivery.
An old tradition in this region has it that pregnant women have an easy delivery of a baby if they borrow any one of pieces of Kyosha from here and bring it back to their home.
After the birth of a baby, women come back to this temple to return the piece of Kyosha with new one as a thank to the deity. Therefore, number of piece of Kyosha are increased gradually.

Morning Glory Fair at Iriya town, Tokyo

Morning Glory Fair is held from 6th to 8th July at Iriya town, Tokyo. The fair was started about 60 years ago and it will be held for three days from 6th to 8th of July each year.
Young women disguise themselves as temporary hawkers with wearing of the traditional hawker's costumes and they call out to passers-by to purchase.
More photos of the fair can be seen in my gallery.

taken by Olympus Pen E-P1 with M. Zuiko Digital 14-42mm 1:3.5-5.6 1/125 f/11 ISO400

Hydrangea in the rainy season

Hydrangea in the rainy season, originally uploaded by photoholic's images.

The gloomy weather has been continued over past few days because of the rainy season now. But the hydrangea is most beautiful in the rainy season.

梅雨時で鬱陶しい天候が続いていますが、この時期、紫陽花が最も美しいです。

taken by Olympus Pen E-P1 with Ai Micro Nikor 55mm 1:2.8, 1/125 f/2.8 ISO100 Aperture Priority AE