Tranquil autumn beauty in Japanese garden with vibrant foliage surrounding serene pond.
Tranquil autumn beauty in Japanese garden with vibrant foliage and serene pond.

Autumn Leaves in Tokyo

When Winnie the pooh is taking a walk with Christopher Robin in the 100 acre wood, it must have be autumn when they looked down the river, and suddenly there is everything you need to know.

It must have appeared lazy for us to publish an article about autumn leaves just before Christmas. But it is really the weather’s fault; the abnormality of it has greatly influenced this year’s harvest, not surprisingly also delayed the turning of colours in leaves. Now with the nice golden colour of 銀杏 (Ginkgo, as a matter of act this tree is endangered!) outside my window, let us start our journey.

Autumn Leaves - Yellow

Autumn Leaves - Mysterious Glimmer

The colour of autumn, instead of being red as for most Japanese, is actually a warm yellow or orange colour for me. Maybe this is because of the saying in Chinese “golden autumn”, or maybe it is simply regarding to the sparkling sunlight. The sun with the particular angle at this time of year, giving out its warmth through in between the leaves, bouncing on the river then finally landing in the pile of dry leaves. The playful light satisfies all my childish imagination, as if all the fairy tales I was told as a child happened under this particular ambiance. When Winnie the pooh is taking a walk with Christopher Robin in the 100 acre wood, it must have be autumn when they looked down the river, and suddenly there is everything you need to know.

Autumn Leaves - Nanushinotaki

Autumn Leaves - Rikugien Frame

Autumn Leaves - Rikugien Bridge

The traditional Japanese gardens always look amazing in photos. I would venture to say that they look better in photos then reality, especially in a busy season like now when leaves are changing colors. Japanese are seasonal creatures, every season there is a particular theme to follow; spring is 花見 (sakura blossom),  summer is お祭り (festival by the shrines where you watch performance and eat street food with traditional clothes), autumn is 紅葉 (red leaves) and winter is centered around お正月 (new year celebration).

Autumn Leaves - Rikugien Red

Autumn Leaves - Zen

autumn, daimon, japan, japanese, kanto, minato, minato-ku, natural, nature, tokyo

autumn, japan, japanese, kanto, minato, minato-ku, natural, nature, roppongi, tokyo

Autumn Leaves - Midtumn Walk

Autumn Leaves - Morning Dreamy Wander

Autumn Leaves - Midtown Park

The perception of autumn varies between cultures, but there are great similarity between Asian countries. In China and Japan, autumn bears the meaning of harvest. Thus in both countries, it is the season for food. Chinese people believe it is wise to eat a bit more than usual in autumn to prepare themselves for the severe winter, and Japanese believe autumn is the time to regain the lost appetite from the hot and humid summer. Both countries having a strong agricultural background, are to enjoy the golden harvest whole-heartedly.

Autumn Leaves - Midtumn Leaves

Autumn Leaves - Daimon

Autumn Leaves - Tree of Life

Autumn Leaves - Give It Me All

Autumn Leaves - Ruin

And after a long photo shooting day, we ended up in a nice old temple with an army of お地蔵様 (jizo) . Here they are having the appearance of innocent children, some are even making funny or grumpy faces. They are covered with red hats, and beside each of them a colourful pinwheel. They fact that they are the remembrances of the lost children always made me extremely sad; for each little jizo you can see the parents’ name. I wish they have all found their peace as time passes. Just as the falling leaves will always bring great blossom next spring, let us wish all the lost souls grand reincarnation in the next alternation.

japan, japanese

japan, japanese

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Who Am I

Jordy Meow
This is me!

I am Jordy Meow, a French photographer based in Tokyo. I explore offbeat places in Japan.

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White snow whispers past, Gray corridors hold secrets, Number three stands still. ---白雪がささやく、 灰色の回廊は秘密を抱く、 数字の三が静かに佇む。 ---#HokkaidoMystery #SnowboundSecrets #WinterDecay #HiddenHokkaido #OffbeatJapan #Japan #AbandonedBeauty
Emerald hills call, Beneath the boundless blue skies, A lone horse wanders. エメラルドの丘が呼ぶ 果てしない青い空の下 一頭の馬が歩く #serenejapan #ruralbeauty #countryside #peacefulvibes #offbeatjapan #japan #hiddenparadise
Red banners whisper, Mossy stones lead to the sky— Nature's quiet shrine.  赤い旗が囁き、 苔むした石段が空へ誘う— 自然の静かな神社。 #offbeatjapan #japan #torii #shrinesofjapan #nature #serenity #japaneseforest
Emerald whispers, Water's silky dance glides free, Nature's quiet hymn. エメラルドのささやき、 水の絹の舞、静かな自然の賛歌。 #Akame48 #waterfalllove #serenejapan #mysticalforest #naturephotography #offbeatjapan #japan
Golden sun descends, Cliffs cradle emerald dreams— Nature's fierce embrace. ---黄金の陽、 崖が翡翠の夢を抱く— 自然の強き抱擁。 ---#offbeatjapan #japan #sunsetviews #natureembrace #mountainbeauty #aeriallandscape #dramaticviews
Ancient roots embrace, Rugged bark whispers secrets— Green serenity. ---古代の根 ざらざらした樹皮が囁く— 緑の静寂 ---#ancienttree #mysticalforest #naturewonders #contemplationspot #sereneforest #offbeatjapan #japan
Sakura whispers, Ruby bridge spans tranquil flow, Spring's fleeting embrace. 桜のささやき、 ルビーの橋は静かな流れを渡る、 春の儚い抱擁。 #cherryblossoms #sakura #japan #traditionaljapan #tranquility #natureandarchitecture #offbeatjapan
Weathered wood whispers, White walls gleam in green embrace— Time flows with the stream.朽ちた木がささやき、 緑が抱く白い壁— 時間は川と流れる。#OffbeatJapan #HiddenGems #SereneScenes #Japan #Tradition #PeacefulViews #CulturalHarmony