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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Turquoise whispers Echo through the caverns' heart— Sunlit secrets bloom. 青いささやき 洞窟の心に響く— 陽の秘密咲く。 #cavebath #onsen #japantravel #offbeatjapan #hiddenjapan #serenebeauty #turquoisewaters #naturelovers
Shadowed hues murmur Through fog-kissed windows aglow— Whispers of the past.  影色の声 霧の窓が灯す— 過去の囁き。  #offbeatjapan #japan #hiddenbeauty #urbanexploration #forgottenplaces #moodyinteriors #wanderlust
Palm trees whispering, Blue skies embrace the lone dome, Nature's quiet guard. --- ヤシの木がささやく、 青い空が孤独なドームを抱きしめる、 自然の静かな守護者。 --- #offbeatjapan #japan #okinawa #urbanexploration #abandonedplaces #naturalbeauty #architecturelovers #wanderjapan
Vast blue ocean blooms, Whispers of a pine tree stand— Sky's gentle embrace. 広大な青い海、 松の木が立つ囁き— 空の優しい抱擁。 #Shibazakura #HitachiSeasidePark #tranquilviews #naturebeauty #bluehues #offbeatjapan #japan
Emerald whispers, Guardians in moss embrace, Silent peace abides. エメラルドの囁き、 苔に抱かれた守護者、 静けさが満ちる。#offbeatjapan #japan #jizo #nature #spirituality #emeraldgreen #serenity #buddhism
Dusky light whispers, Old beams hold tales of the past— Craft and care now still.    淡い光、 古い梁が話す— 技と心。    #offbeatjapan #japan #abandonedplaces #vintagevibes #tradition #history #explorejapan #lostandfound
Sunrise hues cascade, Rice terraces mirror gold, Nature's ancient art. 朝陽の色 棚田は金を写し 自然の古い芸術 #ricefields #tanada #natureart #sunrisejapan #offbeatjapan #japan #landscapebeauty
Guiding gentle light, Sunset whispers on the path, Magic in stillness. 導く灯り、 小道に夕焼けの囁き、 静けさの魔法。 #offbeatjapan #japan #illumination #nightphotography #japanesescape #serenemoments #wanderlustjapan #pathoflight