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A (Very) Brief Visit to Nara

A (Very) Brief Visit to Nara

While in Kyoto, we took a short trip one morning to visit Nara briefly. We walked from Nara station to the Great Buddha Hall and back.

Large traditional Japanese temple with a curved roof, surrounded by greenery and a group of people gathered outside.
A park with two deer grazing near a stone-lined drainage channel. Large trees stand to the left, with a grassy area extending into the background.
A stone monument with inscriptions, surrounded by a bamboo fence. Trees and a traditional building roof are visible in the background.

The deer at Nara are a main attraction and some people like to feed them. We mostly just bowed to them. Sometimes they bowed back.

A person bowing at a deer, with a museum building in the background.
People and deer in front of a large traditional Japanese gate at a temple, with a cloudy sky in the background.

This figure was the first thing I saw that made me go “Whoa!” as I stared at it for a minute.

Large wooden statue of a guardian deity behind a wooden fence inside a temple structure.
A large statue of Buddha seated within a temple, surrounded by ornate golden decorations, with two potted plants in the foreground and red pillars on each side.
A large, intricate statue of Buddha inside a temple with multiple visitors observing and taking photos.
A large, intricately detailed wooden statue of a warrior stands in an indoor setting, surrounded by visitors. The statue features ornate armor and a dynamic pose.

I love a scale model and this one, hundreds of years old, was awesome!

A scale model of a traditional Japanese temple complex on display, with visitors observing and reading informational panels.

The all-wood construction was amazing to behold in all its details. They caught my eye several times.

Old wooden pillar with metal hinges and weathered texture in a traditional setting.
The image shows the detailed wooden roof structure and ceiling of a traditional building, featuring interlocking beams and grid-like patterns.
Traditional Japanese building facade with wooden beams, white plaster walls, and wood slat windows.
A group of people gather around a wooden statue dressed in a red hood. The statue is seated on a wooden platform outside, and some visitors are reaching out to touch it.
A tree with two deer resting under it, set in a paved area with a stone monument and a fenced park in the background.
A Japanese temple with a tiled roof is surrounded by lush greenery and trees. A golden spire, resembling a pagoda, is visible among the trees in the background under a cloudy sky.
Exterior of a traditional Japanese building with red wooden columns, intricate roof design, and surrounding greenery along a narrow water stream.

The whole visit was about two hours as we had to be back in time for something. Would’ve been nice to take it all in for a little longer.

Shibuya, or First Walk in Japan

Shibuya, or First Walk in Japan

We arrived in Tokyo in the late afternoon on 18th May. As soon as we left the familiar confines of an international airport, and descended to the train station, I recall feeling visually overwhelmed by signs and information. The fact that we hadn’t slept in over twenty-four hours was partly to blame, I’m sure. In our confusion the machines didn’t make any sense. Thankfully there were helpful folks at the ticket office that informed us of what train to take and where to get on board.

The rest of that day is a bit of a blur as we made our way to the hotel in Shibuya, and then walked around briefly later in the evening as jet-lag threatened to take over any time we sat down anywhere.

A wide cityscape of Tokyo featuring the Tokyo Tower in the distance, surrounded by modern skyscrapers and urban buildings under a clear blue sky.

It was the next morning, after breakfast, that we wandered off to explore for the first time.

Top-down view of people riding parallel escalators, seen through architectural glass panels.
Modern architecture featuring curved silver supports, lush vertical gardens, and a white industrial staircase leading into a shadowed interior space.

We made our way through the urban landscape of Shibuya passing by the famous Shibuya Crossing, where we hung out for a bit later that same day.

High-angle view of a massive crowd of pedestrians crossing a wide urban scramble intersection surrounded by city buildings and billboards.
A distressed concrete wall featuring a sign that reads "ARMY KILL BOMB BOY" in blue letters, with an "Evening News" banner at the bottom.

Then through some side streets we wandered in the direction of Yoyogi Park.

Three women walk along a path with yellow tactile paving and green bollards in a narrow urban street, next to a large silver and green delivery truck.
A person pruning a small tree with shears in front of a modern building with horizontal slats.

The shaded groves of the park were a welcome relief from the sun that was high up by this point, while at the same time, the dappled ground was quite pleasing.

A person with curly blonde hair wearing a striped blue shirt looks at a "Garden Path" information sign in a wooded park.
A grove of tall trees with sunlight filtering through the green canopy onto a dirt ground, with park benches and a lone person sitting in the background.
A person walks along a paved path through a sun-dappled grove of large, green trees.
A wedding couple walking through a sunlit park field surrounded by dense green trees.
Sunlight filtering through a dense canopy of green tree leaves against a clear blue sky.

Through the park we came across some of the toilets that are part of the Tokyo Toilet Project, and that we heard about in the film Perfect Days. The walls of these are transparent when unlocked but become opaque when locked.

A purple translucent glass structure in an urban park, with a children's playground and high-rise apartment buildings in the background.
A sun-drenched road in Japan winding between lush green forested hills under a clear blue sky, with pedestrians at a crosswalk and several vehicles along the roadside.

As I look back at these photos a month later, it’s obvious that I was looking at things with a sense of defamiliarization. Signs, on buildings and roads, and vending machines, which became quite familiar over the course of two weeks there were all so novel and eye catching on this first walk.

Three Japanese vending machines standing against a brown tiled wall, bordered by a leafy flowering shrub on the left and blue recycling bins on the right.
A gray tiled building wall with three Japanese traffic signs on a white post and a leaning yellow pole.
A busy Japanese city street featuring a Bic Camera electronics store with vibrant signage and pedestrians waiting at a crosswalk.
Low-angle view of modern urban architecture featuring a building with brown cladding and crisscrossing grey steel beams, a tall glass skyscraper in the background, and a structure with a bold magenta curved accent. Greenery is interspersed at the base.
A narrow concrete canal flowing between tall urban buildings and greenery.

This day and walk marked the first of many over the next twelve days as we explored Kyoto, Osaka, and finally other parts of Tokyo. It was a memorable first trip as we hope to revisit and explore other parts of Japan in the future.

Grey squirrel perched on a large tree trunk among bright green leaves.

Portland, Oregon. 15th June, 2026.

View of an airport tarmac and air traffic control tower from an airplane wing under a clear blue sky.
View from an airplane window showing airport runways and taxiways overlooking a distant coastline and blue ocean under a clear sky.
A large white passenger airplane descending over a coastal airport runway under a clear blue sky.
An airplane wing against a bright blue sky with wispy white clouds.
Aerial view of a hazy cityscape and river with an industrial waterfront and a faint mountain peak in the distant background.
A distant, cone-shaped mountain peak emerging from a dense layer of fog and smog under a light blue sky with wispy clouds.

Tokyo tarmac, taxi, takeoff. Haneda Airport, Tokyo, Japan. 30th May, 2026.

A cityscape with buildings and a highway in the foreground, forested hills in the midground, and a distant snow-capped mountain under an overcast sky.
City skyline and rooftops with a distant, snow-capped mountain peak under an overcast sky.

I woke up quite early for some reason, and decided to go out to do some morning photography with my film camera. At one location I caught sight of Mt. Hood and Mt. St. Helens and snapped these with my iPhone.

Distorted reflection of a person taking a selfie against a curved mirrored wall, featuring a small blue bird sculpture and a blurry city street background.

I just got back from a two week trip to Japan. It was a great trip and I’m sorting through photos and thoughts that I will share in the coming days and weeks.

Black fabric piece on a sidewalk street post with the following words written into it using thread, "more strolling, less scrolling".

Wise words.

Portland, Oregon. 8th May, 2026.

A large spherical sculpture of interwoven metal pieces in an outdoor setting.
Low-angle view of tall trees reaching toward a bright sky.
A winding dirt path through a dense, mossy forest with tall trees and lush greenery.
A person in red pants walks on a dirt path in a lush forest surrounded by tall trees and ferns.

Hiking at Hoyt Arboretum and nearby. Portland, Oregon. 25th December, 2025.

📷 Voigtländer Bessa R2A
🎞️ Kodak Kodacolor 200

Mural on an orange building depicting a muscular man lifting a circular cityscape and snow-capped mountain, flanked by red lamp posts and street signs.
Storefront of Luc Lac Vietnamese Kitchen featuring a mint green exterior and a patio with orange decorative railings.
A fluffy yellow character peeking around the corner of a brick building with historical high water mark plaques.
Green bike lane with a white bicycle symbol and a directional arrow.

Some photos from a walk around downtown. Portland, Oregon. 24th December, 2025.

📷 Voigtländer Bessa R2A
🎞️ Kodak Kodacolor 200

Some photos from the No Kings protest a couple of days ago. As always people brought wonderful energy and excellent signs.

A large crowd of people walks up the ramp to a bridge holding signs, surrounded by blooming cherry blossom trees. A number of people are also on the park next to it.
Protest scene with a crowd holding various signs, such as "End MAGA this November" and other messages about rights and political change, set against a backdrop of flowering trees.
A river with boats, one flying a Palestine flag, flows in the foreground. In the background, a cityscape with buildings and a bridge is visible. Numerous people are marching up the bridge, with cherry blossom trees lining the path.
A diverse group of people participate in a street protest, holding signs with messages such as "No War, No Genocide, No Secret Police" and "Fair Wages Now." There's a marching band in bright yellow banana costumes in the midst. The backdrop includes a mural with bold black-and-white patterns.
A crowd of protesters holding various signs and flags, including American and rainbow flags walk by at the Oregon Convention Center. Signs display messages like "No Kings" and "Fight Ignorance." A person in medical gear is visible.
A protest scene with a diverse crowd holding various signs. Notable signs include messages like "Vaccines cause adults." Rainbow and American flags are visible along with other banners. Trees and buildings are in the background.
A diverse group of people participating in a protest, holding various signs with messages related to democracy, peace, and social justice. The setting is urban with modern buildings in the background and trees lining the street.
Protesters holding signs and flags walk on a bridge above a street lined with parked cars.
People walk down a street; one carries an American flag, and another is wearing an inflatable green frog costume with a red cape. Trees line the road, and cars and bicycles are visible in the background.