It has been many years since the days when Japan was almost a second home to me, when I would return two or three times each year during my university days. Time has gently blurred the names of the shrines and temples that once welcomed me, but not the feelings they left behind.
They were never places sought out by tour groups or guidebooks. Hidden away in tranquil corners, they retained an authenticity that seemed untouched by the passing decades. Weathered wooden kiosks stood quietly beneath ancient trees, where visitors could rest with a bowl of freshly whisked matcha, listening only to the rustling leaves and the distant ringing of temple bells.
Near the halls of worship were simple offering plaques, each bearing fragments of local folklore, legends, and heartfelt prayers—stories passed from one generation to the next, belonging only to that place. Looking back at these photographs, I realise that while the names of those sacred sanctuaries have faded from memory, their quiet spirit has never left me. They remain among the most treasured journeys of my youth, preserved not by maps, but by the enduring serenity they instilled within me.
Canon 20D
EF 20-70mm f2.8
Linking Black and White Community
...fabulous in black and white.
ReplyDeleteQue buenas fotografías. El monocromo está muy conseguido con una buena gama de grises y la composición, de la primera foto sobre todo, es buena, buena.
ReplyDeleteAbrazo
A place that treasures it's history. The three perfect rocks look amazing and not easy to create.
ReplyDeleteT'han quedat com a làmines antigues.
ReplyDeleteSalutacions!
Deine Erinnerungen sind sehr berührend. Ich mag Orte mit so einer Authentizität. Ich spüre die Ruhe, die du beschreibst. Der Matcha, die fernen Tempelglocken, Stille. Dieses Gefühl finde ich hier nur in alten Kirchen, auch wenn ich nicht gläubig bin. Ich denke, deine Erinnerungen werden für dich immer kostbar sein.
ReplyDeleteThese photos make me think that sometimes black and white does serve to create a sort of focus that might not have been quite the same in colour.
ReplyDeleteWe saw a couple of temples off the beaten tourist paths in northern Japan. Our friend who lived there and we two were the only white people there. This was even the case in the town itself. People did stare at us.
ReplyDeletethere is a lovely luminosity to your photos
ReplyDeleteGreat pictures that made me want to take out some Kurosawa tonight!
ReplyDeleteA sense of calm comes through in your photo of this temple. I like them in b&w as it makes this temple seem timeless.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful
ReplyDeleteHay lugares que por algún motivo siempre queda en nuestra memoria, o como en este caso en fotos también. Quizás fue esa serenidad que esos templos trasmiten y mas si no hay el bullicio turístico.
ReplyDeleteSaludos.
Beautiful photos, and lovely memories!
ReplyDeleteVery lovely, the black and white looks nice and reminds me of days gone by when we only had black and white.
ReplyDeleteWhat splendid memories, bringing back a feeling of serenity and belonging.
ReplyDeleteGreat.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful memories for you.
ReplyDeleteExtraordinary black and white images!
ReplyDeleteGreat monochrome pics.
ReplyDeleteLovely photographs and memories.
ReplyDeleteAll the best Jan
The black and white is quite perfect for this.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful black and white photos!
ReplyDeletePrecioso templo, me encantaría conocer Japón. Besos.
ReplyDelete