Enjoying Nature

Hello again readers! It has been quite a few days since my last post, but I have been collecting pictures and thoughts, and I wanted to come up with something fabulous for you to read about! 

I have never been the type of girl who one would consider to be an outdoors type. By outdoors I mean I don't particularly like bugs, extreme temperatures, sneaky critters that you rarely see but know they are there, etc. However, the older that I get the more I have grown to appreciate nature and have embraced the thought of nature. There are few things as beautiful as the rich colors of autumn leaves, or beautiful mountain peaks with snow glazing the tips, or a creek hidden beneath the trees with fish dancing in the current. When you see these things, they produce a feeling within someone much like seeing something of great historical significance. It makes you want to look at it forever. You want to gaze at that sight for hours, examine the details of the colors and shapes, and take it all in. This is a feeling that Joel and I get quite often living in Kyoto. Our city is surrounding by glorious mountains and hills that can be viewed right from our bedroom window. Throughout our city, there are streams, rivers, and beautifully manicured gardens and trees that dot the city and often times draw crowds of people hoping to connect with nature. Close to our apartment is the imperial palace where there is a gorgeous park that is kept beautiful all year around. It's quite lovely walking through the gardens during the day and capturing some of the sights. Here are some pictures from my day at the park. 

Kyoto is not the only city in Japan that pays special attention to preserving nature and the charm it brings to the country. Japan is dedicated to preserving it's beautiful mountains, rivers, and countrysides that give the country so much personality. They accept that humans have to respect the land and borrow from it, building and progressing in such a way that does not compromise the land. Many cultural activities and festivals are often centered around nature in Japan. This can be seen during cherry blossom season. Often times companies will let their employees sit below the pink and red trees for a while during the day. The blooming of the cherry blossom flowers brings flocks of people from miles around just to enjoy this special occurrence that only happens once a year. Luckily, Joel and I live in one of the most beautiful cities for viewing the blossoms. Another example of Japan's culture making nature the center of it's activities would be the Harvest Moon festival happening this weekend where people can enjoy different activities around the city. 

Something that Joel and I thoroughly enjoy doing during the evening is going up to the roof of our apartment building and watching the sunset over the mountains. The sunsets here in Kyoto are by far the most breathtaking I have ever had the pleasure of viewing. I like to think of it as mother nature's masterpiece. We always take loads of pictures, and I've shared some with you below. Enjoy!