Penny Lane
Warm amber streetlights glow against rain-wet benches at Penny Lane Bakery, a Beatles-themed retreat in the highlands of Tochigi Prefecture, Japan, during a gentle summer rain.
Aoki Villa Allée
A long, shaded lane lined with tall, old cedar trees leads to a white, German-inspired historic villa in Tochigi, Japan. Bright red scarlet sage flowers and lush green foliage frame the entrance, with sunlight filtering through the trees onto the gravel path.
Aoki Villa
German-inspired villa built in 1888 in Tochigi, Japan, commissioned by Viscount Aoki, one of Japan’s first overseas ambassadors. Now a designated historic landmark, the residence attracts wedding photographers and tourists interested in the lifestyle and architecture of Meiji-era aristocrats.
Doryū Falls
Doryū Falls (吐竜の滝・Doryū-no-Taki) cascades gently through moss-covered rocks along the Kawamata River in the Yatsugatake Highlands of Hokuto, Yamanashi, Japan, where underground spring water emerges from the mountain slopes to form thin, silky streams resembling a dragon’s breath.
Shōwa Vintage
Amid the quiet grounds of a countryside florist in Hokuto, Yamanashi, I found two relics of everyday life from pre-war and postwar Japan: a faded blue wooden popsicle box marked “Safe and Delicious Popsicles” (衛生・美味・アイスキャンディー) and a burlap S-San Fertilizer sack produced by Ajinomoto Co., Ltd. (味の素株式会社). These simple relics still whisper stories of the Shōwa era’s resilience and charm.
Flowers for Lena
A bouquet of freshly cut zinnias on display at Flowers for Lena, a long-established floral shop in Hokuto, Yamanashi Prefecture, Japan, where the florist has been cultivating and selling these lovely blooms for over 42 years.
Succulent Rosettes
Vivid red-tipped houseleeks cling to a stone wall high on the cool Kiyosato Highlands, beneath the Yatsugatake Mountains of Yamanashi, Japan.
Peaceful Grazing
A horse peacefully grazing on lush summer meadows in the Japanese highlands of Yamanashi Prefecture at Whanau Stable.
Take-Akari
Illuminated bamboo lanterns glowing warmly in the night at a Japanese summer festival. Handcrafted patterns of circular holes form artistic designs, creating a serene and festive atmosphere that blends traditional craftsmanship with contemporary light art.
Summer Motif
Colorful paper lanterns (chōchin), pinwheels, and kitsune fox masks decorate the wooden deck of Southwood Shopping Mall near Center-Minami Station in Yokohama, Japan, celebrating Japanese summer festival traditions and seasonal motifs.