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.
Daigahara-shuku Post Town
Step back into the Edo period at Daigahara-shuku, a preserved post town in Hokuto, Yamanashi Prefecture. Once a bustling stop on the Koshu-Kaidō, it now invites visitors to stroll historic streets, sample sake brewed with pure mountain water, and taste mizu shingen mochi, a famous transparent sweet.
Weeping Sakura
In the stillness of a rural temple cemetery, a grand old weeping cherry tree blooms with branches heavy with soft pink and white blossoms, its roots resting beneath generations. Petals drift in the breeze, like quiet echoes of lives once lived, reminding us that life, in some form, always continues.
Ryufuku-ji Temple
The dragon water spout at Ryufuku-ji Temple’s purification fountain shimmers in green and azure hues, touched by years of oxidization and the afternoon sun.
Suwa Hachiman Shrine
Traditional Shinto shrine with red roof surrounded by cedar and pine trees under a bright blue sky in rural Japan. A peaceful, picturesque spring morning scene capturing cultural heritage, wooden architecture, and the tranquil beauty of the Japanese countryside.
Historic Schools
Panoramic view of two historic Japanese school buildings in Hokuto, Yamanashi Prefecture: the Taisho Era School (1924, left) and the Old Tsugane School (1875). Both structures showcase a unique blend of traditional Japanese wooden architecture and Western-style design, reflecting Japan’s transformation during the Meiji and Taisho periods.