Wish you and the world PEACE, LOVE and HEALING

水仙 Suisen, Japanese Narcissus, are the first bulbs of the year to emerge 

as early as January or a little before.

They are called "雪中花 settchuka", flowers in the snow, as well.

They are different from "trumpet narcissus" blooming toward spring.

Dainty snow-white flowers and slim blades are from vigorous long-lived bulbs.

As 水仙 literally means "water nymph" and "narcissus" reminds of Greek mythology,

they often bloom around water front.

At the Hannaji Temple, they play around stone Buddhas and join in prayers 

like white candles with bright yellow flame. 

Suisen bowls are offered to the Buddhist statues.

They look like candle light.

Hannyaji Temple is a small temple famous as “a temple of flowers”, 
especially for cosmoses in autumn as is called "cosmos temple".

The precinct was sunk in silence in the chilly air a little before the gate was closed.

I enjoyed that ambience.

 

 Last but not least, I hope you've started a nice, peaceful new year.

While I enjoy the slow pace of life after my families went back to their homes,

the livelier beat has returned before I know it.

The mosaics are a part of the new year cards reached on January 1st

from my relatives and friends.

I'm catching up with old friends whom I haven't seen in years in person,

which is going to be one of my nicest things this year.

As I feel uncomfortable looking at the computer screen,

I'll be away from the laptop till late March when I have cataract surgery.

Linked to Mosaic Monday

At the end of the year 2022

 "戦 tatakau or sen" was picked up as the Kanji, Chinese character, that describes

 the representative social mood of the year 2022 in Japan.

It means to compete to win or lose in wars or sports competition, like

 Russia's invasion of Ukraine, other international conflicts, and positively

the recent FIFA World Cup.

Another Kanji also meaning "tatakau", "闘 toh" would be more suitable for the battles

against many profound social problems.

"戦" was chosen for the second time following 2001 when September 11 terrorism attacks occurred.

I'd choose "想" as my personal Kanji this year, which means "to meditate, to comtemplate, 

to miss, to long for, or to recall."

The Christmas tree gets animated periodically.

When I walked in and around Grand Front Osaka, I was overwhelmed by 

so many people, but it was nice seeing them having their share of fun.

(Posts related to Grand Front Osaka including this one:here)

Lights warmed up my heart, and made me feel somber, too, to think of the people

 suffering without electricity and heat to survive in the frigid cold.

The brilliance of illuminations with energy-efficient LEDs generated by BDF 

looks symbolizing dazzling capabilities of human beings, but sadly in fact 

 there are equally dazzling incapabilities.

May Peace will prevail on earth in the New Year!

Your visits and comments throughout the year is appreciated from the bottom of my heart.

See you next year!

Linked to Mosaic Monday

Autumn magic

Fleeting, glorious beauty of autumn foliage is inspiring with their progressing life

 toward the final burst of flame of life and then their dancing in air 

after getting free to return to soil.

Now that landscape is being muted in colors, I'll recap autumn foliage of this year.

The sunny, warm days and the chilly temperature at night made colored leaves breathtakingly beautiful. 

- Late October -

Leaves of Crape Myrtle were fabulous in the nearest park from my home.

The sun flickered through Sakura (Cherry tree) leaves.

- Early November -

Tall Maple trees with big leaves, of which name I don't know, were glowing 

yellow gold at another park in my neighborhood.

- Mid-November -

 Chinese Tallows were sparsely filled with leaves along Ara-ike Pond, Nara Park.

- Late November -

At Shoryaku-ji Temple, brocade of Momiji, Japanese Maples, took my breath away on a cloudy morning.

Shoryaku-ji located between the mountains in the outskirts of Nara City, 

you see multi-layered brocade of colorful leaves as you climb or descend 

the slopes and steps in the precinct.

The garden view from Kyakuden (Guest Room) of Fukujyu-in is breathtaking

 with not only the trees in the garden but also the ones outside the wall.

Unfortunately photographing is prohibited indoors.

Momiji are in each process of turning to yellow, orange, to final fiery red.

At the Main Hall, Yakushi Nyorai (Healing Buddha) from the Asuka period (592-710)

 is specially open to the public November to early December.

This view is seen from Ruriko-dai Observatory at the back of the Main Hall.

The roof of the Main Hall

Shoryaku-ji is thought to be the birthplace of sake, the most ceremonious bevarage in Japan.

When is the origin of sake is unclear.  

Sake production, fermenting rice into alcohol, was government monopoly 

until temples started brewing their own in the Medieval times.

Just like brewing of beer was progressed in monasteries in Europe, sake was made 

by monks of temples in the Muromachi era (1334-1573).

Another vibrant Momiji at Kyoto Prefectural Botanical Garden on a beautiful, bright day.

Various different autumn leaves at the same botanical garden

- Beginning of December -

Wedding photo session at Sagi-ike Pond

At Daibutsu-ike Pond, critters were merged into the brilliant colors of Momiji 

and Ginkgo bathed in the late afternoon light.

Procession of ducks, dog's catwalk on Ginkgo leaves, lunch under colored tree,

 mixture of colors ..., there are so many to stop to look at in Nara Park.

I made myself busy for viewing and capturing autumnal landscape

as if catching up the speed of the season giving way to winter.

Now I'm content. Hope you, too, in your own autumn or on this blog.

Linked to Mosaic Monday