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Friday, September 19, 2014

Road bridge over Ara-ike Pond in Nara City

View in the west: five storied pagoda of Kofuku-ji beyond lush green of Chinese tallow trees and weeping willows

















One of my favorite roads in Nara City, Japan, is a curving road bridge over Ara-ike Pond.  Suppose you visit Nara Park for the first time and you drive south this road, your expectation would be hightened to see the castle-like antique Nara Hotel in front or five-storied pagoda in the west.  

Do you spot road signs, "Watch out deer!"

The road is very nice for walking as a gateway to Nara Park.  You see the panoramic views from east to west over the road over the pond. In the east side, you see the deep landscape framed by the lush green of summer along the pond: Mt. Kasuga behind Mt. Mikasa beyond Ara-ike Park and the pond.

Framed view in the east
Framed view in the west
Various trees line up on both side of the road including many numbers of cherry trees, Chinese Tallow trees, and so on, so you can see different colors in each season. In early April, the area is brightened up from pale wintry colors to pink by the blooms of cheery trees.

Winter

Early April
In autumn, especially fabulous colors of Chicness Tallow trees are eye-catching.

I love this curve.
The three photos below including this were used in Spectral Colors ofChinese Tallow Tree.






When you look down on the west bank of the pond, there are many young Chinese Tallow trees.  They shine in the late afternoon glow over the darkening water.


Now you are seeing my favorite road through the green curtain of weeping willows at Ara-ike Park as well as the roofs of Nara Hotel on the opposite side of the road.




Note: There is no such a place named Nara Park officially on the map.  Nara Park is a spacious area blessed with nature where  there are many historical and cultural assets, temples and shrines including World Heritage Sites,  parks, gardens, brooks, ponds, museumas, public offices,  about 1200 roaming wild but tame deer, and so on.  How about spending your whole day by exploring Nara Park on foot?   Deer will welcome you, bowing.  I bet you'll never get tired with new discoveries, wonder, and joy one after another.


This post is linked to Friday My Town Shoot Out
Thank you, Mersad, for hosting.

29 comments:

  1. Thank you for contributing to Friday My Town Shoot out with such a gorgeous post! The streets come alive with the various colors of the fall foliage. And I also love the curve that you like. What an amazing view point for a photo. Really great images. Thanks again for sharing and have an awesome weekend!

    Mersad
    Mersad Donko Photography

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  2. Really a beautiful and serene place....
    Have a lovely weekend !
    Anna

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  3. こんばんわ。四季を通して奈良の公園を楽しんで歩けるなんて、奈良の人々は本当に恵まれていますね。
    特に7番目の写真は好きです。

    私、先週のShoot My townがstreet だと勘違いしていました。

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  4. truly beautiful, and you capture and share it so well.

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  5. Nara Park is quite beautiful. Thank you so much for taking us on this lovely stroll.
    Your photographic portrayal of the park was magnificent , and very informative.

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  6. What better road to travel than this. Luscious landscapes, autumn’s dark brooding water and a peek through the willow branches are scenic delights that lead to a wonderful day. Thanks as always for sharing, stardust. :)

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  7. Nara Park has a special beauty throughout all of the seasons - the skeletal branches of winter, the soft pink blossom in spring, the luscious green of summer, and, as you say, the eye catching colours of the autumn. A wonderful celebration of natures colourful bounty.

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  8. こんにちわ。   眼に映える綺麗な緑や紅色。 なにより街の景色と調和していることが素敵です。
    しっくりとした「街並み」は、其処に至るまでに長い歳月が必要だと感じ入ります。 

    街に景色が馴染む、溶け込む、まで。 人に考えが受け容れられる、腑に落ちる、まで・・・。 
    どうしても、時間はかかってしまいます。 
       

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  9. That' s really a wonderful park, Yoko. The ancient Japanese architecture is really outstanding. I love the five storied pagoda of Kofuku-ji - it looks very similar to the five storied pagoda of Sensō-ji, the ancient Buddhist temple located in Asakusa, Tokyo.
    Today we seem to have the last day of summer - and the first day of autumn here in the south of Germany. Yesterday's temperatures were around +26°C with sunshine and calm weather, today it's cloudy & windy and the weathermen promised us to get much lower temperatures and many rain showers within the next day.
    So it's a pleasure so go through your wonderful photographs and it's nice to see "your favourite curve" in different seasons! ;-) I also have some places I love to visit in different times of the year.
    Do I manage to visit Nara and Nara Park one day together with my wife? Who knows... ;-)
    All the best from Germany to you and your family!
    Enjoy your weekend - so do I after a long and exhausting week on the AMB - the international exhibition for metal working at Stuttgart.
    Uwe.

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  10. Thank you for the tour Yoko.....the trees are beautiful,as are your photos. Nara Park seems to be a endlessly interesting place,it must be very special to Nara inhabitants.
    Wonderful red foliage!

    Wishing you a happy week,
    Ruby

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  11. This is a lovely place! The paths and roads are quaint.

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  12. 私も、この道は、お気に入りです。運転中はあまりきょろきょろできないのですが。特に、新緑のころ、ドライブしてると、回りが緑色で、とてもいい感じです。奈良には、こんな道、場所、まだあると思います。これから、こんなお気に入りを探してみようかしら。
    Have a nice day!

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  13. Stunning and magical autumn shots.

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  14. What a privilege to be able to see this beautiful place in all weathers. I am so looking forward to seeing Nara Park myself!

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  15. Ack! I think your post is telling me that I should never pass up a trip to Nara Park again (When we went there, some friends went to Nara while I went to the Expo Commemorative Park for the plum blossoms). Well, only means I really have to come visit again :)

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  16. Very nice autumn colors, pure beauty in this park, excellent photos !!

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  17. Lovely autumn colors you captured Yoko...

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  18. Hi Yoko,
    Nara Park looks like heavan on earth and it was so lovely to see your pictures today. I would love to visit and see the deer that bow to welcome you into the park, that sounds very magical.
    I wish I lived closer to Japan. The gardens and parks are places I would really like to visit. The cherry blossom trees are special too. I have 2 cherry trees and 4 apple trees in my garden, the blossom is very pretty in Spring.
    Yoko, thank you for answering my question about the Mori, forest fashion and for the link. I have not heard of the Yama girl fashion before. I do love all of these natural and new fashions from Japan, they are beautiful.
    All the best,
    Jo.
    P.S. Sorry for the deleted comments, I kept typing mistakes! ;-)

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  19. こんばんは。いつもながら、お写真の美しさに見とれています。 「鹿に注意」の標識は奈良、ならではですね。 これからの行楽シーズン、美しさが増すと、増える観光客、奈良にお住まいの人たちは複雑な思いを持たれるのでしょうか。

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  20. Αγαπημένη μου φίλη Yoko
    Καλώς σε βρίσκω, μετά από απουσία μηνών, λόγω καλοκαιριού.
    Πριν απ' όλα, θέλω να σου εκφράσω τα θερμά μου συλλυπητήρια για την μητέρα σου.
    Είθε να αναπαύεται εν ειρήνη και εσείς να είστε υγιείς και πολύχρονοι για να την θυμάστε.
    Η τελετή με τα κεράκια, με συγκλόνισε!
    Τα εγγονάκια σου πανέμορφα, να τα χαίρεστε!
    Όσο για τις φανταστικές φωτογραφίες σου και τα υπέροχα πάρκα της πατρίδας σου, τι να πω!!! Είμαι γοητευμένη!
    Στην Ελλάδα το καλοκαίρι συνεχίζεται, κολυμπάω κάθε μέρα και θα επιστρέψω στο blog με αργούς ρυθμούς :)
    Σου στέλνω μια μεγάλη αγκαλιά, που να χωρέσει όλη σου την οικογένεια και πολλά φιλιά!

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  21. Greetings, my friend. You've convinced me! I would love to spend a week or two at Nara Park. The hotel looks very inviting, too. It is a gorgeous area and you've captured it perfectly with your beautiful photos!

    Thank you for your comment on L & L Photography. I'm doing OK. Surgery to remove the kidney is set for Oct. 30.

    The other day our friend Tsurumi stopped by to visit. In our conversation I mentioned you and that you were born in Kobe. She said that she was born and raised in a town south of Kobe, but I don't remember the name. She said it was a very beautiful area.

    Best wishes to you and your family!

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  22. What a beautiful blog and post! I came here via Jenny Woolf's blog as she has linked to you. I love this concept of looking at your favourite road through all the seasons. Really beautiful! I would love to visit Japan, but it's just so far to fly. I'm not sure I'd ever have the courage, but maybe I can experience it a little through your blog!

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  23. What spectacular scenery no matter where you look! I love the brilliant red of the tallow trees. I hope you are well, Yoko.

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  24. such lovely photographs of this park Yoko, i would love to walk there and take it all to heart.
    Thank you for sharing it with us! Sweet autumn to you.

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  25. 奈良はずっと昔に一回行ったきりで、記憶が薄いです。このポストを見たら、また訪ねたくなりました。 どの季節も美しいですね。 選ぶなら秋かなあ? 美しい写真たちをありがとうございました。

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  26. Wonderful photography everywhere you look it is beautiful in this park, and to think there are so many deer wandering around, it would be a delight

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  27. It is so clean, it is so serene. All I want to do is to sit and reflect. At the end of the day I'll find my peace and quiet. Oh, I wish I live close by.

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  28. sounds like a magical place, just so as the officially non existing name suggests... n♥

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  29. What Magnificent place my friend!!!

    One can stare at these stunning views for sooooo Loooooooong as they are BREAThtaking!!!

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