Dawn Sky at Maruyama

Driving past Asagiri and arriving at Lake Motosu, I examine the sky from the shore as usual. 
Clouds hang thick, and I would need to drive for more than an hour from here.
After hanging around for about thirty minutes, I sit behind the driving wheel again. 
As I arrive at the planned shooting site, I am surprised that I am the only one there.
In a short while, the signature silhouette of Mt. Fuji starts to appear against the thick black stripes of twilight.
I had no way of knowing that the scene I was observing was soon to become something extraordinary. 
On that morning, I would witness nature’s breathtaking scenery that is beyond any human imagination. 
My hands started shaking and I had trouble changing the film of my camera.  A minute seemed like an eternity. 
Standing before the majestic scene, I became but a shade of a tiny speck dissolving into the endless expanse of the universe.

Dawn Sky at Maruyama

Driving past Asagiri and arriving at Lake Motosu, I examine the sky from the shore as usual. 
Clouds hang thick, and I would need to drive for more than an hour from here.
After hanging around for about thirty minutes, I sit behind the driving wheel again. 
As I arrive at the planned shooting site, I am surprised that I am the only one there.
In a short while, the signature silhouette of Mt. Fuji starts to appear against the thick black stripes of twilight.
I had no way of knowing that the scene I was observing was soon to become something extraordinary. 
On that morning, I would witness nature’s breathtaking scenery that is beyond any human imagination. 
My hands started shaking and I had trouble changing the film of my camera.  A minute seemed like an eternity. 
Standing before the majestic scene, I became but a shade of a tiny speck dissolving into the endless expanse of the universe.

Dawn Sky at Maruyama

Driving past Asagiri and arriving at Lake Motosu, I examine the sky from the shore as usual. 
Clouds hang thick, and I would need to drive for more than an hour from here.
After hanging around for about thirty minutes, I sit behind the driving wheel again. 
As I arrive at the planned shooting site, I am surprised that I am the only one there.
In a short while, the signature silhouette of Mt. Fuji starts to appear against the thick black stripes of twilight.
I had no way of knowing that the scene I was observing was soon to become something extraordinary. 
On that morning, I would witness nature’s breathtaking scenery that is beyond any human imagination. 
My hands started shaking and I had trouble changing the film of my camera.  A minute seemed like an eternity. 
Standing before the majestic scene, I became but a shade of a tiny speck dissolving into the endless expanse of the universe.

Lake of Moonlight

I stand by the frozen lake.
The eerie sound of creaking ice echoes in the darkness.
Dazzling lights from the lakeside pierce the eye.
Cradled in the arms of the sacred mountain, the moon-lit lake sleeps quietly.

Lake of Moonlight

I stand by the frozen lake.
The eerie sound of creaking ice echoes in the darkness.
Dazzling lights from the lakeside pierce the eye.
Cradled in the arms of the sacred mountain, the moon-lit lake sleeps quietly.

Lake of Moonlight

I stand by the frozen lake.
The eerie sound of creaking ice echoes in the darkness.
Dazzling lights from the lakeside pierce the eye.
Cradled in the arms of the sacred mountain, the moon-lit lake sleeps quietly.

Sea of Clouds at Midnight

In late November, thick fog forms at Lake Yamanaka and immerses the Oshino township. 
Misty rain drizzle the window of my car as I drive.
A climb up a small hill brings me to a shining sea of silver clouds. 
Under a starry midnight sky, the lights from the village below filter through the clouds and reveal its identity.
In the eerie silence of the dark night, the faint sound of flowing mist can be heard.

Sea of Clouds at Midnight

In late November, thick fog forms at Lake Yamanaka and immerses the Oshino township. 
Misty rain drizzle the window of my car as I drive.
A climb up a small hill brings me to a shining sea of silver clouds. 
Under a starry midnight sky, the lights from the village below filter through the clouds and reveal its identity.
In the eerie silence of the dark night, the faint sound of flowing mist can be heard.

Sea of Clouds at Midnight

In late November, thick fog forms at Lake Yamanaka and immerses the Oshino township. 
Misty rain drizzle the window of my car as I drive.
A climb up a small hill brings me to a shining sea of silver clouds. 
Under a starry midnight sky, the lights from the village below filter through the clouds and reveal its identity.
In the eerie silence of the dark night, the faint sound of flowing mist can be heard.

The Lights in a Summer Field

Late August is the peak season for viewing the sunrise at Mt. Yanbushi. 
Many photographers climb the mountain at night and crowd the summit.
The standing dead trees resemble an ancient forest as dawn arrives at the highlands of the Southern Japan Alps.
The sun shines through the clouds and pierces the scene in an instant, illuminating the ridgeline of Mt. Fuji.
Though the ascent from the mountain pass below is not an easy one, people come climbing up, driven by the urge to witness a spectacle never before seen.

The Lights in a Summer Field

Late August is the peak season for viewing the sunrise at Mt. Yanbushi. 
Many photographers climb the mountain at night and crowd the summit.
The standing dead trees resemble an ancient forest as dawn arrives at the highlands of the Southern Japan Alps.
The sun shines through the clouds and pierces the scene in an instant, illuminating the ridgeline of Mt. Fuji.
Though the ascent from the mountain pass below is not an easy one, people come climbing up, driven by the urge to witness a spectacle never before seen.

The Lights in a Summer Field

Late August is the peak season for viewing the sunrise at Mt. Yanbushi. 
Many photographers climb the mountain at night and crowd the summit.
The standing dead trees resemble an ancient forest as dawn arrives at the highlands of the Southern Japan Alps.
The sun shines through the clouds and pierces the scene in an instant, illuminating the ridgeline of Mt. Fuji.
Though the ascent from the mountain pass below is not an easy one, people come climbing up, driven by the urge to witness a spectacle never before seen.

Daybreak in the Winter Woods

Just after Daikan(*1) a snowstorm brings heavy snow. 
The storm finally calms down during the night, and as the day breaks under a clear blue sky, Mt. Fuji appears before us in glistening gold.
The light from the sun 150 million kilometers away pierces the crisp mid-winter air and illuminates the snow on the peak in red and gold.
As I struggle through the deep snow late at night, climbing the hill as if it were an ascetic training, I ask myself many times why I am here to begin with.
Those thoughts begin to thaw away as the day breaks and I find myself thinking “I will come back again.”
*1: A day in the Japanese calendar that occurs around January 20.  Daikan literally means “major cold” and marks the beginning of the coldest period of the year.

Daybreak in the Winter Woods

Just after Daikan(*1) a snowstorm brings heavy snow. 
The storm finally calms down during the night, and as the day breaks under a clear blue sky, Mt. Fuji appears before us in glistening gold.
The light from the sun 150 million kilometers away pierces the crisp mid-winter air and illuminates the snow on the peak in red and gold.
As I struggle through the deep snow late at night, climbing the hill as if it were an ascetic training, I ask myself many times why I am here to begin with.
Those thoughts begin to thaw away as the day breaks and I find myself thinking “I will come back again.”
*1: A day in the Japanese calendar that occurs around January 20.  Daikan literally means “major cold” and marks the beginning of the coldest period of the year.

Daybreak in the Winter Woods

Just after Daikan(*1) a snowstorm brings heavy snow. 
The storm finally calms down during the night, and as the day breaks under a clear blue sky, Mt. Fuji appears before us in glistening gold.
The light from the sun 150 million kilometers away pierces the crisp mid-winter air and illuminates the snow on the peak in red and gold.
As I struggle through the deep snow late at night, climbing the hill as if it were an ascetic training, I ask myself many times why I am here to begin with.
Those thoughts begin to thaw away as the day breaks and I find myself thinking “I will come back again.”
*1: A day in the Japanese calendar that occurs around January 20.  Daikan literally means “major cold” and marks the beginning of the coldest period of the year.

The Benisaki Rock

The crimson Fuji; winter waves crashing against the shoreline; the figure of an unknown bird perched on top of the gate of the shrine.
Those were the imagery I encountered at the shore of Kumomi, just when the harsh winter was about to begin.
Having to cope with the spray from the angry waves crashing into the jetty and the strong wind, pressing the shutter release of my camera was not easy.
As I nervously peer into the loupe to inspect the developed film, my skin recalls the feeling of the spray from the crashing waves spattering about.

The Benisaki Rock

The crimson Fuji; winter waves crashing against the shoreline; the figure of an unknown bird perched on top of the gate of the shrine.
Those were the imagery I encountered at the shore of Kumomi, just when the harsh winter was about to begin.
Having to cope with the spray from the angry waves crashing into the jetty and the strong wind, pressing the shutter release of my camera was not easy.
As I nervously peer into the loupe to inspect the developed film, my skin recalls the feeling of the spray from the crashing waves spattering about.

The Benisaki Rock

The crimson Fuji; winter waves crashing against the shoreline; the figure of an unknown bird perched on top of the gate of the shrine.
Those were the imagery I encountered at the shore of Kumomi, just when the harsh winter was about to begin.
Having to cope with the spray from the angry waves crashing into the jetty and the strong wind, pressing the shutter release of my camera was not easy.
As I nervously peer into the loupe to inspect the developed film, my skin recalls the feeling of the spray from the crashing waves spattering about.

A Moment of Blue

The deep blue color of the skies at dawn; this is the moment when your body feels the expanse of the universe.
The sun is about to shine on a planet veiled in lapis lazuli blue, signaling the break of day.

A Moment of Blue

The deep blue color of the skies at dawn; this is the moment when your body feels the expanse of the universe.
The sun is about to shine on a planet veiled in lapis lazuli blue, signaling the break of day.

A Moment of Blue

The deep blue color of the skies at dawn; this is the moment when your body feels the expanse of the universe.
The sun is about to shine on a planet veiled in lapis lazuli blue, signaling the break of day.

Winter Dusk

Awashima Island in Uchiura Bay, the lights of Numazu City, Mt. Ashitaka at the back, and Mt. Fuji standing behind as if to bundle them all…
In a winter field up on the hills, the smell of the ocean lingers in the air.
Stricken with illness, I had looked at this sight thinking this could be my last time. 
Yet I somehow survived to return.
As the wind from the sea wraps around me, I once again stand breathing in front of this scene.

Winter Dusk

Awashima Island in Uchiura Bay, the lights of Numazu City, Mt. Ashitaka at the back, and Mt. Fuji standing behind as if to bundle them all…
In a winter field up on the hills, the smell of the ocean lingers in the air.
Stricken with illness, I had looked at this sight thinking this could be my last time. 
Yet I somehow survived to return.
As the wind from the sea wraps around me, I once again stand breathing in front of this scene.

Winter Dusk

Awashima Island in Uchiura Bay, the lights of Numazu City, Mt. Ashitaka at the back, and Mt. Fuji standing behind as if to bundle them all…
In a winter field up on the hills, the smell of the ocean lingers in the air.
Stricken with illness, I had looked at this sight thinking this could be my last time. 
Yet I somehow survived to return.
As the wind from the sea wraps around me, I once again stand breathing in front of this scene.

Divertimento at Dawn

“I wonder who created this pond.”  A simple question comes to mind. 
The reservoir lies in a corner of the pasture.
The pond surrounded by metasequoia trees reflects the beautiful silhouette of Mt. Fuji.
A breeze with a subtle scent blows across the trees and the barn.
Ripples on the water’s edge, dew drops in the meadow, the gentle slopes of Mt. Fuji in the background…
“Did the creator of the pond ever imagine this sight?”
Oh, the joy of greeting a new day embraced by such unexpected beauty.
The gentle sound of a divertimento at dawn caress my ears.

Divertimento at Dawn

“I wonder who created this pond.”  A simple question comes to mind. 
The reservoir lies in a corner of the pasture.
The pond surrounded by metasequoia trees reflects the beautiful silhouette of Mt. Fuji.
A breeze with a subtle scent blows across the trees and the barn.
Ripples on the water’s edge, dew drops in the meadow, the gentle slopes of Mt. Fuji in the background…
“Did the creator of the pond ever imagine this sight?”
Oh, the joy of greeting a new day embraced by such unexpected beauty.
The gentle sound of a divertimento at dawn caress my ears.

Divertimento at Dawn

“I wonder who created this pond.”  A simple question comes to mind. 
The reservoir lies in a corner of the pasture.
The pond surrounded by metasequoia trees reflects the beautiful silhouette of Mt. Fuji.
A breeze with a subtle scent blows across the trees and the barn.
Ripples on the water’s edge, dew drops in the meadow, the gentle slopes of Mt. Fuji in the background…
“Did the creator of the pond ever imagine this sight?”
Oh, the joy of greeting a new day embraced by such unexpected beauty.
The gentle sound of a divertimento at dawn caress my ears.

Copyright (c) Haruhisa Omura. All Rights Reserved.