Posts Tagged: Japan
Sagi – Messengers Between Worlds
In Japanese culture, herons are viewed as travelers between worlds—messengers of spirits and the afterlife. Not in the manner of zombies, but rather as wise yet ambivalent beings. If you look into their eyes, it quickly becomes clear where such perceptions might originate. Often bearing a slightly annoyed, almost malevolent expression, they can at times appear quite arrogant and aloof.
The Great Swallowtail
… or at least google thinks so. They were everywhere—wherever there were blossoms. My first encounter with them took place on the cable car, on the way to the Nunobiki Herb Gardens. At first, I mistook them for bats and was utterly astonished to see them out in broad daylight, right in the middle of the day. It took a few more days, however, before I finally found the time and tranquility to devote my attention to them. They usually keep their wings open when they land to drink, and these wings shimmer with shades of green and blue.
Black kites as far as the eye can see.
I spent the second half of April with friends in Japan. We traveled from Fukuoka to Tokyo via Osaka. I hadn’t prepared much and just went with the flow, wanting to drift along and simply explore this unfamiliar world. I briefly considered leaving my full camera bag at home, but then the thought crossed my mind that I might never get back there, so I took my entire camera backpack with me. In the cities and parks, I found herons, turtles, various songbirds, and cheeky crows. The highlight, however, was a day at the end of the trip when I went to Enoshima alone and was greeted by flocks of birds of prey. Black kites, in large groups, snatching food from the hands of unsuspecting passersby—not gulls, but kites. Besides the city and the island, this was an absolute highlight, and I took far too many pictures, some of which I will present to you soon, but to start, here’s THE Air-Joradn shot…