Autumn Colors of Kyoto: A Seasonal Portfolio

Each year, cherry trees, the symbol of springtime in Japan, burst into a riotous blaze of floral glory. The peak cherry-viewing season, however, is extremely short -- from late March through early April -- and the exquisite blossoms scatter without trace in little over a week. Despite, or perhaps because of, the fleeting nature of the spectacle, cherry blossoms have occupied a special place in the hearts of the Japanese since earliest times.

Cherry blossoms are seen as an ideal model for life and death, emblematic of both the glorious and ephemeral natures of human existence, dazzling during a short life before falling gracefully to the ground. For this reason, they have provided inspiration for poets, painters, artisans and many others over the centuries. Identifying in nature a sublime spirituality transcending external beauty, and elevating that spirituality to an art form lies at the core of Japanese culture. For over a millennium, the city of Kyoto has made this aesthetic sensibility its own.

This book, a companion to the recent Autumn Colors of Kyoto, features 48 outstanding cherry blossom-viewing locations photographed by three lifelong Kyotoites who have made it their mission to convey the beauty of their remarkable city.

A bilingual map section provides address information and contact details for each location.

Why are the autumn colors of Kyoto described as the most beautiful in Japan?

The delicate, almost translucent autumn hues, which derive from the city's unique plant life and climate, are undoubtedly lovely to behold, but clearly that is not the only reason. The secret of Kyoto's autumn beauty lies in a perfect harmony of the natural and the man-made, the culmination of centuries of history.

This book introduces 49 magnificent Kyoto locations-- predominantly temples and shrines--ideal for viewing the season's fiery displays. The scenes are elegantly captured by three photographers who have devoted their lives to conveying the beauty of this remarkable city through the camera lens. In these pages, readers will soon note that far from being consigned to history, Kyotos ancient places of worship are assiduously maintained as centers for present-day religious devotions. The ideal, seamless coexistence of these quintessential Kyoto landmarks and their surroundings is another secret of Kyoto's seasonal beauty, and the key to the city's position as Japan's cultural capital for over 1,200 years.

A bilingual map section provides address information and contact details for each location.

Hidehiko Mizuno was born in 1968 in Kyoto. He is the coauthor, with Katsuhiko Mizuno, of a previous photo book on architecture.

Kayu Mizuno is a photographer and essayist, born in 1969 in Kyoto. She is the winner of numerous awards at the Kyoto Contemporary Photographers' Exhibition, including the top prize. Kayu Mizuno is the Director of the Machiya Photo Museum and author of a photo collection published in Japan.

Yasutaka Ogawa was born in 1975 in Kyoto. His photographs of Kyoto appear in various publications, mainly magazines, and he is the author of the photo collection Come Over to Kyoto, published in Japan.