Autumn in Gotokuji
Comments: 16
For my walk today I went to Gotokuji, temple home of the beckoning cat. A beautiful wan sunlight fell all morning and I had a feeling that the temple would be pretty nicely lit by the time I got there. I arrived to find a good selection of trees in full autumn colour … and the sky almost completely overcast. From above I heard something that sounded like chuckling.
Gotokuji (or Goutokuji as I should properly be spelling it but won’t because it looks so ugly that way) is the Gregory Peck of temples — dark and sombre, but good and upright and calm and steady. Strolling through the wonderful cemetary there I always notice that my brow furrows a little like he used to do. Gotokuji, with its shadows and slow light that seems to decelerate towards the ground after making it through the canopy of leaves, calls for a slow and considered appreciation, and I think a slight Peckian furrowing of the brow helps to channel this.
But this picture above (of which there is a larger version, although it’s not desktop-sized) is not of the cemetary but of a type of momiji (Japanese maple) tucked away in one corner of the garden, twisting the way you see them twist on painted screens.
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Posted to Photographs • 2003.11.18 (Tue) • 18:22
Comments
Posted by Heck 2003.11.18, 18:52
Oh dear. I miss those momiji sweets from Hiroshima. You’ve just reminded me of that.
Great photos, and great page you have here, I’ve been visiting for a while. Cheers.
Posted by milov 2003.11.18, 19:06
Beautiful indeed. The second I saw the photo I thought “wish he would post a larger version”; then I scrolled down and saw the “a larger version” link. :)
Posted by steve 2003.11.18, 19:11
I also hovered over the photo, looking for a pop-up version in full size. I was happy to find the link further down in the entry, as this photo definitely deserves a larger size. Beautiful photo!
Posted by Pete Barr-watson 2003.11.18, 19:18
Stunning photo Jeremy. It must be a beautiful time to be in Japan.
Posted by David Collantes 2003.11.19, 02:44
Would you email me exactly the type of maple you pictured? I would like to buy it here in the States. My email on this comment. Thanks!
Posted by Aegir 2003.11.19, 06:32
Aye, beautiful. Same request as David Collantes!
Posted by Mr. X 2003.11.19, 13:59
It’s cool that you put bigger pix online. That was the only complaint I had about your blog :)
Posted by Eric 2003.11.19, 14:29
Simply stunning! A magnificent picture. You wouldn’t be wiling to make a 1600x1200 version of that available would you?
Posted by matthew 2003.11.19, 21:41
better than a thousand words
Posted by M Sinclair Stevens 2003.11.19, 22:49
And I thought I was the only Gregory Peck fan still around. I’ve alway preferred his quiet intensity, his solemn forthrightness, to fluffy Cary Grant.
Posted by craig 2003.11.20, 01:08
just wanted to reiterate the request for desktop sized if at all possible (1024x768 will suffice!) what a stunning picture - and they say new england foliage is the best…
Posted by chris hester 2003.11.21, 06:01
Simply a beautiful picture. I too would like a desktop-sized version! (As large as possible so we can size it down if needed.)
In the meantime I have made a desktop myself by enlarging the image:
(Yes I know, my icons are corrupt. Silly Windows!)
I love many of the photographs you take of Japan. So much minimalistic beauty at work.
Posted by sd 2003.11.21, 10:39
Seems like I am the next one in row saying that this picture is beautiful. Today I found some time to ‘think’ of a wallpaper version and came up with two Photoshop experiments. Size is your larger original to keep it nice. I uploaded them to a free image host for everyone and I hope you’ll release an even larger version to make it a better quality resize.
So here are the links: First (270kb) Second (300kb)
Posted by chris hester 2003.11.21, 21:34
The second one is just like a Roger Dean painting!
Posted by Kinki 2003.11.26, 21:12
gotokuji? there is a place near my house called gokokuji which looks like the same place. am i mistaken? anyway, its a beautiful pic. I’ve become obsessed with the momiji - http://www.35degrees.com/PhotoPages/momijiri.html. Those little suckers are addictive!
Posted by jh 2003.11.26, 21:58
Gokokuji is a different place —- it’s over the other side of town from where I am (Setagaya-ku). But very photogenic it seems and I’ve been meaning to make its acquaintance for some time.
Thanks for the link to your photographs —- I never saw colours like this in Australia and just can’t get enough.
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