As I sort and edit the nearly 1,000 photos I took on my trip to Japan, I feel like I’m experiencing Japan all over again as I find the story behind each photo. My favorite photos have so far been the nature photos.

For the theme of texture, I am taking you to Toshodaiji Temple in Nara, Japan. This temple is one of the oldest temples in Japan, built in the architectural style of Chinese Tang Dynasty (around 618-907 CE) and was deemed an UNESCO world heritage site in 1998. Of all the places I’ve visited in Japan, this was the least crowded, allowing me to enjoy the natural landscape.

This was the second thing I saw when I entered the gates of the temple, the first being the temple itself. Though reality was quite different from this photo, this was how my mind saw the photo turning out, so I’m going with my weird brain on this one. In a way, though, I think this turned out better because who wants to look at a photo gray landscapes?

Despite the high humidity and being viciously murdered by mosquitoes, I would return to this place in a heartbeat. Why? There are so much to see. It’s like stepping back in time and imagining what life was like back then. Who lived in which building and what people did back then, and let’s not forget the surroundings. Just picture these gigantic tree trunks as saplings all those years ago.

It’s so humid there that the ground is often covered by a layer of moss. I guess it’s true what they say, “Mother Nature is a modest lady, she likes to be covered.”

I hope you’ve enjoyed taking this trip with me. I gained quite a few new favorite photos in the editing process and enjoyed heading down the memory lane of this trip without the sweat, pain, and being murdered by mosquitoes.

For more stories about my recent trip to Japan, you can read it here.