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Feb 10 2014 18 Comments

A Tokyo shrine in the snow

It doesn’t snow all that often in Tokyo. And very rarely as much as it did over the weekend. So when it does, there’s the inevitable chaos and complaining: train services deteriorate, people still attempt to cycle, plus millions of others shiver in uninsulated homes.

But some of the benefits โ€” at least initially โ€” are that it makes an ugly city almost pretty. And pretty things quite beautiful.

Tokyo shrine in the snow

Categorized: Photography, Religion

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. sullivan says

    2/10/2014 at 9:21 am

    yeah its beautiful ๐Ÿ™‚

    Reply
    • Lee says

      2/10/2014 at 10:06 am

      It was. Lovely and quiet too. My plan had been to walk a lot more and visit a few more shrines and temples, but the swirling wind had me scurrying back not long after taking this photo…

      Reply
  2. Martin says

    2/10/2014 at 10:22 am

    That shot is postcard perfect.

    Reply
    • Lee says

      2/10/2014 at 11:09 pm

      Cheers!

      Cold and wind aside, it was a rare treat to see Tokyo/local areas like that.

      Reply
  3. Matt says

    2/11/2014 at 3:30 am

    When i heard it was snowing I was hoping you’d have some snow shots. Beautiful shot. The quiet it brings must have been very unusual for Tokyo.

    Reply
    • Lee says

      2/11/2014 at 11:51 am

      Thank you!

      It was. The quietness is really something. Walking about in it is quite odd รขโ‚ฌโ€œ in a good way.

      Just a shame the wind was so strong, otherwise I’d have walked a lot more. Got pretty unpleasant, pretty quickly.

      Reply
  4. Don says

    2/11/2014 at 6:54 am

    Serene… nice shot!

    Reply
    • Lee says

      2/11/2014 at 11:51 am

      Cheers!

      It was. Just me, the snow and the man just visible in the right of the shot. Very peaceful.

      Reply
  5. Hans ter Horst says

    2/11/2014 at 4:54 pm

    Perfect, very surreal!

    Reply
    • Lee says

      2/11/2014 at 8:20 pm

      Cheers! Pretty odd sight in Tokyo eh?

      Reply
  6. Willy says

    2/11/2014 at 6:52 pm

    All my net-endowed J-buddies seem to be transfixed with snow at the moment.. which I find disconcerting, considering the usual amount of it… dispirit its initial charming and profound transformative magic … Nevertheless, its only good for a couple days, not months (* for more information, go live in rural Tohoku for a winter or two)

    Reply
    • Lee says

      2/11/2014 at 8:22 pm

      I know. But it’s hard not to get carried away with it in Tokyo, as so much snow is so rare. 40-something years since the city had so much.

      But yeah, compared to other parts of Japan, it was nothing. And things don’t immediately shut down like they do here.

      Reply
  7. Norbert Woehnl says

    2/11/2014 at 7:44 pm

    Beautiful! Looking at this and other Tokyo-based photographers’ photos of the occasion really makes me wish I could have been over to experience this rare event and the quietude along with it. Thanks for sharing, Lee, as always.

    Reply
    • Lee says

      2/11/2014 at 8:24 pm

      Thank you! And you are more than welcome!

      It was a rarity that’s for sure. Snow was forecast, but I don’t think anybody expected so much. Just a pity it was so windy, as it made walking round far less pleasant than it could have been.

      Reply
  8. Jeffrey says

    2/14/2014 at 3:45 am

    Envy! This is the “proper” Japan in my mind’s eye.

    Reply
    • Lee says

      2/14/2014 at 12:24 pm

      I know what you mean. And needless to say, experiencing it was quite special.

      Reply
  9. loveinjapanese says

    3/30/2014 at 10:42 pm

    Saved as wallpaper! ๐Ÿ™‚

    Reply
    • Lee says

      3/31/2014 at 10:59 am

      Glad you liked it!

      Reply

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