Autumn is arguably the best season in Japan for taking photographs of nature both in towns and in rural country as the colors are constantly and fast changing.
You do though have to look around as sometimes one single tree might be a lot more worth than the whole forest!

I had a half hour to spare before cycling back for a rare home lunch so I decided to have a look at Kiyomizu Shrine, a small one with a medium sized park abut a forested cliff in Aoi Ku, Shizuoka City.

There wasn’t much in the park so I decided to climb some stairs up to the shrine itself.
The shrine is not that remarkable and I was about to abandon the whole idea when I discovered a tall and ancient gingko tree rising between evergreen trees!

It was really, ancient with a thick bole and many gnarled if straight branches and a whole wig og golden leaves!

The tree being sheltered from most of the wind by the surrounding trees and nearby shrine was taking time shedding its leaves which had started blanketing the ground around it!

I realized that the tree was very old indeed when I discovered unusual outgrowths on a bottom branch looking like thick aerial roots!

Actually, I saw them on a single branch only. I wonder what had started such an unusual growing pattern!

I took this last picture when I climbed the stairs behind it consciously avoiding the aerial eletric wires!

When a single tree is worth a second look!

RECOMMENDED RELATED WEBSITES

Shop with Intent by Debbie
BULA KANA in Fiji
Kraemer’s Culinary blog by Frank Kraemer in New York,Tokyo Food File by Robbie Swinnerton, Green Tea Club by Satoshi Nihonyanagi in Shizuoka!, Mind Some by Tina in Taiwan, Le Manger by Camille Oger (French), The Indian Tourist, Masala Herb by Helene Dsouza in Goa, India, Mummy I Can Cook! by Shu Han in London, Pierre.Cuisine, Francescannotwrite, My White Kitchen, Foodhoe, Chucks Eats, Things that Fizz & Stuff, Five Euro Food by Charles,Red Shallot Kitchen by Priscilla,With a Glass, Nami | Just One Cookbook, Peach Farm Studio, Clumsyfingers by Xethia, PepperBento, Hapabento, Kitchen Cow, Lunch In A Box, Susan at Arkonlite, Vegan Lunch Box; Tokyo Tom Baker, Daily Food Porn/Osaka, Only Nature Food Porn, Happy Little Bento, J-Mama’s Kitchen, Cook, Eat, Play, Repeat, Bento Lunch Blog (German), Adventures In Bento, Anna The Red’s Bento Factory, Ohayo Bento,

Must-see tasting websites:

-Sake: Tokyo Through The Drinking Glass, Tokyo Foodcast, Urban Sake, Sake World
-Wine: Palate To Pen, Warren Bobrow, Cellar Tours, Ancient Fire Wines Blog
-Beer: Another Pint, Please!, Beering In Good Mind: All about Craft Beer in Kansai by Nevitt Reagan!
ABRACADABREW, Magical Craftbeer from Japan
-Whisky: Nonjatta: All about whisky in Japan by Stefan Van Eycken
-Japanese Pottery to enjoy your favourite drinks: Yellin Yakimono Gallery

Non gastronomy must-see sites by Shizuoka Residents

HIGHOCTANE/HAIOKU by Nick Itoh in Shizuoka City