On May 20, 2026, what I had assumed would be a rainy day unexpectedly turned into a fine one. I immediately checked Kyoto’s hourly forecast and headed there by Shinkansen. This photo video presents the rose garden of Kyoto Botanical Gardens in full bloom, set to Wagner’s Prelude to “Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg,” performed by the Osaka Philharmonic Orchestra under Takashi Asahina.

May 20, 2026.
I had assumed that the rain would begin today.
Yet, unexpectedly, the weather turned out to be beautiful.
I immediately checked the hourly forecast for Kyoto.
There was still enough time for fine weather.
I made my decision at once and headed for Kyoto by Shinkansen.
This is not the season to photograph each single rose one by one.
This is the moment when the entire rose garden is in full bloom.
It is the time to photograph the whole garden at its most beautiful.
I arrived at Kyoto Botanical Gardens.
The sky was not completely cloudless.
Even so, it was a splendid sunny day.
I headed straight for the rose garden.
This is truly a magnificent place.
For me, it is already my own garden.
The music is Wagner’s Prelude to “Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg,” performed by the Osaka Philharmonic Orchestra under Takashi Asahina.
The length of the photographs and music is 10 minutes and 48 seconds.
The rose garden in full bloom.
Takashi Asahina and the Osaka Philharmonic performing Wagner with grandeur.
Through that sound, the rose garden of Kyoto Botanical Gardens became a video work with even greater dignity.