May 19, 2026: the rose garden of Nagai Botanical Garden under a clear blue sky.
May 20, 2026: the rose garden of Kyoto Botanical Gardens.
This photo collection is composed from the roses I photographed over these two consecutive days.
The roses at Nagai Botanical Garden were bright, powerful, and splendid in the clear sunlight.
The roses at Kyoto Botanical Gardens carried the calmness and dignity that belong to Kyoto.
By combining these two rose gardens, I created not merely a record, but a musical visual poem of early-summer roses.
The music begins with “Karatachi no Hana,” performed by the Osaka Philharmonic Orchestra under Takashi Asahina.
It then moves into Mozart’s Violin Concerto No. 3 from Natsuho Murata’s “Italy Concerti 2019.”
From Japanese lyricism to the classical beauty of Mozart.
And then to the supreme resonance of Murata Natsuho.
The light of Nagai Botanical Garden and the dignity of Kyoto Botanical Gardens.
These two worlds become one within Natsuho’s Mozart.
In a little over 27 minutes, this work brings together two rose gardens, two cities, and two musical worlds.
For me, this is one completed form of roses and music.