In 2025, Arashiyama in Kyoto regained a rare and profound tranquility, allowing the true depth of its autumn colors to unfold. Traveling through Nison-in, Jōjakukō-ji, Ōkōchi Sansō, and Tenryū-ji, the shifting light and vibrant foliage created a scene reminiscent of a classical adagio—slow, graceful, and deeply resonant. This is a photographic record of Kyoto’s authentic autumn beauty and the quiet harmony that returned to its temples and gardens.

Arashiyama in 2025 was wrapped in a quietude unlike anything seen in recent years.
With group tourism from a certain country having come to a halt,
Kyoto finally regained its natural composure.
The gentle wind drifting through the valleys,
the soft sound of footsteps on moss-covered stone paths—
every subtle nuance of the landscape became distinctly audible again.

From Nison-in to Jōjakukō-ji,
from Ōkōchi Sansō to Tenryū-ji—
the journey through Arashiyama’s iconic temples and gardens
felt like moving through a single, unbroken adagio.
Light filtered through the clouds, slowly deepening,
as the colors of autumn layered themselves in quiet harmony—
crimson, amber, and gold swaying softly in the breeze
like a melody rising with gentle restraint.

At Jōjakukō-ji, just as I began descending from the summit,
the sun emerged fully from behind the clouds.
The entire temple grounds were bathed in a warm, delicate radiance.
In that moment, it felt as though the adagio of a classical masterpiece
was entering its tender crescendo,
stretching time itself into a serene, suspended flow.

Ōkōchi Sansō was at the height of its autumn brilliance.
In the stillness of its garden,
only the sound of the wind and distant birds could be heard—
revealing the authentic depth and dignity
that Kyoto’s autumn has always possessed.

And then Tenryū-ji.
The sun had slipped back behind the clouds,
yet the tranquility of this garden—
a place I have visited countless times—remained unchanged.
It was the gentle afterglow of an adagio’s final notes,
leaving behind a profound sense of peace.

—A day when a quiet Kyoto breathed once again.
Please enjoy this “Autumn Adagio,”
where light and shadow, color and stillness come together in harmony.