At Osawa Pond in Kyoto, the author encounters a kingfisher for the first time after countless visits.
A fleeting moment reveals the quiet depth that makes Kyoto unmatched among world cities.

One Fragment of the Reason Why Kyoto Is the Greatest City in the World
2016-02-01
I had just finished photographing several cormorants and started to walk away.
At that very moment, it happened.
A kingfisher appeared before my eyes.
Flying in that distinctive way, skimming just above the surface of the water.
Its beautiful blue shimmered, the color that has earned it the name “the pearl of the stream.”
I had visited Osawa Pond dozens of times every year.
And yet, I had never seen a kingfisher there even once.
I confirmed it had perched on a branch at the edge of the pond and was about to move closer.
At that instant, an energetic young man came running toward us.
Naturally, the kingfisher took flight.
I saw it head toward a tree at the far edge of the pond.
I changed my plan and decided to follow the kingfisher.