James Billings Photography
@jamesbillings.bsky.social
Photos from my travels (or close to home)
Another of Kyotos' pagodas. This one is a popular one to photograph but it was far too busy to take an "empty street" version...
February 5, 2025 at 4:40 PM
Another of Kyotos' pagodas. This one is a popular one to photograph but it was far too busy to take an "empty street" version...
A portrait format view of the Pagoda from yesterday (in case you wanted it as a phone wallpaper 😂)
February 4, 2025 at 4:08 PM
A portrait format view of the Pagoda from yesterday (in case you wanted it as a phone wallpaper 😂)
Heading back to the centre of Kyoto after the bamboo forest, I walked up the hill to Kiyomizu-dera temple. Crikey, this place was busy, the roads leading up to it jam-packed.
Some beautiful autumn colour though, with the pagoda making for a great focal point to the the second image.
Some beautiful autumn colour though, with the pagoda making for a great focal point to the the second image.
February 3, 2025 at 4:02 PM
Heading back to the centre of Kyoto after the bamboo forest, I walked up the hill to Kiyomizu-dera temple. Crikey, this place was busy, the roads leading up to it jam-packed.
Some beautiful autumn colour though, with the pagoda making for a great focal point to the the second image.
Some beautiful autumn colour though, with the pagoda making for a great focal point to the the second image.
Climb a little way above Arashiyama Bamboo Forest and you're rewarded with this view down the Katsura River. The little colourful building on the hillside is Daihikaku Senkōji Temple
January 30, 2025 at 4:04 PM
Climb a little way above Arashiyama Bamboo Forest and you're rewarded with this view down the Katsura River. The little colourful building on the hillside is Daihikaku Senkōji Temple
Four more from the bamboo forest
January 29, 2025 at 4:05 PM
Four more from the bamboo forest
The next morning in Kyoto, and I hopped on a train out to the western edge of the city to visit Arashiyama Bamboo Forest.
January 28, 2025 at 3:54 PM
The next morning in Kyoto, and I hopped on a train out to the western edge of the city to visit Arashiyama Bamboo Forest.
Apologies for no posts the past couple of days- I was in London over the weekend.
Here's 3 more night scenes from Kyoto.
Here's 3 more night scenes from Kyoto.
January 27, 2025 at 5:16 PM
Apologies for no posts the past couple of days- I was in London over the weekend.
Here's 3 more night scenes from Kyoto.
Here's 3 more night scenes from Kyoto.
Some night time shots from Kyoto on the way to dinner...
January 24, 2025 at 7:27 PM
Some night time shots from Kyoto on the way to dinner...
A couple more from around Fushimi Inari Shrine. Although one is just a cat.
January 23, 2025 at 3:42 PM
A couple more from around Fushimi Inari Shrine. Although one is just a cat.
A few more images from around Fushimi Inari Shrine.
January 21, 2025 at 4:22 PM
A few more images from around Fushimi Inari Shrine.
A couple of images from the popular Fushimi Inari Shrine which features thousands of traditional red Torii gates weaving up the hillside. Low-down it's hugely busy, so I took a long exposure for something different. Higher up the hill, it's much quieter...
January 17, 2025 at 4:22 PM
A couple of images from the popular Fushimi Inari Shrine which features thousands of traditional red Torii gates weaving up the hillside. Low-down it's hugely busy, so I took a long exposure for something different. Higher up the hill, it's much quieter...
After Nara, I headed back to Kyoto and then hopped on another train to go a couple of stops to Inari station to visit the shrine there. Photos from that tomorrow- today, a picture of the train cab 🙂
January 16, 2025 at 3:56 PM
After Nara, I headed back to Kyoto and then hopped on another train to go a couple of stops to Inari station to visit the shrine there. Photos from that tomorrow- today, a picture of the train cab 🙂
Four more random shots from Nara.
January 15, 2025 at 4:19 PM
Four more random shots from Nara.
A couple of shots of Todai-ji Namdaimon - the Grand South Gate - at Nara.
January 14, 2025 at 4:33 PM
A couple of shots of Todai-ji Namdaimon - the Grand South Gate - at Nara.
Tōdai-ji temple, Nara. Reconstructed just over 300 years ago, this Buddhist temple was the largest wooden building in the world until 1998. It houses "Daibutsu", the largest bronze statue of Buddha in the world.
January 13, 2025 at 5:31 PM
Tōdai-ji temple, Nara. Reconstructed just over 300 years ago, this Buddhist temple was the largest wooden building in the world until 1998. It houses "Daibutsu", the largest bronze statue of Buddha in the world.
Some more photos of the deer that hang around in Nara...
January 10, 2025 at 4:09 PM
Some more photos of the deer that hang around in Nara...
A few captures from Yoshikien Garden in Nara- beautiful spot to walk around!
January 9, 2025 at 4:19 PM
A few captures from Yoshikien Garden in Nara- beautiful spot to walk around!
The following morning, I took the train to nearby Nara. Large areas of parkland contain temples dating back to when Nara was the capital of Japan, and also lots and lots of friendly deer.
January 8, 2025 at 5:12 PM
The following morning, I took the train to nearby Nara. Large areas of parkland contain temples dating back to when Nara was the capital of Japan, and also lots and lots of friendly deer.
Another rainy night-time shot from Kyoto.
January 7, 2025 at 4:22 PM
Another rainy night-time shot from Kyoto.
After Nikko, we took the Shinkansen over to Kyoto. The evening saw heavy rain so I grabbed a few street shots near where we stayed. Just as I was dropping off to sleep a decent size earthquake offshore wobbled me awake again.
January 6, 2025 at 4:45 PM
After Nikko, we took the Shinkansen over to Kyoto. The evening saw heavy rain so I grabbed a few street shots near where we stayed. Just as I was dropping off to sleep a decent size earthquake offshore wobbled me awake again.
A few more images from the shrines and temples of Nikko.
January 3, 2025 at 4:23 PM
A few more images from the shrines and temples of Nikko.
More photos from around the temples and shrines of Nikko.
January 2, 2025 at 4:39 PM
More photos from around the temples and shrines of Nikko.
A couple of pictures of the Shōyō-en Garden at the Rin’nōji temple complex in Nikko.
January 1, 2025 at 4:27 PM
A couple of pictures of the Shōyō-en Garden at the Rin’nōji temple complex in Nikko.
Final image for 2024, and I'll leave you with a couple of views of the 5-storied Pagoda at the centre of the complex of shrines in Nikko.
December 31, 2024 at 4:30 PM
Final image for 2024, and I'll leave you with a couple of views of the 5-storied Pagoda at the centre of the complex of shrines in Nikko.
Next morning in Nikko, and we took the bus up the twisty mountain road to Kegon waterfall. There's a free upper viewpoint, or you can take an elevator down through the rock to a lower platform where you get the second view.
December 30, 2024 at 5:35 PM
Next morning in Nikko, and we took the bus up the twisty mountain road to Kegon waterfall. There's a free upper viewpoint, or you can take an elevator down through the rock to a lower platform where you get the second view.