Culture

Photographer captures ethereal sight of lanterns reflected on Sarusawa Pond in Nara

Published

4 years ago

August 27, 2020

Wasabitool is a talented photographer who takes breathtakingly beautiful photos of Japanese landscapes. Some of our readers may recall his photos of snow-blanketed Kyoto which we introduced earlier this year:

雪降る貴船神社が美しい pic.twitter.com/13pukWJjIh
— wasabitool (@wasabitool) February 9, 2020

Recently, he had a chance to visit Sarusawa Pond at the edge of Nara Park for a special photo opportunity.

Between mid to late August every year, locals and visitors alike are drawn to the historic Naramachi neighborhood for a special evening event known as the Naramachi Yūho ならまち遊歩 (Naramachi Promenade).

After sunset, people make their way past the lanterns hanging from the roofs of traditional merchant houses, and head through picturesque lantern-lined narrow streets where restaurants, bars and izakayas stay open late. But the lanterns don't stop there.

The highlight of the event is the red lanterns at Sarusawa Pond. They are suspended on bamboo stalks, and their reflection on the surface of the pond in the waning hours of the day and into the night are a delight to behold.

Already a beautiful scene to witness, Sarusawa Pond become truly magical thanks to wasabitool's masterful photography.

As the sun sets, he begins...