Colors of My Heart

Manjushage (spider lilies) at Kinchakuda is a beautiful spot located in Hidaka City, Saitama Prefecture, Japan, particularly famous for its blooming Higanbana in the autumn.  This area is renowned as one of the largest habitats for Higanbana, attracting many tourists each year who are captivated by its beauty.​ ​The distinctive feature of Manjushage is its vibrant red flowers. These flowers beautifully enhance the autumn landscape, and during the peak blooming period from late September to early October, the expansive grounds of Kinchakuda are astonishingly covered in a sea of red. Situated in a flatland along both banks of the Hachiyosone River, Kinchakuda offers visitors a variety of stunning scenery, surrounded by lush trees and flowers that showcase the changing seasons.  It is important to note that Manjushage is toxic, so caution should be exercised not to consume them.  Moreover, as this area attracts many visitors during the blooming season, if you wish to avoid c...

While photographing cosmos flowers at Showa Memorial Park, there were many butterflies and dragonflies flying around. Since I used a telephoto lens without a tripod, it was quite challenging to avoid camera shake.  I tried to capture the feeling of autumn by softly blurring the cosmos flowers in the background.   Olympus E-5 ／ Zuiko Digital ED 50-200mm F2.8-3.5 SWD ／ 1/800s ／ F3.5 ／ ISO100 ／ - 0.3   Olympus E-5 ／ Zuiko Digital ED 50-200mm F2.8-3.5 SWD ／ 1/2000s ／ F3.5 ／ ISO100 ／ - 0.3   Olympus E-5 ／ Zuiko Digital ED 50-200mm F2.8-3.5 SWD ／ 1/1000s ／ F3.5 ／ ISO100 ／ + 0.3   Olympus E-5 ／ Zuiko Digital ED 50-200mm F2.8-3.5 SWD ／ 1/400s ／ F3.5 ／ ISO100 ／ + 0.3 Olympus E-5 ／ Zuiko Digital ED 50-200mm F2.8-3.5 SWD ／ 1/125s ／ F3.5 ／ ISO100 ／ + 0.3 Olympus E-5 ／ Zuiko Digital ED 50-200mm F2.8-3.5 SWD ／ 1/200s ／ F3.5 ／ ISO100 ／ + 0.7

Showa Memorial Park   Showa Memorial Park is a large urban park located in Tachikawa, Tokyo, and opened in 1977. This park was created to commemorate the 50th year of Showa Emperor, and is characterized by its vast grounds and natural surroundings (about 180 hectares, one of the largest parks in Tokyo). Showa Memorial Park is easily accessible from the center of the city, yet is surrounded by a rich natural environment.   You can enjoy the changes in flowers and nature throughout the seasons, such as cherry blossoms in spring, fireworks and fountains in summer, autumn leaves and cosmos in autumn, and illuminations in winter. The autumn leaves are particularly spectacular.   There is also a Japanese garden. It is attractive for its quiet beauty and calm atmosphere, and there is also a teahouse where you can experience the tea ceremony. The park is very large, so you can cycle around the park. Bicycle rentals are also available. The bicycle path is well maintained, so you c...