On my last day in Japan, I woke up in one of those crazy capsule hotels and, after indulging in some sweet libations from Mr. Donut, took to the streets of Tokyo's Shinjuku district during the middle of the morning rush.
I was just one of millions of people strolling through the center of the world's largest city that day, but I felt as if I'd been hand-picked in some universal lottery -- Tokyo, as I see it, is the apex of human civilization. I clung to every moment, trying to savor it as deeply and for as long as I could, while clouds of people swirled around me in all directions, speeding through the same moments as if they weren't happening at all, as if they were mine alone.
Each of the pictures in this post embodies one of the singular moments I savored during the three weeks I was lucky enough to spend in Japan. If you aren't yet planning your own trip to the Land of the Rising Sun, I hope these photos inspire you to take the next plane to Tokyo.
![Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan]( "Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan")
The Shinjuku district of Tokyo
![Sakura Cherry Blossoms in Tokyo, Japan]( "Sakura Cherry Blossoms in Tokyo, Japan")
Cherry blossoms at Chidorigafuchi in Tokyo
![Senso-ji Temple in Tokyo, Japan]( "Senso-ji Temple in Tokyo, Japan")
Senso-ji Temple
![Traffic in Tokyo, Japan]( "Traffic in Tokyo, Japan")
Nighttime traffic in Tokyo
![Nikko, Japan]( "Nikko, Japan")
Shrine in Nikko, a 17th century shogunate
![Robert Schrader in Kyoto, Japan]( "Robert Schrader in Kyoto, Japan")
Sunset in Kyoto
![Sakura Cherry Blossoms in Kyoto, Japan]( "Sakura Cherry Blossoms in Kyoto, Japan")
Cherry blossoms on the surface of water in Kyoto
![Kiyomizu Temple in Kyoto, Japan]( "Kiyomizu Temple in Kyoto, Japan")
Kyoto's Kiyomizu Temple
![Kyoto, Japan by Night]( "Kyoto, Japan by Night")
Kyoto as night falls
![Arashiyama Bamboo Forest im Japan]( "Arashiyama Bamboo Forest in Japan")
Arashiyama Bamboo Forest in Kansai
![Deer in Nara, Japan]( "Deer in Nara, Japan")
Urban deer in Nara
![Shrine in Nara, Japan]( "Shrine in Nara, Japan")
Ancient wooden shrine in Nara
![Robert Schrader in Tottori, Japan]( "Robert Schrader in Tottori, Japan")
Tottori Sand Dunes -- yes, Japan has a desert
![Tottori Japan Desert]( "Tottori Japan Desert")
Camels in Japan
![Sand Dunes in Tottori, Japan]( "Sand Dunes in Tottori, Japan")
A fully-suited Japanese businessman walking up a sand dune
![Sunset in Tottori, Japan]( "Sunset in Tottori, Japan")
Sunset over the Japanese desert
![Miyajima, Japan]( "Miyajima, Japan")
The floating gate of Miyajima
![Hiroshima, Japan Peace Park]( "Hiroshima, Japan Peace Park")
Hiroshima Peace Park
![Paper Cranes in Hiroshima]( "Paper Cranes in Hiroshima")
Paper cranes in Hiroshima
![Robert Schrader in Yakushima, Japan]( "Robert Schrader in Yakushima, Japan")
7,500-year old cedar trees on Yakushima Island
![Yakushima, Japan Waterfall]( "Yakushima, Japan Waterfall")
Waterfall in Yakushima
![Yakushima, Japan Cedar]( "Yakushima, Japan Cedar")
Another massive cedar
![Robert Schrader on Cat Island, Japan]( "Robert Schrader on Cat Island, Japan")
An island filled with cats
![Rabbit Island, Japan]( "Rabbit Island, Japan")
And another with rabbits
![Monkey Cyrus]( "Monkey Cyrus")
A snow monkey doing its best "Wrecking Ball"
![Japanese Snow Monkey]( "Japanese Snow Monkey")
Another monkey bathing in an onsen
![Robert Schrader at Takaragawa Onsen]( "Robert Schrader at Takaragawa Onsen")
A human being (me) bathing at Japan's best onsen
![Takaragawa Onsen, Japan]( "Takaragawa Onsen, Japan")
Takaragawa Onsen, perched in the foothills of the Japanese Alps near Nagano
![Traditional Japanese onsen]( "Traditional Japanese onsen")
A woman in a traditional Japanese kimono
I was just one of millions of people strolling through the center of the world's largest city that day, but I felt as if I'd been hand-picked in some universal lottery -- Tokyo, as I see it, is the apex of human civilization. I clung to every moment, trying to savor it as deeply and for as long as I could, while clouds of people swirled around me in all directions, speeding through the same moments as if they weren't happening at all, as if they were mine alone.
Each of the pictures in this post embodies one of the singular moments I savored during the three weeks I was lucky enough to spend in Japan. If you aren't yet planning your own trip to the Land of the Rising Sun, I hope these photos inspire you to take the next plane to Tokyo.
The Shinjuku district of Tokyo
Cherry blossoms at Chidorigafuchi in Tokyo
Senso-ji Temple
Nighttime traffic in Tokyo
Shrine in Nikko, a 17th century shogunate
Sunset in Kyoto
Cherry blossoms on the surface of water in Kyoto
Kyoto's Kiyomizu Temple
Kyoto as night falls
Arashiyama Bamboo Forest in Kansai
Urban deer in Nara
Ancient wooden shrine in Nara
Tottori Sand Dunes -- yes, Japan has a desert
Camels in Japan
A fully-suited Japanese businessman walking up a sand dune
Sunset over the Japanese desert
The floating gate of Miyajima
Hiroshima Peace Park
Paper cranes in Hiroshima
7,500-year old cedar trees on Yakushima Island
Waterfall in Yakushima
Another massive cedar
An island filled with cats
And another with rabbits
A snow monkey doing its best "Wrecking Ball"
Another monkey bathing in an onsen
A human being (me) bathing at Japan's best onsen
Takaragawa Onsen, perched in the foothills of the Japanese Alps near Nagano
A woman in a traditional Japanese kimono