I don't know how many insects there were, nor is that stuff floating in the pond duckweed—rather, it's fallen leaves—but the autumn wind sure was singing when I took this photo. The autumn wind hits especially strong in the Tokai area, often making it much colder outside than the temperature reads.

This is one of my favorite places. Over to the left, somewhat behind that clump of Japanese maples you see, is Okazaki castle. Straight ahead, at the building you can see under the bridge, is the tea house, where you can enjoy some matcha (powered green tea) while relaxing and taking in the surrounding nature. I've posted some photos of this tea house before and I will again. It is surrounded by Japanese maples, so it is beautiful when they turn.

My only regret for this photo is I should have brought my tripod and used a slower shutter speed to blur the water from that fountain. Oh well. The perfect excuse to come here again for more photos!

David LaSpina is an American photographer and translator lost in Japan, trying to capture the beauty of this country one photo at a time and searching for the perfect haiku.

If this blog post has entertained or helped you, please follow/upvote/reblog. If you want to further support my writing, donations are welcome.