Something my wife and I both feel strongly about is the settled normality of Japan. We do not speak the language, fully understand the culture, nor do we agree with all things Japanese, but we can say, without doubt, that we feel very comfortable there.

The gentleness and the respectfulness, towards all, has a profound effect on regular visitors.

We often find returning home a hard landing of reality.

Above is a set of images, all found in one sequence, taken on a regular day in Kyoto (with many others), showing the normality of life in Japan’s cities. I often find little gems of life hidden in these files.