Feeling the Arrival of Autumn | LUMIX GX8
The summer of 2025 was truly long, wasn't it?
According to the Japan Meteorological Agency, it was the hottest summer since statistics began.
・The average temperature in Japan for the summer of 2025 significantly exceeded previous records, making it the highest since statistics began in 1898.
https://www.jma.go.jp/jma/press/2509/01a/summer_temp_20250901.html
This summer's average temperature was 2.36 degrees higher than the average, an 'abnormal high temperature' - Japan Meteorological Agency
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/news/html/20250901/k10014909411000.html
That hot summer finally seems to be coming to an end, and the past few days have felt cool. I had errands in Kawagoe, Saitama, over the weekend, so I took my digital camera and went for a walk to photograph the autumn townscape.
My equipment was the m43 LUMIX GX8 with the 15mm F1.7 and 45-150 kit lenses.
Kawagoe Hikawa Shrine
When I visited several times during the height of summer, the Hikawa Shrine was very crowded with tourists and decorated with wind chimes, but on this day, it felt very simple and was a peaceful place. There were few people there for shrine visits, and I was able to spend a relaxing time there for the first time in a while.
At the Shingashi River riverbed
The Shingashi River flows behind Hikawa Shrine.
This river was active in boat transportation during the Edo period and was also introduced on 'Buratamori' a long time ago.
There was an explanatory site like this about the Shingashi River.
Seasonal spider lilies were in full bloom along the river. The September sun provided good light, and I was able to take several quite dramatic photos.
Little Edo Kawagoe
I went to the busiest 'Toki no Kane (Time Bell) area'.
It was truly rare for the number of tourists to be so low on this day.
This place is usually so crowded that it's normal for people to appear in your photos, and at worst, it's difficult to even stop and take a picture, but it was very empty on this day.
The townscape of Kawagoe has been destroyed by fire several times, but it has been revived each time, and you can see the current mix of Japanese and Western buildings. It has become a very mysterious townscape.
Kawagoe is the town where I spent my student days. In October, the major autumn event 'Kawagoe Festival' will be held. A huge number of tourists will surely visit Kawagoe. I'm looking forward to it.
Thank you for reading until the end.