Maple glory

Our second day on Koya San was truly magical. We got up early to take part in Buddhist prayers in the temple. I am not in the least bit religious but it felt like a privilege to take part in someone else's daily practice. The monks had even said it was OK to take photographs during the service but most people thought this was disrespectful and didn't. Of course there's always one isn't there? One of our group who seemed to view life solely through a lens was snapping away despite fierce glares from the rest of us.

Later we went round the largest cemetery in Japan which looked just beautiful in the autumnal morning light. It was so much colder on Koya San and so the trees were further along in their autumn glory than elsewhere. This shot was taken in a temple garden. I had one of those moments there where the beauty of the trees brought tears to my eyes. So stunning, so natural and so transitory. A photo simply can't do it justice but I captured it just as a memory of a very special feeling.