Close up on Shimogamo Shrine, Kyoto

A very early morning visit to a shrine in a forest

Larry Knipfing Mar 08, 2014 - 1 min read

<p>A day or two before the new year - the Year of the Horse</p>

<p>At just after 6AM, the shrine was dark, cold, and mysterious</p>

<p>The light in the early morning created a special atmosphere</p>

<p>A ceremony platform just inside the shrine gates</p>

<p>Prayer boards for the upcoming year</p>

<p>A small shrine just outside the main shrine's gate</p>

<p>Fog rising off a stream just outside the shrine</p>

<p>Stalls still closed line the long walkway from the street to the shrine</p>

<p>At the end of the year, it is a very festive atmosphere</p>

An early morning visit in late December to one of Japan's oldest shrines, Shimogamo Jinja, was cold and beautiful. The sun had not yet shown its face, and so the sky was still black, and the shrine grounds were virtually empty. We stayed for an hour or so, enjoying seeing how different everything looked once the sun rose up over the horizon. The early morning light was warm and penetrating, creating fog, and melting the frost that had formed at night.

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Larry Knipfing @larry.knipfing

Born on Long Island, New York in 1958, I have spent the last 30 years of my life living in Japan, and enjoying every minute of it! I especially love photography, and Japan is definitely one of the most beautiful places in the world to photograph! My other love is fiction writing and I have pub...