It is always fun to try and find an appropriate title for a post. Do you try to think of something catchy or just try to be factual. I thought of Kyoto – New and Old for a title, but then decided to go with Blur and Reflection.

Since I was thinking of Japan after my post yesterday I remembered two interesting pictures that I took in Kyoto earlier this year. One is very modern and busy and the other is historic and calm.

The first picture was taken while waiting for the Subway. My colleague and I were on the way to meet his wife and daughter at the train station before starting a day of sightseeing.

Kyoto Subway

I love the way that we have the static images of the passengers waiting for the arriving subway car. The car arrives in a blur of motion and a rush of air and sound. Unfortunately, you can only see the picture and not feel the rush of air, the sound of the arriving train or the smells of the track and tunnel. For me, the picture brings back those memories. One of the great things about International travel is visiting cities where there is great public transit. This can be said about only a few American cities.

The second picture takes us back to a time long ago.

Momoyama-mon  – Nijojo

The Momoyama-mon at Nijojo was built in 1603. The word Momoyam means Peach Hill, and the Momoyama Period (1573–1615) is also one of the periods of Art in Japan.

The suffix -mon means Gate and -jo means castle. This gate is at the Nijo Castle in Kyoto. The grounds of the castle are absolutely gorgeous. Unfortunately, I was a couple weeks early for the Cherry Blossoms. The Nijo Castle is one of the many World Cultural Sites in Kyoto.

I like this picture for the great reflections in the placid waters of the inner moat of the castle. The view is so peaceful and calming.

I also like the contrasts between the two pictures. Modern and Historic, Busy and Calm, Noisy and Quiet are just a few that I can think of.

Steven