A woman with an umbrella at the hydrangea garden in Mimurotoji Temple A single hydrangea flower at Mimurotoji Temple A view from a hill towards the Hydrangea Garden at Mimurotoji Temple Two girls taking a selfie at the hydrangea garden in Mimurotoji Temple A hydrangea flower with someone taking a picture on the background

Ajisai or Hydrangea at Mimurotoji Temple

by Roman Sudarikov· January 29, 2021· in Travel· 0 comments
4
A hydrangea flower and the gate to Mimurotoji Temple on background
Mimurotoji Temple is incredibly famous for having many different flowers blooming one after another almost around the year. It is so famous that unofficially it is even known as Flower Temple. In this video you are seeing Ajisai, or Hydrangea, which blooms there in June. Other flowers which can be enjoyed at Mimurotoji are cherry blossom in the beginning of April, which is followed by azalea later same month, lotus in the middle of summer, windflower in autumn and of course there is also the autumn leaves season which starts in the end of November. In winter you might get lucky and witness the beauty of temple covered in snow. Mimurotoji is located on the slope of a mountain and covers a quite large area, most of which are different gardens. It was founded about 1200 years ago, but during its long history it was destroyed many times. The current Main Hall is from 1814.
Read More

Flowers, temples and green tea of Uji

by Roman Sudarikov· January 26, 2021· in Travel· 0 comments
2
Ugajin Daity in front of the Main Hall of Mimurotoji Temple in Uji
In this vlog you will see us exploring one of the oldest cities of Japan. Uji is located between two ancient capitals of Japan, Kyoto and Nara. The town developed around a bridge crossing Uji River. Although current version is a modern reconstruction from 1996, historically Uji Bridge has been considered as one of the Three Most Famous Old Bridges of Japan. It is said to be built originally in 646. Living in Kyoto, I have visited Uji quite many times. Just about half an hour on the train and you will find yourself in a smaller version of Kyoto surrounded by beautiful nature. Smaller version also means significantly less crowds and quieter, more relaxed atmosphere. Saying that the places is unknown would be a lie, but I think being overshadowed by the very famous main Kyoto, it is one of the hidden gems of Kyoto Prefecture.
Read More

Viewing cherry blossom in Yoshino

by Roman Sudarikov· August 01, 2020· in Travel· 0 comments
2
Beautiful Sakura in full bloom in Yoshino
In this travel vlog we return to the place where our YouTube journey originally started. Almost two years ago in our first ever vlog we visited one of the most sacred sites in Japan Mount Koya. Yoshinoyama, or Mount Yoshino, which we visited this time, is one more location in the same area at the border of Nara and Wakayama prefectures. Both of those mountains, Koyasan and Yoshinoyama, are closely related in many ways. They are part of the same very old pilgrimage route network, which covers most of Kii Peninsula and has over 1200 years of documented history. When Koyasan is a religious center of Shingon Buddhism, Yoshino is one of the centers of Shugendo religion. Shugendo is a syncretic religion originated from Buddhism and Shintoism in 7th century Japan. It worships sacred mountains and puts great emphasis on spiritual and physical training.
Read More

Nature walk and visiting Kifune Shrine, Kyoto

by Roman Sudarikov· February 07, 2019· in Travel· 0 comments
4
A statue at Kifune Jinja Shrine located in mountains near Kyoto.
You don't have to travel far from Kyoto to find yourself surrounded by nature. Just in the nearby mountains at the edge of the city, there are plenty of possibilities to go for a walk or a proper hike. In addition to enjoying the beauty of green forest-covered mountains and rushing, crystal clear streams in the narrow valleys between them, there are also many temples worth to visit. While some of them might be hidden in the deep forest and require a bit of a climb to get there, there are also more accessible ones, with small towns developed around them. Kibune is one of such gems. It is located on the northern side of Kyoto and can be easily reached by a small idyllic train. The train journey starts from Demachiyanagi Station and after half an hour of enjoying the passing by scenery of peaceful Kyoto and later forests, you will reach Kibuneguchi Station.
Read More

My first YouTube video – Snow of Cherry Blossoms

by Roman Sudarikov· May 02, 2018· in Travel· 0 comments
4
Young couple in beautiful kimono is standing close to each other under cherry blossom trees at Philosopher’s Path in Kyoto.
Finally, today I was able to start something that I have been thinking and planning to do already for quite a long period of time, but never got myself to, mainly because of the lack of time and a long-term commitment it would require. Today I have set up my YouTube channel and also uploaded the very first video there – Snow of Cherry Blossoms. At the moment there is only one video and the channel feels very empty, but no matter what task is at hand, just being able to start a new thing is very important first step and quite often the hardest one to take. Finally having it done makes me very happy and extremely excited! For a moment I will have to shift my attention a bit towards making videos as it is something, I really need to learn more about. The main topics of my channel will be travel, photography and adventure. I will highly appreciate it if you could visit my channel and check out the video!
Read More

Ronda – a City Hidden by Mountains

by Roman Sudarikov· May 11, 2017· in Travel· 0 comments
8
At the bottom of 100-meter-deep El Tajo gorge flows The Guadalevín River. Andalusia, Andalucia, Spain.
The highlight of this year’s trip to Spain was unquestionably a daytrip to Ronda, which is a mountain town about a hundred kilometers away from Málaga by car in the west direction. It is famous especially for its long bullfighting tradition and spectacular landscape dominated by a hundred-meter-deep El Tajo gorge, that cuts the town in two parts, with an old bridge Puente Nuevo over it. Nowadays it is also well known for its wines and other local food products. Since my last time in Ronda has passed already over ten years and I have been thinking about visiting it again for a while, so as a good ending to our vacation in Spain we decided to go on a one-day road trip there. We left from Benalmádena a bit after eight in the morning and arrived at Ronda a bit before ten. The journey took us through a steep mountain landscape, along a road with an abrupt fall on one side and limited by a rock wall on the other.
Read More

Costa del Sol in winter – Benalmádena, Fuengirola, Torremolinos

by Roman Sudarikov· May 11, 2017· in Travel· 0 comments
7
During a sunset at the beach Playa de la Viborilla located in Benalmádena the white foaming waves crash against the shore and there are clouds in the sky. The last rays of sunlight are breaking through the cloud cover. Costa del Sol, Spain.
This winter, a bit over two weeks I spent on the southern coast of Spain, namely Costa del Sol. Costa del Sol is mostly known as a summer holiday destination. It is famous for its sunny beaches and lively promenades, where travelers can relax while enjoying the good local food and wine in countless tapas bars and restaurants. Activities can be found for any occasion, from a diverse array of possibilities to do sports, to a wide range of cultural destinations such as very high class museums of Andalusia and its historical monuments thanks to the many civilizations that left their footprints behind in the area. The ones, who would like to experience more authentic Andalusian lifestyle, don’t have to go any further than the white villages in the nearby mountains, where in addition to more tranquil pace of life and beautiful landscapes, the visitor can enjoy a genuine hospitality.
Read More

Lux Helsinki 2017 light festival

by Roman Sudarikov· May 07, 2017· in Travel· 0 comments
4
Interactive light art installation Light Pipes by Rölli Ridanpää and Tero Laine at the Senate Square. Lux Helsinki 2017 Light Festival.
In the beginning of this year in Helsinki, as it could be said to have formed a tradition already, was held the annual Lux Helsinki 2017 light festival, which during the darkest time of the year illuminated Helsinki Cathedral and the historical buildings around it with the aid of light art installations. The popularity of the event, and consequently its size, has been growing year after year, hence to explore and photograph this year’s artworks I devoted two evenings. Lux Helsinki has been organized nine times already and this year it was a part of the official Suomi Finland 100 programme celebrating Finland’s independence jubilee. According to the organizer, the festival attracted over half a million visits. The event draws an audience of all ages from small children to great grandparents owing to being well suited for spending time together. Here is a brief report from my visit there.
Read More
About the Author
Profile Picture of Roman Sudarikov for blog
Roman Sudarikov
Linguist, photographer and travel guide
Hello! Welcome to my photography and travel website! My name is Roman Sudarikov and I am a linguist, photographer and travel guide. I was born in Kohtla-Järve, Estonia. Since 1994 I have been living in Helsinki, Finland, except exchange year at university in Japan and some travel. In March 2018 I moved again to Kyoto. I have a lot of passion for Asian culture and martial arts. More information about me You can find in the About section. This blog is dedicated to my travels with the emphasis on photography.
Recent Posts
Search