Reikan-ji (2C-120)

A single yellow leaf in the foreground invites us into the picture; then a crack across the solid path appears like a threshold to the sacred ground that we are about to enter. Like a stream, the gentle curvature of the path forms a letter “s,” and then disappears behind the azaleas bushes, leaving us to wonder where it goes. It is interesting to note that the roped fence is only on one side of the path and not on the other. When we draw a vertical line through the center of the composition, we find that it coincides with one of the outdoor rain chains from the temple roof; and another appears just to its right from the temple building in the background. Both lines are parallel to the genji-mado window, which is a point of focus in this composition. The tranquility of this temple is more than evident in this photograph.