2025 Kyoto Autumn Foliage Tour – II. Hōgon-in

Every year from late November to early December, Kyoto welcomes the season of light and color. This 2025 Kyoto autumn foliage tour is divided into 8 themes to share with everyone, hoping it won’t cause visual fatigue.

Ⅰ. Arashiyama｜Flow of Light
Ⅱ. Hōgon-in｜Borrowed Scenery of Light
Ⅲ. Extra Chapter: The Road to Jakko-ji｜Guiding Light
Ⅳ. Ohara Jakko-ji｜Whisper of Light
Ⅴ. Ohara Sanzen-in｜Breath of Light
Ⅵ. Eikan-do｜Reflection of Light
Ⅶ. Shinnyo-do｜Stairway of Light
Ⅷ. Extra Chapter: Kyoto Night Light and Shadow｜Whispering Light

Photo & Text by Stone
Shooting Time: Early December 2024 / Location: Kyoto, Japan · Arashiyama Hōgon-in
Equipment Used: Sony A7R IV | Sony FE 16–35mm F2.8 GM | Tamron 35–150mm F/2–2.8
Ⅱ. Hōgon-in｜Borrowed Scenery of Light
Autumn wind enters the temple, maple leaves like poetry
Walking along the riverside of Arashiyama, the hues of the maple leaves gradually deepen. When I stepped through the mountain gate of Hōgon-in, I was greeted by a garden full of orange-red light and shadow. Unlike popular spots, this place is quiet and contemplative. The maple trees in the temple overlap layer upon layer, sunlight filtering through the branches and leaves, casting onto moss-covered stone steps, as if time slowly pauses within the light.
🍁 Light and shadow within the garden
The garden of Hōgon-in is a practice of light and shadow. When sunlight passes through the red leaves, a golden halo glows behind the leaves. I chose to keep the light soft, allowing the image to retain subtle transitions and an airy feel.
In such a scene, the wide-angle view of the 16–35mm F2.8 GM lens becomes the ideal brushstroke—it can fully present the spatial sense of the garden and let viewers feel the tranquil atmosphere wrapped in autumn.
I captured the moment when sunlight passed through the leaves during the softest light period, tiny light spots scattered in the lens forming starbursts. That moment of light not only illuminated the leaves but also seemed to remind me: the meaning of photography is not to capture, but to wait—wait for nature to speak for itself.
🌿 Old house and maple shadows
The thatched roof inside the garden is one of Hōgon-in’s most representative buildings. The mottled roof tiles are covered with moss and fallen leaves, interwoven with the surrounding red and yellow maples to form a painting. Observing from different angles, the roof’s lines show layered undulations under the sunlight. I used the Tamron 35–150mm F/2–2.8 at the telephoto end to compress space, making the building and trees more closely integrated, giving the image more depth and structure.
When composing, I let the foreground maple leaves naturally enter the frame, creating a viewing perspective “surrounded by trees.” This kind of image is both the viewer’s gaze and the photographer’s breathing rhythm—slow, focused, and calm.
2024 Kyoto Autumn Foliage Tour – II. Hōgon-in
☀️ A traveler under the red leaves
During the shoot, I met several photography enthusiasts quietly standing amid the interplay of light and shadow, waiting for the moment when leaves sway in the wind. That scene reminded me of my early days learning photography—willing to stand still for half an hour for a ray of light or a single leaf.
The light at Hōgon-in flows. Clear in the morning, golden in the afternoon, and soft pink in the evening. Every moment is worth recording, and the camera is just a tool to extend this fleetingness.
🍂 Zen meaning of colors
The autumn colors of Hōgon-in differ from Arashiyama. Arashiyama is vast and bright; Hōgon-in is reserved and delicate. The colors here become quiet, the vividness of the maple leaves no longer flamboyant but a gentle embrace.
I adjusted the white balance to a warmer tone, making the image closer to the soft light seen by the naked eye, and lowered the contrast so the colors naturally blend into the environment. This tone makes the photo look more like a memory rather than a deliberately enhanced postcard.
🌇 Conclusion: Tranquility between light and shadow
When leaving Hōgon-in, the sunset was just setting behind the mountain. Looking back at the garden, the maple leaves were dyed golden red by the last light. That is the color of early winter in Kyoto and the moment photographers most want to preserve.
For me, the photography experience at Hōgon-in is not just a shoot but a quiet conversation. Every photo is an interweaving of breath and light, an extension of “seeing” and “feeling.”