I spotted this Gray Heron sitting patiently high above the Sakuradabori Moat on the southwestern edge of the Imperial Palace Gardens in Tokyo. I think this scene would make for a beautiful Ukiyo-e landscape woodcut.
This encounter also marked the fourth country in six weeks where I’ve managed to snap a few shots of a Gray Heron, and makes a great addition to my small but growing Gray Heron gallery here.
That was my only bird walk during my two weeks in Tokyo, and it was particularly fruitful near the moat: I also spotted 12 Eastern spot-billed Ducks (my first), a Mute Swan, a pair of Large-billed Crows (another first), five Great Cormorants, six White-cheeked Starlings (another first) and at least a dozen Eurasian Tree Sparrows (yet another first!). And this heron didn’t move from this perch during that entire time.
The few Japanese parks I’ve visited during four visits to the country illustrate how good the country’s urban planners are in embedding serene natural scenes and settings into their urban environments – in the case of Tokyo, into the largest city on the planet. This isn’t just true for parks such as this one, which surrounds the Imperial Palace, but in small neighborhood green spaces as well, where a small bit of greenery goes a long way to provide some tranquil respite from the chaos not far away.
For the Lens Artist Challenge #366.
Tokyo, 15 September 2025.
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We have Great Blues a-plenty here on Kiawah Bob, but I never tire of seeing them. They are beautiful birds, especially in flight. Your lighting on this one is especially lovely.
Lovely image Bob – they’re such beautiful birds!
lovely
This is so beautiful, Bob. Excellent photo!
Thank you, Egídio. The lighting and shade really worked well here.
Amazing photo, Bob. I couldn’t agree with you more. One of the things that I really loved about Japan was that sense of peacefulness and serenity of their gardens, even if the manic city is just outside.