I’m currently leading my annual Autumn Leaves Niigata Photo tour exploring rice terraces.  I double checked, and they are definitely not nishikigoi koi ponds.  Niigata is known for its unparalleled agriculture and abundant nature, and photographing the rice terraces is an excellent way to capture Niigata’s nature turning into visual art.  The blue hour to golden photography is amazing, and when the conditions are just right, the cloudy morning skies are reflected in the rice terraces, making it seem like you’re floating in an endless sky spread out among the still water of the rice terraces in one of Japan’s magical valleys of the dragons.  The clear, beautiful sky may be where the dragons roam, but it’s the abundance of low clouds and fog formations that make up their mythical bodies, and some mornings you’ll see dozens of what appears to be dragons gliding among the trees and rice terraces.  Considering that Japan is over 70% unpopulated wilderness and new research and surveying techniques have raised the number of islands from 6,852 to 14,125, even more potential for exploration, but the vast majority of people who live in the metropolitan centers like Tokyo, Osaka, and Nagoya can’t imagine the breathtaking beauty off the beaten path.  The photo attached to this newsletter is one of the many alpine terraces I have had the pleasure of photographing with participants during my cross country Japan photo tours.  From time to time, I also photograph similar rice terraces on my annual Hokkaido landscape photo tour.  Every time I head into the high alpine areas in Japan, I head off the beaten track, at least 50 kilometers away from any major cities.  Participants, my team, and I savor peaceful solitudes and forest bathing (森林浴 Shinrin yoku).  This year’s rice terrace adventure may already be over, but I plan on visiting in 2025, and I’d love you to join me.