Looking up at the vermilion tiers of the Kiyomizu-dera pagoda from beneath a tree, the sun flaring through the leaves.

Pagoda under Leaves

Kiyomizu-dera, Kyoto, Japan. 2025

I stood under a tree beside the three-storey pagoda at Kiyomizu-dera and looked straight up. The sun came through the leaves at the top of the frame and the vermilion roofs cut in from the side.

The pagoda was rebuilt in 1632 and repainted many times since. From below, you see the brackets and beams that hold the roofs out, which are usually hidden in shadow.