If you go to Kyoto, I recommend you visit this area with thousands of red gates at night. It’s open all night and there are absolutely no tourists. It can get a little creepy because you’re totally alone and there are no other humans around, but I like the creepy factor of the place. To add to the creepiness, there are lots of cemeteries sprinkled all around.
I was walking up and down the tiny streets one night, getting snacks and sake in different places while taking photos. Most of the places there are quite tiny, as you can see here in this one. Everyone is super friendly and it’s easy to make friends, especially because the Japanese people are some of the nicest people in the world!
Here’s a new Video from my cabin about why your should doubt and question all conspiracy theories!
Before I piss off MOST people that will watch this, let me say one thing… When people feel like they are “out of control” of their own lives (which many people do now), they may seek to believe in outlandish ideas that confirm their navel-gazing victimhood. If you don’t believe in yourself, you’ll believe in anything. This video, while fun, will give you another perspective. Many people will be insulted by this video (especially those of you that believe in scientific properties of Essential Oils). If you can, try not to let your ego be affronted; instead, use it as an opportunity to do more critical thinking on your own rather than adopting the ideas of other people because they sound good.
The world and the universe are not out to get you. It’s not happening against you; it’s happening for you. A positive frame of reference is important. Don’t adopt other people’s ideas because they confirm your own nascent notions of self-doubt and that you are a victim of some globalized or localized plot against you. All of these self-fictional instantiations are creations that spring from an over-active ego and self-identity which will make you think you are the center of the universe. You’re not. You’re here to help, love, and take care of other people, yeah! 🙂 I hope this video helps you to put yourself in a more positive place, rather than many other videos out there that will take you down a spiraling rabbit hole of your own demise.
Below are some great resources for you to keep you in the right frame of mind! 🙂
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Humans can be tricked into the belief of fictional realities via Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari.
Reliable information on misinformation here and here.
Best Covid-19 News fact site without opinions.
World Dashboard Tracking the Spread of Covid-19.
An interesting opinion piece on conspiracy theorists.
I believe that Kyoto has hundreds of temples, and at almost every one, you can see scenes like this. I don’t know a lot about trees, but I’m pretty sure those red ones are Japanese maples. Well, now I’m not so sure because the Japanese maples in my yard turn red in the Spring. Maybe they turn red in the Autumn too? Well, I guess I had should pay better attention!
Kyoto is such an awesome place in autumn, amazing colors absolutely everywhere. Here’s another of my favorites from there.
Here’s one of my best travel tips when visiting Fushimi Inari-Taisha in Kyoto. Go after dinner and stay late into the night. There is no ticket-entrance fee or anything, and you can wander around it all night long! There is pretty good lighting, and where there is not good-lighting, it’s kind of spooky. Most importantly there are almost no humans around to get in the way of your shots!
I gave a ton of interviews on the road, and here is one of my favorites that I did in Canada.
Kyoto must have at least 100 different perfect little parks with temples. Each morning, we would visit a different one… Since I’m the kind of guy that is already into meditation, I found them to be perfect little places to explore. Japanese people are largely Shinto, which means basically they find “god” in nature… the more time they spend in nature, the closer to god they feel.
I have several playlists on YouTube. You may enjoy this playlist that has all of my Tips & Tricks videos on it! 🙂
Kyoto has so many temples that it’s almost impossible to visit them all unless you set aside at least one day a week for an entire year. In some ways, they are all the same. The temples are usually not the main event, as opposed to buildings from other religions. The most charming part of all the temples in Japan are the gardens, and that is the reason most people come. Japan is more about the worship of nature rather than a deity that has supposedly inspired a particular building.
If you’re a Stuck In Customs Passport Member, today you get a super-cool travel tip video from Kyoto!
Here’s a few of my favorite photos from that area for you! 🙂
I hope you’ve been enjoying these RATHER high-quality videos we’ve been making recently. I really wanted to thank the team for making it all happen. Here are more tips, tricks, and mind-vitamins from Japan… this time, Kyoto!
I’m getting my new Origin PC all set up now… it’s kind of fun for me to set up new computers! Maybe it’s KIND of a drag to reinstall all the Adobe software, move over my preferences, and this sort of thing. But, at the same time, it makes for a nice clean re-start.
This came from a single RAW file, which was actually the case with over half my HDRs I processed from Japan. I processed this one with the new Aurora HDR 2019, which I think handles RAW files a little bit better! It’s exciting too because I still have about 30 unprocessed photos from other gardens around the area as well! It’s hard to choose from these gardens because everywhere you look is just as stunning!
I still give this game my absolute highest recommendation. I’ve played a ton of video games on consoles, and this one may be my absolute favorite!
Japanese people tend to be very close to nature. That’s part of their Shintoism, which basically equates nature with being closer to the eternal. I certainly don’t disagree with that! And this is why you see so many Japanese people out in nature, spending times with trees. During the cherry blossom season, whole families will stake out a Sakura and sit under it all day long.
Here is a copy of our Japanese highlight video from early in the year – enjoy!
I don’t think I would ever get tired of wandering around streets in Japan. I can’t quite figure out my fascination with it. I’ve really tried to analyze why it is so appealing. I find them all to be organically pleasing on an aesthetic level for one. Also, I like seeing all the little restaurants and funky sake bars, knowing I could just walk into any one of them, any time, sit down and have a rest while putting amazing stuff in my mouth part.
