Spring in Japan

It had actually been a whole decade since I last visited Kyoto, the old capital of Japan, as a school trip in high school. Feels like a long time ago... It IS a long time ago...!
Since I only had a day to explore the city and indulge in the memories of my youth on this viist, I walked about very fast trying to see as much as possible. It was a beautiful day and this was the first sketch I did this day.

Historic City District of Kurashiki

In Edo period(early 17th- mid 19th c.) city of Kurashiki used to play an important role as a center city of rice storing. Many of the storehouses are still standing along the old canal, presenting the picturesque scenes for the visitors.
There is also an Art Museum in the district, called Ohara Museum of Art and it contains a big collection of European Art (El Greco, Monet, Toulouse-Lautrec, Picasso, Rodin and more), as well as some modern Japanese and Far Eastern Art. It was definitely worth a visit.

Akashi Kaikyo Bridge

From the wee beach area in Tarumi, near Kobe in Hyogo prefecture, the Akashi Kaikyo Bridge, the longest suspension bridge in the world, can be seen right in front you.
It was raining hard for several minutes before I started sketching there and no one was around on the beach. The rain stopped and the sun started shining from the west a few minutes later and I saw a rainbow in the eastern sky.