Runners Up

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  Hanging by a Thread, Asakusa, Tokyo
  "Fortune seekers tie their bad-luck-prediction paper at the temple to have themselves protected from the misfortunes."

  Photo by sddbb
  First Place

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  Sea of Hats, Arashiyama
  "This is a group of grade school students on a field trip to Arashiyama just outside Kyoto. The color of the hats lets adults know what grade they are in and makes them easy to spot in case they get lost and also for traffic safety."

  Photo by magicvoice

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  Cherry Blossoms in April, Hiroshima
  "Walking up some stairs; the cherry blossoms were in full bloom and the architecture of the building behind made such a nice contrast."

  Photo by cynstalker

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  Otagi Nenbutsu-ji, Kyoto
  "This temple has more than 1200 stone rakan carved mostly by amateurs. The story is that the temple needed repairs badly, and a fundraiser was developed so that anyone could learn how to carve the stone rakan for a donation. There are so many of them, crammed into this beautiful, out of the way, setting."

  Photo by scutso

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  Buddhist Monk Praying to Daibutsu, Kamakura
  "This was an amazing picture to capture. We watched this monk move toward the large Buddha and everyone else sort of cleared away while he had a moment with "The Great Buddha". Truly beautiful."

  Photo by knazzaro

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  Itsukushima Shrine, Miyajima
  "Happened upon a wedding at the Itsukushima Shrine. This is a bride just prior to the wedding ceremony."

  Photo by RMCASS

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  Kinkakuji, Kyoto
  "A friend brought us to this beautiful pavilion. Made us wonder how's the interior looks like, since entering the building is prohibited."

  Photo by DesmondHo

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  Fushimi Inari Shrine, Kyoto
  "The torii gates are of beautiful vermilion color. Great representation of the gratitude they represent to the god of prosperity."

  Photo by univek

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  Buddha's Hands, Tokyo
  "I remember the tranquility of this site every time I look at this photo."

  Photo by hotlantabear

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  Kiyomizu-dera at Night, Kyoto
  "Kiyomizu Temple is only open at night during special occasions, such as the annual cherry blossom festival. The temple complex and blossoms are beautifully floodlit. I love the juxtaposition of the old temple in the foreground, with the more modern cityscape in the background."

  Photo by carlyshells

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  Ryogoku Kokugikan Sumo Arena, Tokyo
  "Plan to see one of the Grand Sumo Tournaments. Very entertaining with lots of ceremony. Simply put, the last man standing in the ring wins."

  Photo by RMCASS