The perfect summer photo of Japan was shot in the countryside of Fukui

We recently drove to Kansai and had a nice time visiting famous places like the Kinkakuji and Kiyomizudera in Kyoto and Tōdaiji in Nara, pretty much standard tourist attractions in these places.

For some reason, we didn’t go to that most Instagrammable spot of all: Fushimi Inari’s Thousand Torii Gates. But we did have a great time walking the streets of Kyoto, and Tōdaiji’s Great Buddha was a sight to behold.

Visiting Japan’s two ancient capitals is probably the best thing to do if you’re a tourist and you want to get a glimpse of the country’s culture.

But while these famous sites are great, the best places for me as a long-time resident are the nameless spots in the countryside among the rice paddies and satoyama.

Below is one of the best photos that I have ever seen of Japan, taken somewhere in Fukui Prefecture the photographer didn’t care to name.


Summer in Japanese countryside in Fukui Prefecture, Japan (@okina12).

Kosuke Okude (@okina12) is a popular photographer on social media for his photos of Fukui’s summer landscapes, including rice paddies reminiscent of the countryside and nostalgic townscapes. The “Countryside Preset” he uses for photo editing in Lightroom is available for purchase on Curbon.

It made such an impression on me when I saw it posted by several pages in Facebook without attribution that I decided to find out where and who took the photo. I eventually traced the source to Instagram, by Kosuke Okude, a photographer in Fukui Prefecture.

Fukui Prefecture faces the Sea of Japan and is especially known for its harsh winters, so it’s refreshing to see photos of its countryside in summer.

The two girls covering their eyes, the stone torii (refreshingly shot from the inside), the path leading to the houses below, the rice fields of harvested rice in the background, the hills and mountains beyond, the great cumulus clouds of summer.

It’s the perfect summer photo.