photo of the month from randy kato click the image for a larger view Hi, We just returned from our honeymoon...in Japan! It was very difficult to choose one photo for this month, especially since I took a couple thousand. But this one seemed like a good fit. I chose this one because it pretty clearly says Japan, yet also reflects (pun intended) many other aspects of our trip. There is stillness and reflection, something we had much of as we visited numerous shrines, temples, and gardens. There is water, which played prominently through scuba diving and snorkeling, the Okinawa aquarium, the Tsukiji fish market, and a few different onsen. And finally, there are the new things that one might even call contradictions. These things didn't exist when I lived in Japan decades ago. This woman dressed traditionally in a kimono adds a modern accessory that dates her otherwise timeless look - a smartphone. The other thing, not so obvious, is that this very Japanese-looking woman is not Japanese at all. She is a Chinese tourist participating in a popular trend, renting kimonos to go sightseeing and selfie-ing. Enjoy, Randy Photo of the Month archive