Nagahama Castle, Mishimaike, Mukainokura

It was an absolute pleasure to fly the drone near Nagahama castle, taking in the cherry blossoms around the Hokoen park, right on the edge of Lake Biwa. I used to live right by this area, so it was wonderful to see such familiar sights from a completely new perspective.

After a beautiful sunrise, I made my way for the nearby Mishimaike, a famous garden and pond with traditional old bridges and stone lanterns, with Mt Ibuki as its backdrop. I had to fly cautiously as a passing school group scared a large group of ducks into flight.

Finally, for something a bit different, I made my way to the abandoned town of Mukainokura, nestled in the hills near the city of Hikone. My friend Florian first told me about this place, and I first visited it years ago for a photoshoot (see images below).

It was nice to return to the village and the adjacent shrine, it’s very peaceful there among the ruins. Not much had changed in the 3 or 4 years since I was last there, as the buildings are slowly swallowed back up into the earth.