As rainy season deepens lotus plants emerge from the muddy beds of ponds, reaching above the waters to unfurl giant leaves.
In a few short weeks alien landscapes appear where once there were only bare stretches of water.
In Kyōto 'kanrensetsu' (観蓮節), 'lotus flower viewing', coincides with the culmination of the Gion Matsuri...almost as if the flowers have appeared to welcome the gods of Yasaka-jinja into the city.