The Rinno-ji Buddhist temple was founded in 766 AD by the Buddhist monk Shodo. Shodo was the first to settle in the Nikko region, soon after other monks searching for aesthetically pleasing simplicity joined with him. Japanese dogma has made “Zen” a household word known around the world. Rinno-ji UNESCO, World Heritage site, is a complex of 15 Buddhist temple buildings, for centuries together with their natural surroundings have been a sacred site. The shrines and temples of Nikko and throughout Japan contain both Shinto and Buddhist elements. In my twenty plus years studying and traveling throughout Japan, I have become accustomed to these symbolic elements, and am most happy to share my knowledge in what I love to photograph. Currently, my team and I are are leading a Japan photo tour/workshop in Nikko. This year and next year we added to our itinerary an extra surprise two days in the Mt. Fuji region. Mt. Fuji World Heritage Site Designated by UNESCO has been worshipped as a sacred mountain for as long as humans have lived nearby, and was first revered by the Ainu, the First Nations people of Japan. The Fuji Five Lakes at the base of Mount Fuji is composed of Yamanaka, Kawaguchi, Saiko, Shoji and Motosu lakes. Over 95 percent of Japanese citizens have never visited all the fuji five lakes, all participants we take in the region are among the few that have photographed and touched the waters of all the Fuji five lakes. And we make sure to enjoy Shinrin-Yoku with camera in hand at the base of Fujisan's forests.