Hello from Japan

Quick announcement: The calendar pre-order will end in 36 hours! 
https://www.djamilaknopf.com/store

Hello friends!

Life is a blur right now, and I don't even remember whether I've told you about my plans to go back to Japan, but here we are. I've been wanting to see the autumn leaves here for quite some time, and while it's still a bit early, I cought a glimpse of them up north in Tohoku. I can only imagine what they must look like at peak season in November, absolutely stunning! We spent a few days at Zao Onsen in Yamagata, so lots of baths and long walks were on the agenda. I wish I could have taken photos of this bath, but that was prohibited for obvious reasons. More than anything, it was nice to get out of the big city for a while, and live at a slower pace. Also, I have never seen so many dragonflies in my life; Zao Onsen was brimming with them!

But I'm also here on business, to give Japanese conventions a try. A couple of days ago, I exhibited at Kansai Comitia in Kyoto. It was a great experience! Everyone was so nice (albeit a little bit reserved), and I learnt a lot. Going in, I wasn't expecting much, and I basically just wanted to get a feel for the convention culture here, see what things artists are bringing, how they price things, interact with visitors etc. I took lots of notes, and next time, I'll be well-prepared! What surprised me was that zines and books were huge, and people barely brought prints. This definitely reaffirms my plan to make more books in the future.

Now I have a few more days left in the trip, and I'll tell you more about it once I get back home in November. But for now, here are a few photos from North Japan:

 The view from the mountains in Zao Onsen. The colours and atmosphere are unmatched.

 The onset of fall foliage.

 This looks like an abstract painting to me.

 It's not Japan without the characteristic electricity poles.

 If you climb a million stairs, you reach a shrine that provides a great view over the mountains.

 When I looked at a map of Zao Onsen, I noticed that there was a temple at walking distance, so I packed a bottle of water and climbed up the mountain to see it. Turns out it was completely abandoned, but someone had recently planted some new trees. I was too intimidated to get any closer than this.