Do you miss Japan (or hope to visit) in the future? As the pandemic is preventing travel for most, those who have an interest Japan have no choice but to wait. If you need any more motivation to put Japan on your bucket list of travel destinations, viewing beautiful photos of Japan's changing seasons is one way to do it. Having a calendar of such photos could be even better.

Although it's not a printed calendar, we can introduce you to the next best thing. Insurance provider SBI Ikiki SSI Inc. and Tokyo Camera Club have a photo contest entitled 「カレンダーにしたい日本の四季」karendā ni shitai nihon no shiki ("Japanese seasons you want to put in a calendar"), and this year's top prize is a true gem.

Submitted by rinrin7281_for_photo_contest, this photo, entitled 「朝のコミュニケーション」 asa no komyunikēshon ("Morning Communication"), has an almost fairytale-like quality. As the light of the morning sun shines on a grassy clearing carpeted in the vermillion, auburn and yellow hues of fallen leaves, we see an adorable pair of fawns having a tender moment, while the branches of a tree displays gorgeous fall foliage.

According to the caption, the photographer took this shot near Nara Park. As anyone who has traveled to Nara surely knows, the city is famous for its population of deers which are left to roam wherever they please.

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"Japanese Seasons You Want to Put in A Calendar" photo contest winners

The entire collection of calendar-worthy images of Japan's changing seasons can be viewed at the contest website page here.

The following is a sample of some of the photos you'll find:

Title:「雪夜」(snowy night) / Location: UNESCO World Heritage Site Shirakawa-gō, Gifu Prefecture

Title: 「春のめざまし時計」(Spring alarm clock) / Location: Yuki Shrine, Tsu, Mie Prefecture

Title: 「ネモフィラ畑と風車」(Nemophila field and windmill) / Location: Tsurumi Ryokuchi Park, Osaka

Title: 「千輪の花園」(flower garden of a thousand blossoms) / Location: Watarase Retarding Basin, Itakura, Gunma Prefecture

Title: 「備中松山城の雲海」(Bitchu Matsuyama Castle's sea of clouds) / Bitchu Matsuyama Castle, Takahashi, Okayama Prefecture

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"Japanese Seasons You Want to Put in A Calendar" photo contest.