Coasting to the coast

This is Part II of my two-part photo-journal related to a fieldwork trip in Fukui (Part I).

Previously, I described our journey from central Fukui towards the coast at Cape Echizen. It's not a popular tourist destination - there's not really "anything of interest" here. That's probably why I like the area so much. It's quite simply just a part of Japan far away from the neons, anime, and hustle-bustle of city life, or the pseudo theme-park of geisha, temples, and sushi.

Here's a map of the approximate route and its relation to Honshu:

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When I left you last, we were facing a rather long, narrow tunnel which passed straight through the mountain to the other side. Upon entering the tunnel, I had to check I had the headlights on - I couldn't really see anything at all, as it took a good minute or two for my eyes to adjust to the complete darkness. Popping out of the other side, we were in for a treat...

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There was a very small village in the narrow valley. Just a few small clouds were scattered overhead.

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Slipping down

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I always love a bit of rust

Over the next 20 minutes, we were subjected to strong winds, rain, sleet, snow, and hail. The works! However, once we reached the coast, we caught another break between the clouds.

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日本海　｜　The Sea of Japan

See the rain in the not-too-far distance, with the sun bursting through?

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I'm impressed with the new FE 55/1,8 Sonnar lens

Less than 2km from the coast, there's ~50cm of snow covering the ground. At the coast, it felt almost like spring - if it weren't for the biting cold wind.

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Rain coming!

We'd reached our destination, and got to work. I still have a few photos to show from the trip, but this concludes Part II.

I hope you enjoyed the ride through the cold mountains, preferably from the comfort of a nice warm room.

Mt. Takao

Mt. Takao │ NEX-7 & Voigtländer Nokton Classic 35mm F1.4 │ 35mm, ISO 100, f/2, 1/800 On Saturday morning, we took a train from central Tokyo to Mt. Takao at the western edge of Tokyo. We walked for a few hours to the summit of the mountain, at around 600m, where I took this picture showing the dramatic topography that comprises Japan. It's something one cannot see in the UK, as the land back home is either rolling hills or reclaimed flatlands. It's also very pleasant to have such a few just an hour or so from central Tokyo, where only a few square metres of skyline can be observed from ground level due to the imposing skyscrapers.

It's a pleasant walk, and one of the few times one will walk around Kanto area saying "konnichiwa" to passers by. Though a popular and relatively busy route, people out for a walk always have a "hello" to say. Of course this couldn't happen in downtown Tokyo, otherwise we'd lose our voices!

Roughly in the centre of the photo, one can make out Mt. Fuji. Sitting flat-topped above the clouds, Mt. Fuji's 3776m summit is often visibile on a clear day. Very soon the mountain's familiar snow-cap will return, as temperatures at the summit plummet to below zero. Typhoon 17 (台風１７号) hit Tokyo yesterday, bringing heavy rain and severe winds. Today is the day after the storm; beautiful blue sky with not a cloud in sight.

From Wikipedia:

Mount Takao (高尾山 Takao-san) is a mountain in the city of Hachiōji, Tokyo, Japan. It is protected within Meiji no Mori Takao Quasi-National Park.

Standing 599 metres (1,965 ft) tall and located within an hour of downtown Tokyo, it is a popular hiking spot, with eight hiking courses and more than 2.5 million annual visitors. The Tama Forest Science Garden is also located at the mountain's base.

Mount Takao is closely associated with tengu, minor kami from Japanese folklore, and the daitengu Naigubu. A Buddhist temple, Takaosan Yakuōin Yūkiji, is located on the mountain.