2017’s Typhoon #21 (Lan) was Quite the Doozy for Kyoto
Recently-Cleared Destruction remnants of trees that were blown across the road -- Kyoto, Japan -- Copyright 2017 Jeffrey Friedl, http://regex.info/blog/ -- This photo is licensed to the public under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ (non-commercial use is freely allowed if proper attribution is given, including a link back to this page on http://regex.info/ when used online)
Nikon D4 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 24mm — 1/250 sec, f/2.8, ISO 1400 — map & image datanearby photos
Recently-Cleared Destruction
remnants of trees that were blown across the road

This past weekend Typhoon #21 of the season (Lan) blew past, and it was quite the different experience from most. (It was the 21st typhoon in the western Pacific this year, but only the second or third to have much effect on Kyoto.)

It looked like it would make its closest approach to Kyoto late in the evening, so the day leading up to it was blustery and rainy. I find it fun to ride in weather like that, so just as I did a ride in the lead-up to a typhoon in August, I went out for a bicycle ride in the blustery afternoon, doing a simple Kyoto Heart Loop in the clockwise direction.

The ride (see at Strava) ended up being much tamer than I expected. The rain was nonstop, which is why there are no photos from the ride, but despite it seeming blustery while at home, out on the road and in the mountains there was surprisingly little wind.

However, the eerie and unexpected dead-air calm that existed for most of the three-hour ride was broken just a few times by sudden, ridiculously violent wind shear moments of terror that threatened to blow me right off the bike. I was hoping for wild blustery, but this was well beyond that. Luckily, this kind of wind didn't total more than 30 seconds for the whole ride.

One thing I learned on this ride was that the Glacier Glove Waterproof Glove is anything but waterproof. They completely soaked through.

Anyway, I was home by 6pm, six hours before the typhoon made its closest approach to Kyoto.

As the intensity of the rain increased throughout the evening, the Kamo river started to get higher and higher, as it tends to once every couple of years (as seen here, here, and here), so I went out again just to check out the river.

Here's the radar view as I left the house at 10pm:


sort of intense
Kyoto is at the black dot lower-right of center
Under the Marutamachi Bride water is high, but not flooding -- Marutamachi Bridge -- Kyoto, Japan -- Copyright 2017 Jeffrey Friedl, http://regex.info/blog/ -- This photo is licensed to the public under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ (non-commercial use is freely allowed if proper attribution is given, including a link back to this page on http://regex.info/ when used online)
Panasonic LX100 at an effective 28mm — 1/15 sec, f/2.1, ISO 3200 — map & image datanearby photos
Under the Marutamachi Bride
water is high, but not flooding
Under the Sanjo Bride water is 2m lower than I've seen in the past -- Sanjo Bridge -- Kyoto, Japan -- Copyright 2017 Jeffrey Friedl, http://regex.info/blog/ -- This photo is licensed to the public under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ (non-commercial use is freely allowed if proper attribution is given, including a link back to this page on http://regex.info/ when used online)
Panasonic LX100 at an effective 24mm — 1/20 sec, f/1.7, ISO 3200 — map & image datanearby photos
Under the Sanjo Bride
water is 2m lower than I've seen in the past
Southwest Sanjo-Bridge Area -- Sanjo Bridge -- Kyoto, Japan -- Copyright 2017 Jeffrey Friedl, http://regex.info/blog/ -- This photo is licensed to the public under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ (non-commercial use is freely allowed if proper attribution is given, including a link back to this page on http://regex.info/ when used online)
Panasonic LX100 at an effective 24mm — 1/50 sec, f/1.7, ISO 3200 — map & image datanearby photos
Southwest Sanjo-Bridge Area

To compare with a big flood a few years ago, note the small bridge above-center in the previous photo. That's the same bridge that was wiped out a few years ago.

Angry Enough the Kamo River -- Sanjo Bridge -- Kyoto, Japan -- Copyright 2017 Jeffrey Friedl, http://regex.info/blog/ -- This photo is licensed to the public under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ (non-commercial use is freely allowed if proper attribution is given, including a link back to this page on http://regex.info/ when used online)
Panasonic LX100 at an effective 24mm — 1/125 sec, f/1.7, ISO 1250 — map & image datanearby photos
Angry Enough
the Kamo River
Riverside Path is under water here -- Sanjo Bridge -- Kyoto, Japan -- Copyright 2017 Jeffrey Friedl, http://regex.info/blog/ -- This photo is licensed to the public under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ (non-commercial use is freely allowed if proper attribution is given, including a link back to this page on http://regex.info/ when used online)
Panasonic LX100 at an effective 24mm — 1/80 sec, f/1.7, ISO 3200 — map & image datanearby photos
Riverside Path
is under water here

So, it seemed to be relatively mild for Kyoto, which was 300km (190mi) from the eye's closest approach.

So, I was surprised in the morning to see that almost all the roads in the mountains were closed:


Roads Closed
as of 8am next morning

Wow. What happened? I jumped on my bicycle to go take a look.

“ Road Closed Ahead ” -- Ichihara Ekimae Bus Stop -- Kyoto, Japan -- Copyright 2017 Jeffrey Friedl, http://regex.info/blog/ -- This photo is licensed to the public under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ (non-commercial use is freely allowed if proper attribution is given, including a link back to this page on http://regex.info/ when used online)
Panasonic LX100 at an effective 49mm — 1/500 sec, f/5.6, ISO 200 — map & image datanearby photos
Road Closed Ahead
“ All Lanes Closed ” “ from here to pretty much everywhere ” -- Ichihara Ekimae Bus Stop -- Kyoto, Japan -- Copyright 2017 Jeffrey Friedl, http://regex.info/blog/ -- This photo is licensed to the public under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ (non-commercial use is freely allowed if proper attribution is given, including a link back to this page on http://regex.info/ when used online)
Panasonic LX100 at an effective 24mm — 1/1600 sec, f/6.3, ISO 200 — map & image datanearby photos
All Lanes Closed
from here to pretty much everywhere

My first destination was the road to Hanase Pass, which goes through Kurama (the village with the temple that I blogged about a few weeks ago). The main sign above says that the road is closed to various destinations, and it's sitting in front of a different sign that I assume was announcing road closures related to the Kurama Fire Festival, which had been scheduled for the previous day.

Messy Road taken at 18 kph (11 mph) -- Kyoto, Japan -- Copyright 2017 Jeffrey Friedl, http://regex.info/blog/ -- This photo is licensed to the public under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ (non-commercial use is freely allowed if proper attribution is given, including a link back to this page on http://regex.info/ when used online)
Panasonic LX100 at an effective 24mm — 1/125 sec, f/5.6, ISO 200 — map & image datanearby photos
Messy Road
taken at 18 kph (11 mph)
Lady Cleaning Slime from Road taken at 16 kph (10 mph) -- Kyoto, Japan -- Copyright 2017 Jeffrey Friedl, http://regex.info/blog/ -- This photo is licensed to the public under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ (non-commercial use is freely allowed if proper attribution is given, including a link back to this page on http://regex.info/ when used online)
Panasonic LX100 at an effective 24mm — 1/125 sec, f/2.8, ISO 200 — map & image datanearby photos
Lady Cleaning Slime from Road
taken at 16 kph (10 mph)
Wow road positively littered with leaves, twigs, and fronds -- Kyoto, Japan -- Copyright 2017 Jeffrey Friedl, http://regex.info/blog/ -- This photo is licensed to the public under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ (non-commercial use is freely allowed if proper attribution is given, including a link back to this page on http://regex.info/ when used online)
Panasonic LX100 at an effective 24mm — 1/125 sec, f/3.2, ISO 200 — map & image datanearby photos
Wow
road positively littered with leaves, twigs, and fronds
Unfired Wood it looked like the Fire Festival didn't happen (this shrine is where most of the photos on my Fire Festival post were taken) -- Kyoto, Japan -- Copyright 2017 Jeffrey Friedl, http://regex.info/blog/ -- This photo is licensed to the public under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ (non-commercial use is freely allowed if proper attribution is given, including a link back to this page on http://regex.info/ when used online)
Panasonic LX100 at an effective 28mm — 1/125 sec, f/3.5, ISO 200 — map & image datanearby photos
Unfired Wood
it looked like the Fire Festival didn't happen
(this shrine is where most of the photos on my Fire Festival post were taken)

I continued through the village toward the mountains...

Closed Due to Power Outage Kurama Onsen -- Kyoto, Japan -- Copyright 2017 Jeffrey Friedl, http://regex.info/blog/ -- This photo is licensed to the public under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ (non-commercial use is freely allowed if proper attribution is given, including a link back to this page on http://regex.info/ when used online)
Panasonic LX100 at an effective 40mm — 1/640 sec, f/5.6, ISO 200 — map & image datanearby photos
Closed Due to Power Outage
Kurama Onsen
Wow!! -- Copyright 2017 Jeffrey Friedl, http://regex.info/blog/ -- This photo is licensed to the public under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ (non-commercial use is freely allowed if proper attribution is given, including a link back to this page on http://regex.info/ when used online)
Panasonic LX100 at an effective 62mm — 1/125 sec, f/2.8, ISO 500 — map & image datanearby photos
Wow!!

This road is normally completely clear pavement (as seen here), but now it looks like a little-used track road through the wilderness. The untouched detritus in the middle of the road is as thick as a pillow.

Everywhere in the mountains, the smell of fresh ceder (from all the broken branches) was absolutely luscious.

It's easy to see where the road goes because of the tracks laid down by vehicles that passed since the storm, but it must have been eerie and scary for the first vehicle in the morning, trying judge where the road was merely from the lack of trees.

Bus Squeezes Under taken at 12 kph (7 mph) -- Kyoto, Japan -- Copyright 2017 Jeffrey Friedl, http://regex.info/blog/ -- This photo is licensed to the public under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ (non-commercial use is freely allowed if proper attribution is given, including a link back to this page on http://regex.info/ when used online)
Panasonic LX100 at an effective 24mm — 1/125 sec, f/3.5, ISO 200 — map & image datanearby photos
Bus Squeezes Under
taken at 12 kph (7 mph)
Still Passable though perhaps not so safe -- Kyoto, Japan -- Copyright 2017 Jeffrey Friedl, http://regex.info/blog/ -- This photo is licensed to the public under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ (non-commercial use is freely allowed if proper attribution is given, including a link back to this page on http://regex.info/ when used online)
Panasonic LX100 at an effective 24mm — 1/160 sec, f/5.6, ISO 200 — map & image datanearby photos
Still Passable
though perhaps not so safe
Not Passable a worker guessed that the road would be closed for a week, due to a landslide farther up -- Copyright 2017 Jeffrey Friedl, http://regex.info/blog/ -- This photo is licensed to the public under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ (non-commercial use is freely allowed if proper attribution is given, including a link back to this page on http://regex.info/ when used online)
iPhone 7 Plus + iPhone 7 Plus back camera 3.99mm f/1.8 at an effective 28mm — 1/120 sec, f/1.8, ISO 32 — map & image datanearby photos
Not Passable
a worker guessed that the road would be closed for a week,
due to a landslide farther up
Heading Back Down -- Kyoto, Japan -- Copyright 2017 Jeffrey Friedl, http://regex.info/blog/ -- This photo is licensed to the public under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ (non-commercial use is freely allowed if proper attribution is given, including a link back to this page on http://regex.info/ when used online)
Panasonic LX100 at an effective 24mm — 1/60 sec, f/1.7, ISO 200 — map & image datanearby photos
Heading Back Down

I didn't have a lot of time, but I popped over to the road that goes through Kumagahatta, the west-of-center section of the Kyoto Heart Loop cycling route that so many use.

Super-Thick Super-Slime a thick layer of evergreen fronds turned to pulp -- Kyoto, Japan -- Copyright 2017 Jeffrey Friedl, http://regex.info/blog/ -- This photo is licensed to the public under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ (non-commercial use is freely allowed if proper attribution is given, including a link back to this page on http://regex.info/ when used online)
Panasonic LX100 at an effective 24mm — 1/500 sec, f/5.6, ISO 200 — map & image datanearby photos
Super-Thick Super-Slime
a thick layer of evergreen fronds turned to pulp
Clearing Work in Progress -- Kyoto, Japan -- Copyright 2017 Jeffrey Friedl, http://regex.info/blog/ -- This photo is licensed to the public under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ (non-commercial use is freely allowed if proper attribution is given, including a link back to this page on http://regex.info/ when used online)
Panasonic LX100 at an effective 28mm — 1/160 sec, f/5.6, ISO 200 — map & image datanearby photos
Clearing Work in Progress
Holy Cow! an estimated 40 trees had fallen across the road in just this short stretch -- Kyoto, Japan -- Copyright 2017 Jeffrey Friedl, http://regex.info/blog/ -- This photo is licensed to the public under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ (non-commercial use is freely allowed if proper attribution is given, including a link back to this page on http://regex.info/ when used online)
Panasonic LX100 at an effective 35mm — 1/80 sec, f/2.3, ISO 200 — map & image datanearby photos
Holy Cow!
an estimated 40 trees had fallen across the road in just this short stretch

This was the end of my exploration for the day.

Sadly, one of the five workers seen above would be killed a few hours later when he was crushed to death by a section of tree trunk they were working on.

With that sad news fresh in our minds, Damien and I made a somber visit to the area the next day....

Roughly Cleared it's neither safe nor complete, but vehicles can pass -- Kyoto, Japan -- Copyright 2017 Jeffrey Friedl, http://regex.info/blog/ -- This photo is licensed to the public under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ (non-commercial use is freely allowed if proper attribution is given, including a link back to this page on http://regex.info/ when used online)
Nikon D4 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 24mm — 1/200 sec, f/6.3, ISO 6400 — map & image datanearby photos
Roughly Cleared
it's neither safe nor complete, but vehicles can pass
Kyoto, Japan -- Copyright 2017 Jeffrey Friedl, http://regex.info/blog/ -- This photo is licensed to the public under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ (non-commercial use is freely allowed if proper attribution is given, including a link back to this page on http://regex.info/ when used online)
Nikon D4 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 36mm — 1/250 sec, f/2.8, ISO 1800 — map & image datanearby photos
Hidden Pavement starts directly under the guardrail -- Kyoto, Japan -- Copyright 2017 Jeffrey Friedl, http://regex.info/blog/ -- This photo is licensed to the public under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ (non-commercial use is freely allowed if proper attribution is given, including a link back to this page on http://regex.info/ when used online)
Nikon D4 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 24mm — 1/250 sec, f/2.8, ISO 2200 — map & image datanearby photos
Hidden Pavement
starts directly under the guardrail
Kyoto, Japan -- Copyright 2017 Jeffrey Friedl, http://regex.info/blog/
Nikon D4 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 24mm — 1/250 sec, f/2.8, ISO 2000 — map & image datanearby photos
Kyoto, Japan -- Copyright 2017 Jeffrey Friedl, http://regex.info/blog/ -- This photo is licensed to the public under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ (non-commercial use is freely allowed if proper attribution is given, including a link back to this page on http://regex.info/ when used online)
Nikon D4 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 50mm — 1/250 sec, f/2.8, ISO 1400 — map & image datanearby photos
Workers near a concrete utility pole that was snapped like a twig -- Kyoto, Japan -- Copyright 2017 Jeffrey Friedl, http://regex.info/blog/ -- This photo is licensed to the public under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ (non-commercial use is freely allowed if proper attribution is given, including a link back to this page on http://regex.info/ when used online)
Nikon D4 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 32mm — 1/250 sec, f/2.8, ISO 560 — map & image datanearby photos
Workers
near a concrete utility pole that was snapped like a twig

The road was officially closed, but we received permission to venture in so long as we stayed out of the way. Now that the road was physically passable, they were working to get power restored to folks down the line, and planning on how to clean everything up, restore the road, replace the lost utility poles, and re-string all the utility cables.

Concrete Utillity Pole -- Kyoto, Japan -- Copyright 2017 Jeffrey Friedl, http://regex.info/blog/ -- This photo is licensed to the public under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ (non-commercial use is freely allowed if proper attribution is given, including a link back to this page on http://regex.info/ when used online)
Nikon D4 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 70mm — 1/320 sec, f/2.8, ISO 100 — map & image datanearby photos
Concrete Utillity Pole
Looking Up the Hillside representative of what long stretches of roadside hill looked like -- Kyoto, Japan -- Copyright 2017 Jeffrey Friedl, http://regex.info/blog/ -- This photo is licensed to the public under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ (non-commercial use is freely allowed if proper attribution is given, including a link back to this page on http://regex.info/ when used online)
Nikon D4 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 24mm — 1/250 sec, f/2.8, ISO 1100 — map & image datanearby photos
Looking Up the Hillside
representative of what long stretches of roadside hill looked like
Kyoto, Japan -- Copyright 2017 Jeffrey Friedl, http://regex.info/blog/ -- This photo is licensed to the public under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ (non-commercial use is freely allowed if proper attribution is given, including a link back to this page on http://regex.info/ when used online)
Nikon D4 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 44mm — 1/250 sec, f/2.8, ISO 1100 — map & image datanearby photos
Downed Lines the next few utility poles were completely down -- Kyoto, Japan -- Copyright 2017 Jeffrey Friedl, http://regex.info/blog/ -- This photo is licensed to the public under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ (non-commercial use is freely allowed if proper attribution is given, including a link back to this page on http://regex.info/ when used online)
Nikon D4 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 32mm — 1/250 sec, f/2.8, ISO 400 — map & image datanearby photos
Downed Lines
the next few utility poles were completely down
Hanging -- Kyoto, Japan -- Copyright 2017 Jeffrey Friedl, http://regex.info/blog/ -- This photo is licensed to the public under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ (non-commercial use is freely allowed if proper attribution is given, including a link back to this page on http://regex.info/ when used online)
Nikon D4 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 52mm — 1/250 sec, f/4.5, ISO 720 — map & image datanearby photos
Hanging
Remnants the pole falling into the river in the lower part of the photo, had been standing on the right side of the road -- Kyoto, Japan -- Copyright 2017 Jeffrey Friedl, http://regex.info/blog/ -- This photo is licensed to the public under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ (non-commercial use is freely allowed if proper attribution is given, including a link back to this page on http://regex.info/ when used online)
Nikon D4 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 48mm — 1/250 sec, f/7.1, ISO 2200 — map & image datanearby photos
Remnants
the pole falling into the river in the lower part of the photo,
had been standing on the right side of the road
Same Pole it had stood in the guardrail gap at left, but was sheared off at ground level and fell across the road -- Kyoto, Japan -- Copyright 2017 Jeffrey Friedl, http://regex.info/blog/ -- This photo is licensed to the public under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ (non-commercial use is freely allowed if proper attribution is given, including a link back to this page on http://regex.info/ when used online)
Nikon D4 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 35mm — 1/250 sec, f/7.1, ISO 720 — map & image datanearby photos
Same Pole
it had stood in the guardrail gap at left,
but was sheared off at ground level and fell across the road
Kyoto, Japan -- Copyright 2017 Jeffrey Friedl, http://regex.info/blog/ -- This photo is licensed to the public under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ (non-commercial use is freely allowed if proper attribution is given, including a link back to this page on http://regex.info/ when used online)
Nikon D4 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 70mm — 1/250 sec, f/7.1, ISO 3600 — map & image datanearby photos
Foot-Thick Trunk snapped like a toothpick -- Kyoto, Japan -- Copyright 2017 Jeffrey Friedl, http://regex.info/blog/ -- This photo is licensed to the public under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ (non-commercial use is freely allowed if proper attribution is given, including a link back to this page on http://regex.info/ when used online)
Nikon D4 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 62mm — 1/250 sec, f/2.8, ISO 2800 — map & image datanearby photos
Foot-Thick Trunk
snapped like a toothpick
Precarious -- Kyoto, Japan -- Copyright 2017 Jeffrey Friedl, http://regex.info/blog/ -- This photo is licensed to the public under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ (non-commercial use is freely allowed if proper attribution is given, including a link back to this page on http://regex.info/ when used online)
Nikon D4 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 32mm — 1/250 sec, f/2.8, ISO 500 — map & image datanearby photos
Precarious
Passable but still a dangerous mess -- Kyoto, Japan -- Copyright 2017 Jeffrey Friedl, http://regex.info/blog/
Nikon D4 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 24mm — 1/100 sec, f/7.1, ISO 800 — map & image datanearby photos
Passable
but still a dangerous mess

Same Spot the Previous Day
before any vehicle had made it that far
photo by Joshua Levine
used with permission
Very Precarious -- Kyoto, Japan -- Copyright 2017 Jeffrey Friedl, http://regex.info/blog/ -- This photo is licensed to the public under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ (non-commercial use is freely allowed if proper attribution is given, including a link back to this page on http://regex.info/ when used online)
Nikon D4 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 24mm — 1/100 sec, f/7.1, ISO 1400 — map & image datanearby photos
Very Precarious
Stringing Power Lines on the road leading to the Shimyouin Temple (志明院) -- Kyoto, Japan -- Copyright 2017 Jeffrey Friedl, http://regex.info/blog/ -- This photo is licensed to the public under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ (non-commercial use is freely allowed if proper attribution is given, including a link back to this page on http://regex.info/ when used online)
Nikon D4 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 70mm — 1/160 sec, f/7.1, ISO 6400 — map & image datanearby photos
Stringing Power Lines
on the road leading to the Shimyouin Temple (志明院)

Eventually we made our way around the left half of the Kyoto Heart Loop heart, passing many crews working on various things. Nearing Kyoto toward the end of that loop, I was surprised to find that the restaurant Yama-no-ie Hasegawa was actually open, so we stopped in.

Entrance Steps are now camouflaged -- Kyoto, Japan -- Copyright 2017 Jeffrey Friedl, http://regex.info/blog/
Nikon D4 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 24mm — 1/100 sec, f/7.1, ISO 640 — map & image datanearby photos
Entrance Steps
are now camouflaged
Cheesecake and Coffee -- Kyoto, Japan -- Copyright 2017 Jeffrey Friedl, http://regex.info/blog/
Nikon D4 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 24mm — 1/100 sec, f/7.1, ISO 6400 — map & image datanearby photos
Cheesecake and Coffee

I've stopped in this place many times while out with the bicycle or the camera, as the nearby photos link under these photos shows, but it turns out that it was Damien's first visit.

Seat Warmer -- Kyoto, Japan -- Copyright 2017 Jeffrey Friedl, http://regex.info/blog/ -- This photo is licensed to the public under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ (non-commercial use is freely allowed if proper attribution is given, including a link back to this page on http://regex.info/ when used online)
Nikon D4 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 70mm — 1/320 sec, f/7.1, ISO 5600 — map & image datanearby photos
Seat Warmer
Uncharacteristically-Clear Air the mountain in the far distance is Mt. Misen , and even 100km (67mi) away -- Kyoto, Japan -- Copyright 2017 Jeffrey Friedl, http://regex.info/blog/ -- This photo is licensed to the public under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ (non-commercial use is freely allowed if proper attribution is given, including a link back to this page on http://regex.info/ when used online)
Nikon D4 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 200mm — 1/800 sec, f/7.1, ISO 320 — map & image datanearby photos
Uncharacteristically-Clear Air
the mountain in the far distance is Mt. Misen, and even 100km (67mi) away
Descending From Kyomi Pass -- Kyoto, Japan -- Copyright 2017 Jeffrey Friedl, http://regex.info/blog/ -- This photo is licensed to the public under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ (non-commercial use is freely allowed if proper attribution is given, including a link back to this page on http://regex.info/ when used online)
Nikon D4 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 70mm — 1/200 sec, f/7.1, ISO 6400 — map & image datanearby photos
Descending From Kyomi Pass

The tree above is being held up by utility wires, which are causing a metal utility pole to bend:

Tightly Strung -- Kyoto, Japan -- Copyright 2017 Jeffrey Friedl, http://regex.info/blog/ -- This photo is licensed to the public under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ (non-commercial use is freely allowed if proper attribution is given, including a link back to this page on http://regex.info/ when used online)
Nikon D4 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 28mm — 1/125 sec, f/7.1, ISO 900 — map & image datanearby photos
Tightly Strung

As a bonus (and nice counterpart) to all the destruction, Damien showed me the entrance path to a temple, a path I have passed dozens and dozens of times without ever having noticed:

Lovely Entrance Path Koetsu-ji Temple (光悦寺) -- Koetsu-ji Temple (光悦寺) -- Kyoto, Japan -- Copyright 2017 Jeffrey Friedl, http://regex.info/blog/ -- This photo is licensed to the public under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ (non-commercial use is freely allowed if proper attribution is given, including a link back to this page on http://regex.info/ when used online)
Nikon D4 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 24mm — 1/100 sec, f/9, ISO 2000 — map & image datanearby photos
Lovely Entrance Path
Koetsu-ji Temple (光悦寺)

I'll have to visit again in a few weeks once the leaves have started to turn.

In the week that I've been trying to get this blog post written, most roads have been reopened, though the Kumagahatta section covered at length above is not, and likely won't be open for a while.

Typhoon #22 is approaching, and should be here soon.


looks to pass by Kyoto tomorrow afternoon
(though further away and less powerful than #21 was)

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