{"id":1429,"date":"2010-01-22T16:28:49","date_gmt":"2010-01-22T07:28:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/2010-01-22\/1429"},"modified":"2010-01-22T16:28:49","modified_gmt":"2010-01-22T07:28:49","slug":"introduction-to-a-snowy-gokayama-village","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/2010-01-22\/1429","title":{"rendered":"Introduction to a Snowy Gokayama Village"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n
\nNOTE<\/b>: Images with an icon next to them have been artificially shrunk to better fit your screen; click the icon to restore them, in place, to their regular size.\n<\/div>\n\n
<\/a>\nNikon D700 + Nikkor 24-70mm f\/2.8 @ 24 mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>100 sec, f<\/span>\/2.8, ISO 2800 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\n<\/div>\n\n

So, finally getting into more from our snowy new-year's trip<\/a>\nin the mountains of Toyama Prefecture, four hours north by car (of\ngood-weather driving) from Kyoto, picking up from the post about driving in the driving\nsnow<\/a> that ended with a desolate<\/span> view at a snow<\/span>-filled parking lot.<\/p>\n\n

We had arrived at a tourist-parking area up the mountain from Gokayama Village<\/a><\/b> (\u4e94\u7b87\u5c71<\/span><\/a>),\na world<\/span>-heritage site of old houses built in a very<\/span> distinctive\nstyle.<\/p>\n\n

At the parking lot, we entered a small<\/span> building and descended in to the\nmountain in an elevator evocative of what you see of NORAD in movies. It let us<\/span> out in the middle of a tunnel<\/span> that went both directions, to villages\non either side of the mountain. We headed<\/span> toward the right.<\/p>\n\n

Emerging from the mountain...<\/p>\n\n

<\/a>\nNikon D700 + Nikkor 24-70mm f\/2.8 @ 48 mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>320 sec, f<\/span>\/2.8, ISO 200 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nAnthony Intrigued By Unique Architecture of Historical Importance<\/span>\n( either that, or snow )\nat Gokayama Village, Toyama Prefecture, Japan\n<\/div>\n\n
<\/a>\nNikon D700 + Nikkor 24-70mm f\/2.8 @ 62 mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>200 sec, f<\/span>\/2.8, ISO 200 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nSnow-Chair Construction<\/span>\nat the exit from the tunnel\n<\/div>\n\n

Near the tunnel exit is a storehouse\/garage type of building that gives a good<\/span> impression\nof the style, and of the weather...<\/p>\n\n

<\/a>\nNikon D700 + Nikkor 24-70mm f\/2.8 @ 45 mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>160 sec, f<\/span>\/7.1, ISO 640 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nThatched Storehouse<\/span>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

The snow was really coming down. I can see<\/span> now in the background of the\nshot above that there are faint outlines of thatched houses beyond a river<\/span>\nthat runs behind the storehouse, but I didn't<\/span> notice them at the time. Just\ntoo much snow.<\/p>\n\n

<\/a>\nNikon D700 + Nikkor 24-70mm f\/2.8 @ 27 mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>160 sec, f<\/span>\/7.1, ISO 800 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nFirst View of the Village<\/span>\n<\/div>\n\n
<\/a>\nNikon D700 + Nikkor 24-70mm f\/2.8 @ 38 mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>160 sec, f<\/span>\/4, ISO 250 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nFumie snaps a photo with her phone while\nAnthony Waits Patiently<\/span>\n<\/div>\n\n

One can find thatched houses all over Japan, but the particular draw of\nthese houses is their construction in a style<\/span> called gasshou zukuri<\/i>\n(discussed lightly on this\nWikipedia page<\/a>), noted for its lack of screws\/nails\/fasteners. Most of\nthe house is constructed of a complex<\/span> set of interlocking beams and boards,\nas if from some kind of hyper-advanced set of Lincoln Logs<\/a>. An entire<\/span> house be dismantled, transported, and reassembled at a new<\/span> location\nwith relative ease. Many of the houses in the village, in fact, originally\ncame from elsewhere (which is a topic<\/span> for another post).<\/p>\n\n

<\/a>\nNikon D700 + Nikkor 24-70mm f\/2.8 @ 56 mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>160 sec, f<\/span>\/4, ISO 450 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nOld and New<\/span>\n<\/div>\n\n

These photos are way overexposed, to bring some detail of the\nconstruction out from the dark shadows...<\/p>\n\n

<\/a>\nNikon D700 + Nikkor 24-70mm f\/2.8 @ 38 mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>160 sec, f<\/span>\/6.3, ISO 280 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nFront of Someone's House<\/span>\n<\/div>\n\n
<\/a>\nNikon D700 + Nikkor 24-70mm f\/2.8 @ 52 mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>160 sec, f<\/span>\/5.6, ISO 2200 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nGable End<\/span>\nof a different house\n<\/div>\n\n

In the large version of the shot above, you can see that all the beams\nare notched in various ways, allowing them to all interlock. Also of\ninterest is the large, unfinished (natural shape) beam sticking out near\nthe bottom center of the image. I'm pretty<\/span> sure that's a major<\/span> support beam\nrunning the length of the house, notched to hook over the gable-end beam to\nhold the gable walls from falling out away from the house.<\/p>\n\n

While out in the snow I was using a FotoSharp Raincoat<\/a> to\nprotect the camera and lens from the weather, but I see<\/span> now that had I also<\/span>\nused an umbrella, I would<\/span> have also kept flakes from immediately in front\nof the lens, avoiding the large distracting blobs of white that mar some\nof these photos. Lesson learned.<\/p>\n\n

<\/a>\nNikon D700 + Nikkor 24-70mm f\/2.8 @ 32 mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>160 sec, f<\/span>\/6.3, ISO 450 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nAnother House<\/span>\n<\/div>\n\n
<\/a>\nNikon D700 + Nikkor 24-70mm f\/2.8 @ 70 mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>160 sec, f<\/span>\/6.3, ISO 720 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nDetail<\/span>\n<\/div>\n\n

The big natural beam that sticks out and hooks on the gable-end beam\nlooks to be cracked in this house. It might<\/span> be time for the 300-year\nmaintenance.<\/p>\n\n\n

<\/a>\nNikon D700 + Nikkor 24-70mm f\/2.8 @ 48 mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>160 sec, f<\/span>\/5.6, ISO 560 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nTourist Trap<\/span>\nthe cave in the snow pile made for additional entertainment\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
<\/a>\nNikon D700 + Nikkor 24-70mm f\/2.8 @ 24 mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>160 sec, f<\/span>\/5.6, ISO 6400 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nBottom Edge of Roof Thatch<\/span>\nbuilt up from layers of different materials\n<\/div>\n\n\n
<\/a>\nNikon D700 + Nikkor 24-70mm f\/2.8 @ 28 mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>200 sec, f<\/span>\/6.3, ISO 200 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nRush Hour<\/span>\n<\/div>\n\n

In the photo above you can see silver boxes on either side of the road,\nand one way in the background. They contain high-power water guns used for\nfire prevention<\/i>. (Not fire fighting<\/i>, something I take<\/span> up in\nanother post).<\/p>\n\n

In the background behind the little truck you can see the front of the\nhouse is enclosed with a protective<\/span> cover of ugly corrugated plastic (seen\nbetter in the “Front of Someone's House” shot above). That helps keep the\nsnow that falls from the roof away from the front entrance of the house,\nbut it's quite ugly. A more authentic<\/span> (but certainly more expensive style)\nis to use boards like this:<\/p>\n\n

<\/a>\nNikon D700 + Nikkor 24-70mm f\/2.8 @ 56 mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>160 sec, f<\/span>\/6.3, ISO 640 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nEvery Board Has its Place<\/span>\n<\/div>\n\n

It's still not completely authentic to the old times (if they had these\nin the old times at all) because they're using modern metal brackets, but\nit's still a lot<\/span> nicer then corrugated plastic.<\/p>\n\n

<\/a>\nNikon D700 + Nikkor 24-70mm f\/2.8 @ 56 mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>160 sec, f<\/span>\/6.3, ISO 560 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nRoof Detail<\/span>\n<\/div>\n\n

Continued here...<\/a><\/i><\/p>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

So, finally getting into more from our snowy new-year's trip in the mountains of Toyama Prefecture, four hours north by car (of good-weather driving) from Kyoto, picking up from the post about driving in the driving snow that ended with a desolate view at a snow-filled parking lot.<\/p>

We had arrived at a tourist-parking area up the mountain from Gokayama Village<\/b> (\u4e94\u7b87\u5c71), a world-heritage site of old houses built in a very distinctive style.<\/p>

At the parking lot, we entered a small building and descended in to the mountain in an elevator evocative of what you see of NORAD in [...]","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1429"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1429"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1429\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1429"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1429"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1429"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}