{"id":1699,"date":"2011-01-26T23:40:27","date_gmt":"2011-01-26T14:40:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/2011-01-26\/1699"},"modified":"2011-01-26T23:40:27","modified_gmt":"2011-01-26T14:40:27","slug":"rainy-day-on-shoudoshima-island","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/2011-01-26\/1699","title":{"rendered":"Rainy Day on Shoudoshima Island"},"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\n

Wow, I can't believe how time has flown. I've had my nose to the\ngrindstone with a new<\/span> fun little project, and I come<\/span> up for air to find\nthat five days have passed since my last post. Doh!<\/p>\n\n

Our first full day on Shoudoshima Island<\/a> during\na short<\/span> end-of-the-year trip was decidedly cold and rainy. After breakfast\nat our great hotel<\/a>, we\nmade the windy, windy*<\/sup><\/span>  way to the more-populated opposite corner of the\nisland, and the “Angel Road<\/a>” spot where three small islands are connected\nto the main island only when the tide is low....<\/p>\n\n
*<\/td>\none “windy” refers to the curvy nature of the road, and the other to the strong air currents whipping up the rain. I'll leave it to you to figure out which is which.<\/small><\/td><\/tr><\/table>\n\n\n
<\/a>\nNikon D700 + Nikkor 24-70mm f\/2.8 @ 27 mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>800 sec, f<\/span>\/8, ISO 1400 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nCold and Rainy “Angel Road”<\/span>\nShoudoshima Island, Japan\n<\/div>\n\n

When the tide is fully in, the land bridge is completely cut off, and\nwhen the tide is out, the exposed area is quite wide. The saying<\/span> goes that\nif you walk across the land bridge holding hands with someone you love,\nyour love will grow stronger blah blah blah. Does it work when you're wearing\ngloves and carrying an umbrella?<\/p>\n\n

<\/a>\nNikon D700 + Nikkor 24-70mm f\/2.8 @ 24 mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>640 sec, f<\/span>\/2.8, ISO 200 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nLots of Stuff in the Intertidal Zone<\/span>\n<\/div>\n\n

It's no Miyajima<\/a> Itsukushima Shrine<\/a>, but it\nwas interesting enough. With nicer weather we might have gone further than\nthe land bridge to explored the small islands beyond, but the weather\nwasn't nice. At least<\/span> there were rocks...<\/p>\n\n

<\/a>\nNikon D700 + Nikkor 24-70mm f\/2.8 @ 35 mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>250 sec, f<\/span>\/4.5, ISO 200 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nThrowin' Rocks<\/span>\nas kids are apt<\/a> to do\n<\/div>\n\n

Because of the “spot for lovers” marketing spin, people leave written\nwishes\/hopes tied to trees, just like at a temple<\/span><\/a> or shrine<\/a>...<\/p>\n\n

<\/a>\nNikon D700 + Nikkor 24-70mm f\/2.8 @ 44 mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>250 sec, f<\/span>\/2.8, ISO 720 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nWishes<\/span>\n<\/div>\n\n

Fumie had a laugh at the one in the center of the picture, obviously\nwritten by a couple<\/span> who had just had a fight.<\/span> The note on<\/span> the left half is\nby the woman, hoping to “be happy together without fighting”, while the\nother half by the guy is merely to hope to return to Shoudoshima Island\nsometime, and oh, to always be happy together.<\/p>\n\n

There's an outcropping overlooking the area, offering a photogenic<\/span> view....<\/p>\n\n

<\/a>\nNikon D700 + Nikkor 24-70mm f\/2.8 @ 24 mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>400 sec, f<\/span>\/2.8, ISO 200 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nFamily Moment<\/span>\n<\/div>\n\n

I have no idea what was going on with the hat seemingly half way off my\nhead. It was bitingly<\/span> cold, and I was<\/span> still recovering from a horrible<\/span> week<\/a> of a cold<\/span>\nand a lack<\/span> of sleep, so I apparently<\/span> just didn't care.<\/p>\n\n

<\/a>\nNikon D700 + Nikkor 24-70mm f\/2.8 @ 42 mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>320 sec, f<\/span>\/2.8, ISO 200 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nmore fake marketing hype, so\nMore Wishes<\/span>\n<\/div>\n\n

The outcropping with the overlook is supposed to be something for “happy\nmarriages” or the like, so there are lots of wishes for people hoping for\nmarriage in their future. The shell<\/span> above contains wishes for four girls:\nreading clockwise from the upper left, Yukko hopes “to achieve marriage\nby next year<\/i>”, Sayaka hopes “to be forever with someone she\nloves...<\/i>” but goes on to stipulate “but to have a kid<\/span> by 30!!<\/i>”.\nChiaki merely asks “to be married by 30!!<\/i>”, but my favorite is Sae's\nsimple wish: “HAPPY LIFE<\/i>”.<\/p>\n\n

Leaving there, we continued our vehicular circumnavigation of the\nisland, stopping for a moment<\/span> on a peninsula<\/span> for a shot<\/span> of the\nsnow-frosted mountains in the center of the island...<\/p>\n\n

<\/a>\nNikon D700 + Sigma “Bigma” 50-500mm OS @ 50 mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>800 sec, f<\/span>\/5, ISO 250 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nFrosty<\/span>\nand cold and bleary\n<\/div>\n\n\n
<\/a>\nNikon D700 + Sigma “Bigma” 50-500mm OS @ 380 mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>800 sec, f<\/span>\/13, ISO 1600 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nMountain Lodge<\/span>\n<\/div>\n\n

We then stopped the set used to film the 1954 movie Twenty-Four Eyes<\/a>,\nnow a small<\/span> theme park. I've not seen the movie, but it's apparently part\nof the Japanese cultural fabric, about the devastation that war has on a\nsociety<\/span> as seen through the eyes of twelve students as they grow into adulthood\nduring the turbulent years leading up to WWII.<\/p>\n\n

(Oddly, the title,\u300c\u4e8c\u5341\u56db<\/span>\u306e\u77b3\u300dtranslated literally means “24 Pupils”,\nbut since there were only 12 pupils (each with two pupils), it gets confusing. \ud83d\ude42 )<\/p>\n\n\n

<\/a>\nNikon D700 + Nikkor 24-70mm f\/2.8 @ 24 mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>250 sec, f<\/span>\/5, ISO 200 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\n“School”<\/span>\n<\/div>\n\n
<\/a>\nNikon D700 + Nikkor 24-70mm f\/2.8 @ 24 mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>125 sec, f<\/span>\/4, ISO 1000 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\n“Classroom”<\/span>\n<\/div>\n\n

They had things set up as if the film crew had just walked away,\nincluding a made<\/span>-in-America Mitchell Camera<\/a>\nNC10B newsreel camera. Though rusting now, I bet it<\/span> was a thing<\/span> of beauty,\nmade up of nothing but steel and glass, on legs of wood.<\/p>\n\n

Outside I noticed some very tiny flowers growing low to the ground, so broke out my macro lens...<\/p>\n\n

<\/a>\nNikon D700 + Voigtl\u00e4nder 125mm f\/2.5 — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>320 sec, f<\/span>\/4, ISO 4000 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nDelicate<\/span>\neach head was about the size of a raisin,<\/span>\nso each flower must have been smaller than the head of a pin<\/span>\n<\/div>\n\n
<\/a>\nNikon D700 + Voigtl\u00e4nder 125mm f\/2.5 — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>400 sec, f<\/span>\/5.6, ISO 4000 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\n<\/div>\n\n\n
<\/a>\nNikon D700 + Voigtl\u00e4nder 125mm f\/2.5 — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>400 sec, f<\/span>\/4, ISO 900 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nThat's them at the base of the trash can\n<\/div>\n\n

By this time the rain had let up, but it was still cold and windy. Some\nof the mountain views on the way home were pretty, though difficult to\ncapture with the minimal amount of effort I was<\/span> willing to put in...<\/p>\n\n\n

<\/a>\nNikon D700 + Sigma “Bigma” 50-500mm OS @ 210 mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>640 sec, f<\/span>\/6, ISO 5600 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nMisty Mountain Pass<\/span>\n<\/div>\n\n
<\/a>\nNikon D700 + Sigma “Bigma” 50-500mm OS @ 50 mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>640 sec, f<\/span>\/4.5, ISO 1600 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nAnother Island Separated by the Tide<\/span>\nbut this time without a big marketing engine behind it\n<\/div>\n\n

When we got to the turnoff to our hotel, we instead made a quick<\/span> dash\nthe other way up the montain to give a quick<\/span> look at Yoshida Dam, which we\ncan see from the hotel.<\/p>\n\n

<\/a>\nNikon D700 + Sigma “Bigma” 50-500mm OS @ 50 mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>640 sec, f<\/span>\/4.5, ISO 5000 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\n3,000 lbs vs.<\/i> 30 lbs<\/span>\n<\/div>\n\n

The 1-meter-diameter sphere of polished Brazillion granite weighs 1.4\nmetric tons (3,086 pounds), but because it's supported on a bed<\/span> of water\nwith enough pressure to keep it floating, it can be easily spun with a\nfinger.<\/span>... at least until it gets wet, as it does once you spin it half\nway. Then getting a grip<\/span> is more of a challenge,<\/span> but it's still fun. The name of<\/span> the instillation is “uruoi<\/i>” (\u3046\u308b\u304a\u3044), which I find<\/span> out\nnow means “moisture\/dampness”. How appropriate.<\/p>\n\n

Anthony then ran the length of the top of the dam...<\/p>\n\n\n

<\/a>\nNikon D700 + Sigma “Bigma” 50-500mm OS @ 50 mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>400 sec, f<\/span>\/4.5, ISO 2800 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nAt the Other End<\/span>\n<\/div>\n\n
<\/a>\nNikon D700 + Sigma “Bigma” 50-500mm OS @ 500 mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>250 sec, f<\/span>\/6.3, ISO 6400 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nThere He Is<\/span>\n<\/div>\n\n

That's quite different than the last time he walked across the top of a\ndam<\/span> (a year<\/span> ago, across the snow-covered Komaki Dam<\/a>\nin Toyama prefecture).<\/p>\n\n\n

<\/a>\nNikon D700 + Sigma “Bigma” 50-500mm OS @ 50 mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>400 sec, f<\/span>\/4.5, ISO 3200 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nView Down to the Village<\/span>\n<\/div>\n\n
<\/a>\nNikon D700 + Sigma “Bigma” 50-500mm OS @ 420 mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>400 sec, f<\/span>\/6.3, ISO 4500 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nThere's Our Hotel<\/span>\n<\/div>\n\n

The white truck on the road in the upper left is about exactly where I\nwas<\/span> when I took<\/span> the lead photo of my earlier post about our\nhotel<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n

For reference, here's the view of the dam from the hotel...<\/p>\n\n

<\/a>\nNikon D700 + Sigma “Bigma” 50-500mm OS @ 170 mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>800 sec, f<\/span>\/8, ISO 640 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nYoshida Dam<\/span>\nShoudoshima Island, Japan\n<\/div>\n\n

The skys eventually cleared enough so that I could<\/span> take advantage of my\ninability to sleep to nab the Moonrise over Shoudoshima<\/a>\nshot early the next morning.<\/p>\n\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Wow, I can't believe how time has flown. I've had my nose to the grindstone with a new fun little project, and I come up for air to find that five days have passed since my last post. Doh!<\/p>

Our first full day on Shoudoshima Island during a short end-of-the-year trip was decidedly cold and rainy. After breakfast at our great hotel, we made the windy, windy*  way to the more-populated opposite corner of the island, and the \"Angel Road\" spot where three small islands are connected to the main island only when the tide is low....<\/p> * one [...]","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1,2,6],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1699"}],"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=1699"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1699\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1699"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1699"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1699"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}