{"id":2834,"date":"2017-11-18T20:58:19","date_gmt":"2017-11-18T11:58:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/2017-11-18\/2834"},"modified":"2017-11-18T20:58:19","modified_gmt":"2017-11-18T11:58:19","slug":"first-taste-of-kyotos-fall-foliage-season-2017-edition","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/2017-11-18\/2834","title":{"rendered":"First Taste of Kyoto’s Fall-Foliage Season, 2017 Edition"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n
<\/a>\nNikon D4 + Nikkor 24-70mm f\/2.8 @ 56mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>320 sec, f<\/span>\/6.3, ISO 1100 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nTypical Kyoto Parking Lot<\/span>\nSoren-ji Temple (\u5b97\u84ee\u5bfa), Kyoto Japan\n\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n

I went out for a short photo jaunt with Damien, Paul, and Adrian yesterday to check out some of the fall color in the mountains\nof northwest Kyoto.<\/p>\n\n

First we went through the rural Kumagahata area that was hard hit by a\ntyphoon<\/span><\/a> last month...<\/p>\n\n\n

<\/a>\nNikon D4 + Nikkor 24-70mm f\/2.8 @ 48mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>100 sec, f<\/span>\/5.6, ISO 6400 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nStill in a State<\/span> of Disarray<\/span>\nbut the road is clean and utilities are working\n\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n

The road surface is back to normal; compare to this typical scene<\/a> just after the typhoon.<\/p>\n\n

<\/a>\nNikon D4 + Nikkor 24-70mm f\/2.8 @ 60mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>250 sec, f<\/span>\/2.8, ISO 3200 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nOne imagines that the mountainside will have to be thinned considerably\nbefore the utility wires are put up permanently\n\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n
<\/a>\nNikon D4 + Nikkor 24-70mm f\/2.8 @ 24mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>100 sec, f<\/span>\/2.8, ISO 3600 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\n\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n
<\/a>\nNikon D4 + Nikkor 24-70mm f\/2.8 @ 24mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>100 sec, f<\/span>\/2.8, ISO 1000 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nOdd Discovery<\/span>\n\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n

I ride my bicycle on this road often (it's part of the Kyoto Heart Loop<\/a>,\nfor example) but had never noticed this weird bit of brick construction. At first<\/span> I thought<\/span> it might be the leftover foundation of\nsome long-gone building, but then noticed the plaque embedded within:<\/p>\n\n\n

<\/a>\nNikon D4 + Nikkor 24-70mm f\/2.8 @ 66mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>320 sec, f<\/span>\/2.8, ISO 6400 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\n\u96a7\u9053<\/span><\/span>\n\u5341\u4e09\u77f3\u5c71\n\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n

I was left grasping at straws to understand this. The characters<\/span> are much more easily understood in this photograph than it was\nat the time, but even then I correctly<\/span> identified the bigger characters as “<\/span>\u96a7\u9053<\/span>”<\/span> written right-to-left, the old way to write\n“<\/span>tunnel”<\/span>. I'd seen it<\/span> only once before, as described here<\/a>. But there<\/span> was no evidence of a tunnel<\/span> nor that there ever might have been... it was odd, and I was<\/span> left questioning whether I was<\/span> mixing up\nmy kanji.<\/p>\n\n

However, searching the web for \u300c\u5341\u4e09\u77f3\u5c71\u96a7\u9053\u300d\n<\/span><\/a> brings up all kinds of stuff, including this very helpful post<\/a> that describes a system<\/span> that brings water from the river starting at a point<\/span> farther up the river\n(here<\/a>),\nalong a twisty<\/span> but gently-sloping path that ends up about 1.3km due south to this point<\/a>\njust above a hydroelectric<\/span> power plant<\/a> built in\n1908. By this point<\/span> the road has descended about 50m (160') of elevation, but the water has not, so now\nat the power plant it can plummet down to drive the turbines.<\/p>\n\n

The non-“<\/span>tunnel”<\/span> words on the plaque, “<\/span>\u5341\u4e09\u77f3\u5c71<\/span>”<\/span>, apparently refers to the nearby mountain just to the west.<\/p>\n\n

I find this old stuff to be really fascinating.<\/p>\n\n

<\/a>\nNikon D4 + Nikkor 24-70mm f\/2.8 @ 50mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>200 sec, f<\/span>\/4, ISO 250 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nToo Much<\/span>\n\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n

As we continued deeper into the mountains, we stopped from time to time to enjoy the fall colors...<\/p>\n\n

<\/a>\nNikon D4 + Nikkor 24-70mm f\/2.8 @ 24mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>100 sec, f<\/span>\/4, ISO 200 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\n\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n
<\/a>\nNikon D4 + Nikkor 24-70mm f\/2.8 @ 70mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>320 sec, f<\/span>\/2.8, ISO 1250 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nHelpful Sign<\/span>\n\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
<\/a>\nNikon D4 + Nikkor 24-70mm f\/2.8 @ 24mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>250 sec, f<\/span>\/2.8, ISO 100 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nKokumozen-ji Temple Entrance<\/span>\n(\u9ad8\u96f2\u7985\u5bfa)\n\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n

I'd been meaning to check this place out; the big circular stone is hard to miss when flying by on a bicycle.<\/span><\/p>\n\n

<\/a>\nNikon D4 + Voigtl\u00e4nder 125mm f\/2.5 — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>400 sec, f<\/span>\/2.5, ISO 100 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nSmall Tree on Fire<\/span>\n\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n
<\/a>\nNikon D4 + Voigtl\u00e4nder 125mm f\/2.5 — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>320 sec, f<\/span>\/2.5, ISO 3200 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nOld Roof Tiles<\/span>\ndiscarded off to one side\n\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n

The temple building itself was all closed up, but the adjacent cemetery was photogenic in some lovely light...<\/p>\n\n

<\/a>\nNikon D4 + Voigtl\u00e4nder 125mm f\/2.5 — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>320 sec, f<\/span>\/2.5, ISO 2200 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\n\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Nearby back on the main street was a wall<\/span> with lots going on...<\/p>\n\n

<\/a>\nNikon D4 + Nikkor 24-70mm f\/2.8 @ 52mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>200 sec, f<\/span>\/5.6, ISO 1000 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nVisually-Busy Wall<\/span>\n\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n

With so much going on, I though that I should<\/span> be able to do something with it, but in the end it's the photo above that I like<\/span> the best.<\/p>\n\n

<\/a>\nNikon D4 + Nikkor 24-70mm f\/2.8 @ 38mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>160 sec, f<\/span>\/8, ISO 1400 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\n\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n
<\/a>\nNikon D4 + Voigtl\u00e4nder 125mm f\/2.5 — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>30 sec, f<\/span>\/8, ISO 400 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\n\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n
<\/a>\nNikon D4 + Voigtl\u00e4nder 125mm f\/2.5 — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>2000 sec, f<\/span>\/2.5, ISO 100 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nNearby Bucket<\/span>\n\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n

We eventually made our way to the Shimyouin Temple (\u5fd7\u660e\u9662),<\/span> deep in the mountains to the north....<\/p>\n\n

<\/a>\nNikon D4 + Voigtl\u00e4nder 125mm f\/2.5 — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>320 sec, f<\/span>\/8, ISO 800 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nView from the Parking Lot<\/span>\nShimyo-in Temple (\u5fd7\u660e\u9662)\n\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n

I first wrote about this temple six years ago in “<\/span>Kyoto\u2019s Shimyouin\nTemple: Exceedingly Remote, Bashful, and Serene<\/a>”<\/span>, and I took<\/span> this hard-edged\nblack and white photo of Paul<\/a> there, but for the most part this place doesn't appear on my blog much because photography isn't\nallowed at most of it. One used to<\/span> be allowed to bring a camera<\/span> or a lunch<\/span> box, but people were just too rude, so about 40 years ago\nthey stopped letting people bring anything (including cameras) in.<\/p>\n\n

We then moved on to the famous Ochiba Shirne (“<\/span>Fallen-leaf Shrine”<\/span>) that has been on my blog many times...<\/p>\n\n

<\/a>\nNikon D4 + Nikkor 24-70mm f\/2.8 @ 38mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>320 sec, f<\/span>\/8, ISO 1800 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nIwato Ochiba Shrine (\u5ca9\u6238\u843d\u8449\u795e\u793e)\n\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n

It's not quite at it's peak “<\/span>yellow carpet”<\/span> level yet, as it was when this shrine first appeared\non my blog seven years ago in “<\/span>Carpet of Yellow at the Iwato Ochiba Shrine, Deep in the Mountains of North-West Kyoto<\/a>”<\/span>, but it's still lovely.<\/p>\n\n

<\/a>\nNikon D4 + Voigtl\u00e4nder 125mm f\/2.5 — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>320 sec, f<\/span>\/2.5, ISO 400 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nDamien at the Entrance<\/span>\n\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n

In a single-frame re-enactment of this wigglegram<\/a> from five years ago.<\/p>\n\n\n

<\/a>\nNikon D4 + Voigtl\u00e4nder 125mm f\/2.5 — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>320 sec, f<\/span>\/2.5, ISO 320 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nConstant Flurry of Falling Leaves<\/span>\n\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n
<\/a>\nNikon D4 + Nikkor 24-70mm f\/2.8 @ 24mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>320 sec, f<\/span>\/8, ISO 1600 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nAdrian<\/span>\n\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n
<\/a>\nNikon D4 + Nikkor 24-70mm f\/2.8 @ 31mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>320 sec, f<\/span>\/8, ISO 2000 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\n\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n
<\/a>\nNikon D4 + Nikkor 24-70mm f\/2.8 @ 24mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>320 sec, f<\/span>\/8, ISO 720 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nHelping Hand<\/span>\n\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n
<\/a>\nNikon D4 + Nikkor 24-70mm f\/2.8 @ 42mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>320 sec, f<\/span>\/2.8, ISO 1100 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nDedication to the Shot<\/span>\n\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n

The hedge near the entrance is apparently made of various different plants that have different colors during this\nseason, as seen here<\/a>, so you get a lovely<\/span> mix of colors...<\/p>\n\n\n

<\/a>\nNikon D4 + Voigtl\u00e4nder 125mm f\/2.5 — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>320 sec, f<\/span>\/2.5, ISO 360 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\n\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n
<\/a>\nNikon D4 + Voigtl\u00e4nder 125mm f\/2.5 — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>320 sec, f<\/span>\/8, ISO 4000 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\n\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n

We then moved over to the Soren-ji Temple (\u5b97\u84ee\u5bfa),<\/span> which was fantastic<\/i> when we visited it five years ago,\nas seen in “<\/span>A Few<\/span> Pretty Pictures from Kyoto\u2019s Middle-of-Nowhere Sourenji Temple<\/a>”<\/span> and “<\/span>Kyoto\u2019s Souren-ji Temple at f\/1.2<\/a>”<\/span>. <\/p>\n\n

This time it wasn't quite as good, perhaps because we were a bit<\/span> early, but the little park nearby was wonderful.<\/p>\n\n

<\/a>\nNikon D4 + Nikkor 24-70mm f\/2.8 @ 60mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>500 sec, f<\/span>\/2.8, ISO 100 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nQuiet Little Park<\/span>\n\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n
<\/a>\nNikon D4 + Nikkor 24-70mm f\/2.8 @ 24mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>320 sec, f<\/span>\/6.3, ISO 400 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nSmall, Steep Road<\/span>\nleading up to the park\/temple area\n\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n

The road up to the temple is narrow and steep (400m with an average grade of 11%).\nI've never ridden it, but I will<\/span> soon. I made<\/span> a Strava<\/span> segment<\/a> for it.<\/p>\n\n

<\/a>\nNikon D4 + Nikkor 24-70mm f\/2.8 @ 24mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>320 sec, f<\/span>\/6.3, ISO 560 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\n\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n
<\/a>\nNikon D4 + Nikkor 24-70mm f\/2.8 @ 24mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>320 sec, f<\/span>\/6.3, ISO 4500 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nSteps Up to the Temple<\/span>\n(not quite like last time<\/a>)\n\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n
<\/a>\nNikon D4 + Nikkor 24-70mm f\/2.8 @ 50mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>320 sec, f<\/span>\/6.3, ISO 640 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nPretty Road<\/span>\n\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n

It was a nice start to the season.<\/p>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I went out for a short photo jaunt with Damien, Paul, and Adrian yesterday to check out some of the fall color in the mountains of northwest Kyoto.<\/p>

First we went through the rural Kumagahata area that was hard hit by a typhoon last month...<\/p>

The road surface is back to normal; compare to this typical scene just after the typhoon.<\/p>

I ride my bicycle on this road often (it's part of the Kyoto Heart Loop, for example) but had never noticed this weird bit of brick construction. At first I thought it might be the leftover foundation of some [...]","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[14,1,10],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2834"}],"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=2834"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2834\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2834"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2834"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2834"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}