Smiles Of Japan

日本の今を伝え続けたトラベルボランティア


>> P.60

60|SMILEOFJAPAN|TRAVELVOLUNTEERPROJECTNATUREAKITAITWASRAININGHARDWHENWEWOKEUPTHISMORNINGANDIT’SNOTSTOPPEDALLDAY,HEREINAKITAPREFECTURE.IT’SBEENPRETTYFRUSTRATING–ESPECIALLYFORKATY.FORAPHOTOGRAPHER,RAINISAVIRTUALGUARANTEEOFAWASTEDDAY,UNLESSYOU’REFORTUNATEENOUGHTOHAVEASSIGNMENTSINDOORS.UNFORTUNATELY,THAT’SNOTREALLYBEENTHECASEFORUSASWE’VEBEENDRIVENAROUNDTHEINTERIORONTHEPREFECTURE,TOWHATWOULDNORMALLYBESOMEPRETTYSPECIALNATURALSIGHTS.ONEOFTHERAREBREAKSINTHEMETAPHORICALCLOUDWASAVISITTOTHETSURUNOYUONSEN,TOBATHEINSOMEMILKYVOLCANICWATER.UPINTHEHILLS,INARICKETYOLDBUILDINGWITHTHESOUNDOFRUNNINGWATERTRUNDLINGFROMTHEROOF,ITWASALLRATHERLOVELY–EVENIFITDIDLEAVEUSSMELLINGFAINTLYOFOLDEGGS.FROMTHEREWEDROVEAROUNDTAZAWAKO,THEDEEPESTLAKEINJAPAN,WHICHOURGUIDECHIKAENOKITOLDUSISSPECTACULARONAGOODDAY.WETOOKHERWORDFORIT,BUTITWASHARDNOTTOFEELCHEATEDWHILETHESIGHTSREMAINEDINVISIBLE.YES,ITWASNICETODAY6SEPTEMBER20,TAZAWAKO,AKITARAINDELAYSPLAYSEECLOUDSBREAKINGOVERTHEMOUNTAINSLIKEPIERCEDYOKES,BUTITSTILLWASN’TMUCHUSEFORPICTURES;ITWASN’TSAFETOTAKETHECAMERASOUTINTHERAINANYWAY.SOTHEDAYHASBEENABITOFAWASH-OUT.ANDINJUSTOVERAWEEKOFBEINGINJAPAN,IT’SNOTTHEFIRSTTIMETHEWEATHERHASCAUGHTUSONTHEHOP.USINGNOTHINGMORETHANILL-INFORMEDGUESSWORK,WEPACKEDOURBAGSFORANAUTUMNAL*CHILL,DESCENDINGTOWARDSASIBERIANFREEZE.FROMTHEMOMENTWEARRIVED,ITWASCLEARTHATWE’DMADEAMISTAKE.JAPANWASINTHEMIDDLEOFANUNUSUALLYDOGGEDINDIANSUMMER,ANDVIRTUALLYALLOFOURSELECTIONSHAVEBEENREDUNDANT.WE’DPACKEDSWIMWEARTOO,BUTTHENFOUNDOUTTHAT–ATLEASTWHENITCAMETOTHEONSENS–WEWOULDN’TNEEDTHEM,EITHER.ADDEDTOTHIS,WEHEARDTHATWHENWEGETDOWNTOOKINAWAINDECEMBER,THEWEATHERWILLBEQUITECHILLY.SOINAWAY,DESPITETHETORRIDPHOTOGRAPHYCONDITIONS,ATLEASTALLTHERAINHASJUSTIFIEDSOMEOFOURGARGANTUANLUGGAGE.PLUSTONIGHT,BEFORESNUGGLINGUPINTHEYOULANDHOTEL,ITDROVEUSINTOOURFIRSTKARAOKEBAR.ANDIFTHEBADWEATHERMEANSTHESTARTOFAUTUMNPROPER,THENALLTHEBETTERFORUS.ASWETRAVELLEDLASTYEAR,WEFOLLOWEDSUCCESSIVESUMMERSINASIA,SOUTHAMERICAANDTHEUSA.COMINGAFTERTHREEYEARSINDUBAI,ITMEANTWE’DBEENTRAPPEDINANENDLESSSUMMERFORNEARLYFOURYEARS.OTHERPEOPLECOMPLAINABOUTTHECOLD,BUTWE’REIMPATIENTFORITSARRIVAL.*WITHTHERIGHTENGLISHACCENT(MICHAELGAMBON,DAVIDATTENBOROUGH,IANMCKELLAN–ANYONEWITHAKNIGHTHOOD)“AUTUMNAL”ISQUITEPOSSIBLYTHEMOSTBEAUTIFULWORDINTHEENGLISHLANGUAGE.BYUSING“FALL”FORTHESAMESEASON,AMERICAISMISSINGOUT.


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