Talking about the 47th prefecture, Part 1

Even though I claimed this was my second trip around Japan, I suddenly ran out of material.
_ryunker is a company employee, and I have weekends off.
However, it has been raining every weekend lately.
So, that's what that means.

So, I think I'll write about my trip to the 47th prefecture out of the 47.

It's Yamaguchi Prefecture.

1. On the way

_ryunker is the type of person who enjoys the process from point A to point B.
Therefore, I won't do something as flavorless as taking the highway all the way to Yamaguchi Prefecture.
I'll take the local roads.

1.1 Encho-en Garden

I think quite a few people believe that if you go to the Tottori Sand Dunes in Tottori Prefecture, that's basically it.
I actually think that's true.
But wait. There are still some emotional spots left.
For example, here.

It is a Chinese garden built as a symbol of friendship between Tottori Prefecture and Hebei Province, China.
It is a genuine facility where everything from the materials to the design was done in China.
The admission fee is ¥500 for adults, and parking is free (park at a nearby roadside station).

In addition to the buildings, there are performances, and you can also do things like spinning tops or cosplay in Chinese ethnic costumes.
Moreover, the garden is quite large, so it's fun just to walk around, and it took me at least an hour to see everything.

1.2 Shoji Ueda Museum of Photography

The next place I aimed for was here.
But actually, I didn't stop by for the purpose of viewing the art.
This is a good spot for taking pictures of the starry sky in Tottori Prefecture, and it seems you can see a landscape where the Milky Way spreads out with Mt. Daisen in the background.
By the way, it seems you can see the Milky Way anywhere in Tottori Prefecture.
I guess there is that little light pollution.

Of course, people too...

However, I was unlucky that day, and there were too many clouds, so it didn't look like I would be able to see the stars.
Since I knew early on before sunset that it wouldn't be possible to see them, I switched to viewing the museum.

To conclude, I'm glad I went to see it.
When I went inside and climbed the stairs, there was a large open window in front of me.
Mt. Daisen is clearly visible.
Furthermore, Mt. Daisen was reflected on the water surface, and since it was surrounded by the walls of the building on both sides,
I was able to take a very symmetrical landscape photo.

I was moved by the scenery I saw from inside, but none of the exhibited works struck a chord with _ryunker.
To begin with, _ryunker has poor sensibilities.

However, I have seen many paintings and sculptures in various places so far, so I have tried my best to find my own way to enjoy them.
For example, look from a distance and imagine the background of the work and the author's intentions.
Look closely at the details and observe the techniques used there.
Look at the whole thing from a distance again and compare the impression with when you first saw it.
I have recently realized that art is not just about "thinking about the author's feelings."
As the name "technique" (jutsu) implies, the methods used there should also be observed carefully.
I think changing your perspective is a way to enjoy art.

By the way, I don't know how to enjoy a photography museum.
Even though photography is my hobby, this is quite hopeless.

It is often said that a photograph is a snapshot of a moment, but isn't it difficult to understand because the author's feelings are hard to see?

However, I did understand that those works captured the composition of the entire photograph as a silhouette-like surface, or incorporated playful expressions into the subject.

I see, shoot like a silhouette.

That's interesting.

Is there anything else?

Ah, I can't think of any.
Let's make that a goal for future efforts.
Finally, I'll take a picture of my car.
(Taken here)

1.3 Eshima Ohashi Bridge

After staying one night in Yonago City, I entered Shimane.
I searched the surrounding area thinking, is there anything to see on the way in Shimane too?
There was.
Eshima Ohashi Bridge.

Also known as the "Full Throttle Slope"

I arrived feeling a bit excited, thinking it must be a fairly steep slope.
And then I drove right past it.

A little while later, I realized.
"Wait, was that the 'pedal-to-the-metal' slope...?"

It was just a normal bridge...
Honestly, there was no 'pedal-to-the-metal' element to it; in fact, since it's a bridge over the sea, I was able to drive across it quite comfortably.
Thinking I should look into it a bit more, I parked at a nearby convenience store and found a local area map.
On it, there was information about photographing the Eshima Ohashi Bridge.

Apparently, the Eshima Ohashi Bridge doesn't look like a 'pedal-to-the-metal' slope unless you view it from far away and head-on. it seems.

So, where should I go to see it "from far away" and "head-on"?
Here.

That's way too far!!
It's about 3km away in a straight line.
No, with a smartphone, it would barely show up as a grain of rice.
Even with the naked eye, it's hard to tell that it's a 'pedal-to-the-metal' slope.

No, I'm going to take a picture of it no matter what.
Even with this 400mm focal length G-Master lens, it doesn't reach at all...

This is what I got after using a 400mm focal length plus digital zoom to the limit and enhancing the pixels in Lightroom.
The best I could do was make it look like a photo taken with a digital camera from the early Heisei era.
If I want to take a proper shot, it looks like I'll need a 600mm lens or longer.
Still, the eyesight and observational skills of the person who found this 'pedal-to-the-metal' slope are incredible... are they a Maasai warrior or something...

2. Continuing to the middle part

I'm tired.
I'll leave the first part here, and next time I'll start from entering Yamaguchi.