A Night Without City Lights: The Milky Way at Hisago Marsh
9:00 PM at Hisago Marsh.
It is a world of dense darkness and light.
The water's surface was gently swaying with the light of countless stars.
Summer Night Sky
In late July, when the sweltering heat is in full swing on the main island of Honshu.
Cool, clear air flows through the Daisetsuzan mountains in Hokkaido.
The night sky is something I want you to look up at when you are in the mountains during this season.
Because you can meet the Milky Way as it dynamically cuts across from the southern sky to the northern sky.
This time, I will share the special night scenery I encountered in the unexplored regions of Daisetsuzan.
A Natural Planetarium
High up in the mountains, it is a natural planetarium.
With little influence from city lights and clear air, each star twinkles intensely and gently.
As I inhale, the cool scent of the mountains fills the depths of my lungs.
I hope you can feel, even just a little, the atmosphere of a night where the senses are sharpened.
The River of Stars Flowing Through Hisago Marsh
The third day of entering the mountains.
When I suddenly woke up at 9:00 PM and crawled outside, a sky full of stars was spread out again tonight.
The Milky Way I met for three consecutive nights, following the late night I arrived at the trailhead and the previous day at Chubetsu Hut.
My vision blurs at the miracle of meeting the Milky Way night after night in the mountains where the weather changes rapidly.
Spreading out before me is Hisago Marsh, quietly nestled in the mountains of Daisetsuzan.
Every time a pleasant breeze passes through, the water's surface ripples slightly.
Reflected on that water's surface, the starlight pouring down from the sky shimmered as it broke softly.
I set my camera on a tripod and quietly release the shutter.
Beyond the viewfinder, the figure of the Milky Way, rising as if it were welling up from the pitch-black ridgeline, emerged clearly.
In fact, at this very moment, ominous black clouds were slowly creeping up from behind.
Had I been thirty minutes later, this starry sky would have been hidden behind the clouds.
Mountain weather is fickle.
That is precisely why I could not help but feel deeply grateful for this beauty that nature revealed for only a fleeting moment.
To the Starry Mountains
Photographing stars is more than just pressing a shutter button.
It is an experience of feeling the wind of that place, surrendering yourself to the passage of time, and becoming a part of the Earth.
You might think it sounds difficult, but modern cameras are truly excellent.
Once you learn the basic settings, you can capture the night sky that moved you exactly as it was.
Why not tuck a camera into your backpack this summer and head out to the mountains where the stars fall?
A night that might change your life is waiting for you there.
【Click here for the full story of this journey】
Deep into the Daisetsuzan mountains, to the "Garden Where Gods Play."
A four-day, three-night photo essay of becoming a witness to the shifting light.
A man who works in Tokyo on weekdays heads to the northern wilderness with his camera as his companion.
There, a quiet time flowed, dedicated solely to facing the light in its purest form.
A Miracle for Four Consecutive Nights: A breathtaking, star-filled Milky Way arching across the pitch-black cosmos
The Mystery of Life: The "Komakusa" queen, enduring the harsh winter to celebrate a single summer
Dialogue with the Wild: A sad Ezo red fox, reflecting human ego in its clear eyes
The sound of the quiet "breathing" of the great outdoors, watched through the viewfinder.
I am now releasing those beautiful memories from a single piece of data.
Would you like to join me in touching the light of this sanctuary?