Japan Photo Blog, Vol. 85 - “Inaka,” Scenes from the Countryside
田舎 「いなか」
inaka. “rural area,” “countryside,” “the sticks.”
Taking a walk around rural areas in Japan is a fascinating experience. I plan to take more photos in this vein tomorrow, venturing out further from my current location, into the very small town where I live. For now though, I’d like to share these photos taken just outside my house. There’s lots to see if we’re looking, isn’t there? Even in places where we thought there was nothing much of any real interest at all. When I open my eyes and look closely, in awareness, most everything becomes imbued with a kind of magic.
(Speaking of awareness, see if you can spot the “guest” in the photos below.)
~*~
(Thanks for stopping by! If you missed the last installment of Japan Photo Blog, Vol. 84: “O-Hanami,” you can find that HERE.)
~KafkA
Graham Smith is a Voluntaryist activist, creator, and peaceful parent residing in Niigata City, Japan. Graham runs the "Voluntary Japan" online initiative with a presence here on Steem, as well as DTube and Twitter. (Hit me up so I can stop talking about myself in the third person!)
Great collections of photos! I was thinking the other day of the idea of linking up all these various random japan photo posts (and random asia, to include @kaliju). I'm not sure how to do that beyond tags (I've started to use "randomjapan" and "randomasia" on my posts). Now I wonder if anyone would actually surf those tags to find our posts, but it is something. What do you think?
As to guest, I think I see a visitor in the last photo. Am I right?
I love the Japanese inaka. My in-laws are rice farmers in rural Tochigi and I love visiting. They have already given the farm to another daughter to inherit so that dream is dashed, but I still love visiting. Such a great area.
You are right: when we open our eyes and actually look, there is so much to see, and there is magic in that. I teach that exactly in my photography workshops. Taking daily photowalks to help open our eyes is one of the things I stress.
That's a great idea. Count me in. Me and @kaliju actually know one another in "real life" as well, so hell yeah, either #randomasia or #randomjapan work for me. Or both. I'll start using them.
Regarding the guest in the photo. Yep. You got it.
The daily photowalk thing is a great idea. You sound like a kick ass teacher man. I am going to try to make photowalks a more frequent thing in my life.
Oh yeah. @boxcarblue also runs a serial blog series called "This is Japan" featuring photos and elements of Japanese culture. @maxinpower also keeps a photo blog similar to all of us. Both of these guys would be more than happy to use the tag, I am sure. I think we could bring some traffic to it, man.
Maybe even start a little discord group to help communicate/support others who may want to contribute.
Excellent! Let's use both tags. Then people can surf just random photos from japan or from asia in general. Others can use randomCOUNTRY just like @kaliju uses randomkorea
Yeah I've seen the posts from @boxcarblue and @maxinpower too. The photo posts from all you guys is what got me thinking about this idea. I will comment on their posts about this idea too if they don't see the mentions here.
Starting a Discord group sounds like a great idea. I'll get on that and send you the link after I set it up.
Re: Photowalks. Another tip I use in class and you might too is to limit your creative vision in some way. If you have a DSLR camera, this might be to take a lens that you don't normally use and limit yourself to only one focal length if it is a zoom lens. For example, I might only use my 70-300 lens and keep it set to 200 the entire walk. If you have a smartphone, limiting your vision might be to pick one of these analog apps and stick to that the entire walk. Also, no chimping (chimping is looking at the screen after every shot). I hope photowalks work for you. I love them.
Haha. "Chimping." Indeed. The same way it is highly discouraged to dig up a carrot to check on its growth after it's been planted.
As far as the limiting...I 100% agree. I feel the same applies to music. I have just recently finished a mini-album where I limited myself to basically two tracks. Though it is really quite a low-fi production, I was happier with the result and prouder of it than the stuff I have recorded in professional studios, etc. There was a cohesiveness to this one, where, with the others, having too many options, I floundered and went all over the map trying to hard to "achieve" something.
I like that. With your permission, I'll use that line in my workshops and classes.
I couldn't have put it better. Limitations are the fuel for inspiration and creativity. Maybe that's why I like haiku so much ;) BTW, I just saw the post about your album. Awesome! I will go and buy that and listen to it later tonight after the kids go to bed.
Here is a link to the discord group I set up: https://discord.gg/2keqgEn
I've never hosted anything at Discord, only joined preexisting channels, so I am unfamiliar with some of what is required. I will look at it tonight as I listen to your album. At any rate, join when you can. You guys too if you are willing to participate with my idea for this randomjapan/randomasia thing @kaliju, @boxcarblue, @maxinpower, and @jrvacation
Haha. Of course man. Feel free. I actually got that line/idea from a guy named John Holt who used it when referring to the ills of public education, and constant testing.
As for the album, just set the payment to 0 yen, and it’s all yours. I meant for it to be a free download, and don’t like dealing with PayPal anyway.
I’m somewhat familiar with Discord. I’ll join the channel ASAP. Cool shit!
Learned about chimping! It's hard not to do that though...! Tried it today, couldn't tame my instant curiosity to see what I'd captured :D
Count me in! But, well, we are not in Japan though. We do a weekly digest known as Travel Japan Weekly Digest. Let me know if it can be useful :)
You wouldn't have to be in Japan, I think, but they should be kind of random photos of the country that give people a taste of real life. My initial idea for my random photo posts came from emails to my old japan photo blog that always requested "real" shots instead of the typical torii or cherry blossoms. Real as in traffic shots or people in a convenience store or random shots of a park, etc. You can check the "random Japan" series on my steemit blog to see what I mean. If you think your posts meet that, sure by all means, please use the tag also. I'll set up the discord group later today and post a link when I do.
yeah when we really open our eyes and especially when we drop down a few levels we see so much, that and looking up to see our feathered friends. Really liking the crane,looking quite majestic in that shot. Really we just need to follow our chidren's lead when it comes to looking and seeing. Thanks for sharing the wonders around your home x
So true.
おおさか😁✋とちがってきれいな空気ですね
♥いいですね♥
それはそうかも知れないですが、美味しい大阪食べ物がないですよ！！：）
でも本当にきれいですね、森があるところの空気。
Looks like it's getting warmer over there. Area is so old, I can almost smell it through the pics :D Ahhh, mossy wood.
Yeah, it is. And yep. Definitely dank and mossy...and sometimes..funky? lol. Out here.
Warm over there?
+18C in the daytime few days ago :D
Hello Kafka.. getting a chance to see the countryside of Japan..
Haha...I could see the crane as your guest in the last snap..
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The countryside is one of the places that takes the simplicity of man
When a person is very simple pictures very wonderful really well chosen
Great photos. That old abandoned stone lantern must have been from the early Tokugawa period.
Speaking of spotting guests, I see a bird sitting on top of a tree but I can't seem to figure out what it is. Is it a peahen or a crane?
すごく素敵な写真ですね😁
田舎の景色 なにか懐かしくて好きです！
i dont know that how can take that photo, its great