The goal of our Golden Week Nagano excursions was to Tateshina.
We went up the Venus Line from downtown Chino to Tateshina highland and headed for Shinyu Onsen, a single inn in the valley. I happened to find this inn a few years ago and love it.
It would take me a long time to tell you what I like about it, so I’ll spare you the rest. If you are interested, please visit the official website and check it out. I only took one picture inside the hotel, which is an impressive corridor with Iwanami Bunko on both sides.
By the way, the Tateshina highland is at a high altitude (1,250 meters around Lake Tateshina at the entrance to the plateau), so the climate and seasons are distinctly different from those below. At this time, at the end of April, snow willows were in full bloom along the highway and magnolias were in full bloom in front of Shinyu Onsen.
The Yamazakura cherry trees were blooming at different rates, blooming vigorously on the sunny slopes while still budding on the shady side. The tree in front of the open-air bath was in full bloom, and the old men’s eyes were delighted to see it, although they could not take pictures.
The Taki-no-Yu River flowing in front of us in the photo above cascades downstream a bit. It is a famous viewing and photographing spot called Tateshina Great Falls, so there is no way not to take a picture of it. The path is a little difficult, but the distance is not that long, so I managed to arrive at the spot carrying my camera and tripod.
I was able to photograph this waterfall for the first time in four years.
I’m always torn between using an ND filter and slowing down the shutter speed to take a threadbare shot of flowing water, or stopping the moment the spray flies, as I like both types of pictures.
A little beyond the waterfall basin, I took this shot of the stream weaving through the rocks. After much trial and error, I decided to use a 1/4 second shutter speed.
I was so energetic on the way down to the bottom of the valley that I could handle it, but the climb back up felt steeper and steeper. The trail is not a trail at all, but a path made of tree roots and rocks, and we are breathless on the way up.
When I came here before, I remember taking pictures with the Pentax K-70 and the HD DA16-85mm. This time I went a little lighter with a Lumix G99 and a Panara Leica, but it was pretty tough. It is a place where young and robust people can go for nothing, but it is time for me to stop being optimistic that I can go there anytime I want.
Well, I still have a few photos left, so the next article will be another Tateshina excursion.
