Coasting to the coast
This is Part II of my two-part photo-journal related to a fieldwork trip in Fukui (Part I).
Previously, I described our journey from central Fukui towards the coast at Cape Echizen. It’s not a popular tourist destination - there’s not really “anything of interest” here. That’s probably why I like the area so much. It’s quite simply just a part of Japan far away from the neons, anime, and hustle-bustle of city life, or the pseudo theme-park of geisha, temples, and sushi.
Here’s a map of the approximate route and its relation to Honshu:
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When I left you last, we were facing a rather long, narrow tunnel which passed straight through the mountain to the other side. Upon entering the tunnel, I had to check I had the headlights on - I couldn’t really see anything at all, as it took a good minute or two for my eyes to adjust to the complete darkness. Popping out of the other side, we were in for a treat…
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There was a very small village in the narrow valley. Just a few small clouds were scattered overhead.
Over the next 20 minutes, we were subjected to strong winds, rain, sleet, snow, and hail. The works! However, once we reached the coast, we caught another break between the clouds.
See the rain in the not-too-far distance, with the sun bursting through?
Less than 2km from the coast, there’s ~50cm of snow covering the ground. At the coast, it felt almost like spring - if it weren’t for the biting cold wind.
We’d reached our destination, and got to work. I still have a few photos to show from the trip, but this concludes Part II.
I hope you enjoyed the ride through the cold mountains, preferably from the comfort of a nice warm room.