- The scenery I caught a glimpse of from the train window was what made me decide on the location for the shoot.
- I visited on a day when rain was forecast, but ended up with a spring storm
- "A chance to record rain sounds other than those from an umbrella"
- This is how the video for "Spring Storm and Cherry Blossoms" was born.
The scenery I caught a glimpse of from the train window was what made me decide on the location for the shoot.
Every day on my commute to Takamatsu City on the JR Shikoku train, I find myself staring blankly out the window.
One spring day, cherry blossoms in full bloom suddenly caught my eye. The spot was Ninomiya Pond .
Pale pink cherry blossoms swaying in the breeze lined the pond, a relatively quiet spot for the Setouchi region, and for some reason, I've never been able to forget the sight.
"I have to go and shoot this,"
I thought, so I immediately went out to scout locations on a sunny day.
Niimiya Pond is a quiet place despite being close to a residential area, and the cherry blossoms reflected on the pond's surface are beautiful, making it the perfect place to record an ambient video while walking. However, the cherry blossoms had already started to lose their leaves, and I had a hunch that I would only be able to shoot for a few more days.
I visited on a day when rain was forecast, but ended up with a spring storm
The theme of Setouchi Ambience's photography is "rain."
The combination of cherry blossoms and rain is a perfect match, and the soft sound of rain and the moist atmosphere of the cherry blossoms create a rich work both visually and aurally.
So I checked the weather app Windy and other weather apps and returned on a day when rain was forecast.
However, that day turned out to be completely different from the forecast.
- Sudden heavy rain
- Gusts of wind that shook the surface of the pond
- And even thunder, which is rare in the Setouchi region...
Originally, I had wanted to shoot near the cherry blossom trees, but the wind and rain were so strong that I couldn't leave the nearby rest area.
Even with an umbrella, the wind was so strong that I felt like I would be blown away, so protecting my equipment became my top priority.
"A chance to record rain sounds other than those from an umbrella"
Normally, I want to make use of the sound of rain falling on an umbrella, so I record while walking in the rain.
However, on this day, the sounds of rain bouncing off the roof, pillars, and ground of the rest area mixed together in a complex way, creating a sound like "natural multi-layered rain sounds."
"There are sounds that can only be recorded here, without having to go outside."
Realizing this, I decided not to go outside, but to wait in the rest area and record.
The cherry blossoms swaying on the other side of the pond maintained their beauty despite being hit by the heavy rain, and the contrast between their appearance and the sound was very striking.
This is how the video for "Spring Storm and Cherry Blossoms" was born.
The video I'm introducing today is the result of a series of such coincidences and decisions.
It's very different from the "cherry blossoms in the gentle rain" I had originally imagined, but I think I was able to capture a valuable aspect of the fierce spring storm in the Seto Inland Sea.
I hope you will enjoy the fleeting world created by the spring storm with your ears and eyes.
