Matsue's Edge: A Photographer's Drift at 37.16661 N, 133.2000098 E
the sea here is a sheet of glass, or at least that's what the old fisherman at the port told me. i'm sitting on the deck of this rickety ferry, camera strap biting into my shoulder, and i can't shake the feeling that i've stepped into a painting. we're somewhere between Matsue and the Oki Islands, coordinates pinned at 37.16661 N, 133.2000098 E, and the world is just water and sky. i just checked and it's... 19.99 degrees Celsius, feels like 20.13, humidity 80% - basically the air is thick enough to pour. the pressure is 1019 hPa, which the captain says means the weather will hold. i'm not sure i trust his weather lore, but his hands are steady on the wheel and that's good enough for me.
the captain, a weather-beaten man with a white hat that's seen more sunrises than i have hot meals, squints at the horizon and mutters something about 'good light soon'. i raise my 70-200mm, ready to catch the moment when the sun decides to show its face. the boat lurches slightly, sending a spray of salty mist over the railing. i taste salt and machine oil. perfect.
ahead, dark shapes emerge from the haze - the Oki Islands. they rise from the sea like sleeping giants, covered in a carpet of pine and cedar. i've read that these islands have been a UNESCO Global Geopark since 2009, and you can see why. the geology is wild, with columnar basalt and sea caves that would make any geologist weep. i switch to my wide-angle, hoping to capture the scale.
as we pull into the harbor of Okinoshima, the largest town on Dōgo Island, the air smells of brine and grilling fish. a little girl waves from the pier, her hair tied with a red ribbon. i wave back, then scramble to grab my pack. i plan to rent a bike and circle the island. i've heard that the best way to see Oki is on two wheels, where you can stop at hidden shrines and beaches that don't make it into the guidebooks.
after a quick sushi lunch at a dockside stall - the uni was still sweet, the salmon melted - i rented a beat-up mountain bike for 500 yen. the island's roads are narrow and winding, flanked by stone walls and overgrown vegetation. i pedaled past fields of cows grazing peacefully. every turn revealed another stunning vista: cliffs dropping into turquoise coves, ancient stone monuments half-buried in moss. the humidity clung to my skin, but the breeze at 20°C made it bearable. i stopped at a tiny shrine perched on a hilltop, its torii gate weathered silver by the salt air. I took a long exposure, hoping to capture the clouds streaking across the sky.
someone told me that there's a place called 'Umi no Sachi' which serves the freshest sashimi in town, but the guy at the harbor warned me it's closed on days when the tide is high - which apparently is every Wednesday and Saturday. i checked it out on Yelp and saw it had 4.5 stars from tourists and locals alike. Umi no Sachi on Yelp i made a mental note to return on a low tide day.
if the solitude starts to feel too heavy, i know i can hop a ferry back to Matsue. that city, with its samurai district and the famous Matsue Castle, is only about three hours away on a fast boat. Matsue's tourist board insists it's a 'city of water', with canals and historic warehouses turned into cafes. Visit Matsue i always find a quiet teahouse to edit my photos while sipping matcha.
some locals spin yarns about the waters around the Oki Islands being haunted by the ghosts of ancient fishermen who got lost in the fog. i'm not one for superstitions, but out here, with the wind howling through the rigging at night, it's easy to imagine. i've even read on a ghost hunting forum that these islands have a high number of 'paranormal reports' - something about glowing orbs in the caves. Ghosts of Oki? not sure i buy it, but it adds spice to the evenings.
the weather held all day, just as the captain predicted. the barometer read a steady 1019 hPa, and the sea-level pressure matched. as the sun began its descent, the sky turned molten orange, reflecting off the water. i setup my tripod on a rocky outcrop, hoping to catch the last rays. the humidity made the lens fog a little, but i wiped it clean and kept shooting. there's something about the light here - it's softer, golden, forgiving. i get why photographers flock to these remote parts.
as the ferry pulls away from the dock, the islands shrink into silhouettes against the twilight. i'm left with a memory card full of shots, a sunburned nose, and the knowledge that i'll be back. maybe next time i'll bring a tent and stay longer, to chase the stars and maybe see one of those orbs. until then, the Sea of Japan keeps its secrets, and i'll keep chasing the light.
neighbors? if you tire of the ocean's roar, the mainland city of Tottori with its sweeping sand dunes is just a short hop across the water. Tottori Sand Dunes TripAdvisor and if you need a night out, Osaka's neon maze is an overnight train away. but honestly, why would you want to leave?
this might just be another corner of the world i've fallen in love with. and i have the 19.99-degree, 80% humid, high-pressure day to thank for it.
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