（続き）
The Hakushu Distillery lies at the foot of Mount Kaikoma in the Southern Alps. True to its nickname, “the distillery in the forest”, it is set amidst vast, verdant woodland. A minibus was provided for moving between facilities. Weather permitting, we had planned to shoot for just under three hours against that backdrop of green.
But it rained all day. Only a few snaps taken in the drizzle remain.
Having booked the visit two and a half months prior, the weather was entirely down to luck. Still, I couldn't help wondering—had the trip been scheduled just one day earlier or later—as I fiddled with my camera.
Those few snaps taken on that cold, rainy day might well be regarded as a “rare treasure” with the passage of time.
Travel to the Kōshin region is at the mercy of the weather. I recall being told this by a senior colleague during a business trip in my second year of employment. On that occasion, heavy rain fell on the final day, warnings were issued, and we spent some time waiting within Nagano Station for the national railways to resume service.
I thought the mountainous terrain meant frequent rain, but it never occurred to me that this very abundance of rain nurtured this verdant landscape.
Will I return here seeking photographs on a clear day?
I did imagine a phantom blue sky, but it is probably not a sky of this lifetime.
南アルプス甲斐駒ヶ岳の麓に位置する白州蒸溜所。「森の蒸留所」という異名のとおり、広大な森の緑の中。施設から施設への移動のためにマイクロバスが用意された場所も。天候さえ良ければ、その緑を背景にして３時間弱の撮影をするつもりだった。
しかし、終日の雨。霧雨の中で撮影した数枚のスナップが残った。
２か月半も前の予約申し込みだから、天気は運に任せる他はない。それでも、前後どちらか一日ずれていたら＿と詮無い思いを抱えてカメラを弄んでいた。
冷たい雨の日に残した数枚のスナップは、日にちを経れば「奇貨」と見做せるのだろう。
甲信地方への旅は天候に左右される。勤め始めて２年目の出張の際、先輩から、そう聞かされたのを思い出す。そのときは最終日に大雨が降り、警報が発令され、国鉄の運行再開を待って暫し長野駅構内で過ごした。
山間の地だから、雨が多いのだと思いはしたが、その雨の多さが、この緑を育んでいることまで、考えは及ばなかった。
晴れの日の撮影を求めて、またここへ来るだろうか。
幻の青空を思い描きはしたが、それは多分、今生の空では無い。
Bluesky
https://bsky.app/profile/kei-suenobu.bsky.social/post/3m4okduprrs2l
The music used for the slides was
Alumo
Theme of Success
SoundCloud
