The Flickr 日田市 Image Generatr

The fluttering of the kiri-gami (lightning zig-zag cut paper strips) is a reminder of moving forces not to be seen directly, but only in the reaction of the things they touch. Many visitors come to make their prayer, possibly to rest long enough to admire the space, but then they return to their routines away from the shrine. Few seem to linger very long or to dwell on the abiding presence of the local gods (Kami) declared as designated objects of worship.

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進撃の巨人

Cement and steel fill much of the city space, but now and then several colors intersect and the view is pleasing.

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This tune is daily at lunchtime, but there is another one at 5 p.m. when many people finish their workday. Perhaps there was a time when few people wore a watch or hand another way to tell the time. So hearing the noon or 5 p.m. music was a simple way to synchronized everyone's sense of time each day. But in 2024 it seems like almost everyone above the age of 7 or 8 carries a cellphone, most of them not simple voice telecommunication devices, but instead in the Smartphone category of portable computing device, most of them involving monthly subscription payments for voice and data service plans.

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Perhaps it is scaled to fit the pole's diameter, or maybe the smaller than life-size is meant to minimize feelings of intimidation when drivers see an authority figure hiding his or her eyes like this. In any case the wide, straight road may give drivers the urge to go faster than smaller, curving streets. Whatever the reason may be, this sight is uncommon.

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Employment office of the Hita City social services is reaching out to unemployed people over the age, perhaps, of 50 or 55, since the national pensions normally begin at 65.

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Why there should be a wheelchair for patrons is unclear. It seems like anyone using a chair like this would bring their own. So the only people to need a loaner wheelchair might be someone feeling unwell who arrived on foot, but now requires wheeled assistance.

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In the same city as the school is an academy from the late 1700s that operated for a couple of generations to stimulate ideas and inventions to benefit the larger society. That historical location is preserved for visitors to reflect upon: 咸宜園 (Kangi-en). This place for young learners takes its name from that earlier institution of higher education.

The photo shows part of the buildings and playing field. But the lower right corner also displays a warning about being recorded for security purposes.

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Usually something historical is visualized in physical form: a castle, an ancient candlestick, or prehistoric cave markings. But oral tradition (poem, teachings, ritual), and performing art also can make an unbroken thread with the past, too. The wall poster shows this town's giant float and the costumed, non-professional performers together. The parade combines old equipment and new generations of participants. So this example has both the ongoing, "living" dimension as well as the "artistic object" dimension.

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On the bumpy surface of the wall the incoming light is reflected back to the camera lens incrementally so that the light level in the foreground is much brighter that in the innermost part of the wall. That is not surprising, but what is particularly beautiful is what happens between the building's front edge and back edge: the light level fades imperceptibly.

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The nonverbal communication of temple fronts is impressive. Even without reading any text something valuable is felt by people arriving there. The massive stone pillar speaks of longevity and durability, the soaring gate speaks of ambition and things larger than one person's presence, the flourishing landscaping indicates vitality, and the quietness suggests concentration and calmness.

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Most product purchases involve a wrapper or container, and often there is a bag to put everything into, unless the person supplies her or his own. As a result, if not stripping off the exterior packaging at the point of sale (cash register or bagging area), then the person must take it home or watch for a rare public trash can to make use of.

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JR Hita is to the left of this view. The bright east sky is shining along the right side of this video clip as commuters drive in to the downtown district of Hita to begin their workday.

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Almost 30 years ago this highly decorated wheeled float was nationally designated as an important intangible cultural resource (bunkazai), so that means less the physicality of the object and more the care, creation, and uses by the participants who parade through the neighborhoods year after year.

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The east sides of the buildings are bright with the morning light reaching under the rain clouds to illuminate the coming day. The ring of mountains in the distance is similar in size to the other mountains that complete the circle around the city.

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The plastic lens and accompanying sensor software on the toy camera is both a strength and a weakness. It does not record fine detail and instead captures only the main shapes, colors, and masses of shadow and light in the scene. This means that the viewing experience is less vivid than pictures made with more expensive gear. At the same time, the absence of rich detail means that the viewer has to invest more energy in understanding and knowing what is being shown. As a result the viewer sometimes can feel more intimately interested in the meaning of the scene.

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This morning light today is dull, but the overall representation of the streetscape does capture some basic elements of scale, color, and rooflines. As a result, viewers can form an impression of the neighborhood at this limited, surface level.

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On this wet morning a city bus waits for its scheduled pick up time before moving to the front of the building where passengers board.

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About 10 minutes ahead is the Hita City Hall and beyond that the police headquarters with the library across the street beyond that. This view shows an evening eatery or drinking place that is shuttered in the morning hours, but which lends bright blue and vivid red to the composition.

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With so many tragedies around the world and smaller ones at the local or household level, it is hard to remember which one it being acknowledged in front of the Hita City Library on this morning. The building itself is closed for a week of shelf-reading: all staff working through the shelves to make sure the sequence of book classification are in correct order. Sometimes there is an error just one book away. But other times a book has been missing from the system and not left the building. This comprehensive annual quality control often captures wayward books far from their home shelf.

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