A small hidden waterfall at the Lake Tsukigase, Nara City, Japan.
Water from the deep forest flows down into the lake. This waterfall is called “Ryuo no Taki = The waterfall of Dragon King”. It has a legend. This waterfall was found about 1300 years ago by En no Ozunu who is called “En no Gyouja”, also. He is the founder of Shugendo. And this place used as a place for training.
Shugendo is the Japanese mountain asceticism-shamanism incorporating Shinto and Buddhist concepts.
Cherry blossoms (Sakura) are the symbol of spring in Japan- In Japan, April is the month starting a new life. From the kindergarten or primary school to university are starting in April. Business life also.
The end of March to early April, Cherry blossoms are blooming everywhere in Japan. Parks in cities, Roadsides, mountains … From the flowers begin blooming to the flowers disperse, about one week, festivals to see cherry blossoms are held in various parts of Japan. A spring festival where you can sing, dance, drink and eat, and enjoy the beauty of Sakura.
This year was no ordinary spring scenery. No festival was held this year to avoiding the danger of COVID-19. However, the flowers are beautiful even this sad situation.
The sunny day of the scenery from under the sea is especially great. The bright sun ball can be seen on the surface at distance. Colorful soft corals are emphasized in the contrast of the deep blue water and white sunbeam. What a wonderful space it is! at Owase, Mie, Japan
I like the shallows. You can observe creatures for a long time in the warm sunshine. This is the bay entrance of Shirasama-beach point. It is a place where you can enjoy rocky, sandy, silt and various environments.
“The edge of the sea is a strange and beautiful place.” -Rachel Carson
“There is something infinitely healing in the repeated refrains of nature-the assurance that dawn comes after night, and spring after winter.”
― Rachel Carson, The Sense of Wonder
Stay safe, every buddy.
Whip coral garden at Nagase point, Owase, Mie, Japan.
This is an inner bay point, but the tide is often fast. So, we can enjoy many kinds of soft coral. I like the whip coral garden. Whip coral is an invertebrate with long, whip-like branches covered in tiny polyps. are living on a big rock. The scenery a lot of the whip coral standing in the dim sea bed is very mysterious. Owase, Mie, Japan March 21 2020 -18m
soft corals, sea fans, feather stars…. a lot of invertebrates. -18m, 16.9℃
This is a small campsite where is along the Akame river.
This river is downstream of Akame 48waterfall.
This river around this campsite was broken by the flood at Typhoon over 10years ago. So that waterbed is artificial.
This artificial riverbed has been made fish road and the cave for Giant Salamander.
I’m planning a research river trip to find Giant Salamander in Summer.
When a diver illuminates up a gorgonian which looks like a large fan by his underwater flashlight, often, he may find out something reflecting in the light. Looking closely, he will see a very small shrimp staying on the branch. This is Hamodactylus noumeae( Commensal Shrimp). “Isobana-Kakure-Ebi” in Japanese.
They are very tiny shrimps, around 0.5cm. The purple body seen through a transparent exoskeleton is beautiful.
Body-color is depending on a host gorgonian color.
Moreover, most of the body is transparent, so it is hard to find.
They are also masters of camouflage and Ninja under the sea.
Do you know Kunoichi? Kunoichi means the Female Ninja. They are hiding, sometimes as a waitress, sometimes a teacher, sometimes as a wife, and performing spy activities. Kunoichi is an expert in camouflage.
Kunoichi is there in the sea also.
Elegant Squat Lobster, Allogalathea elegans (Adams & White, 1848) is one of them.
This pic is not brand new. Several years ago, I took this. Today, I was checking my photos, and I find this. She was hiding in a feather star with her eggs a long time.
Owase, Mie, Japan
This pic is not brand new. But my favorite.
This guy is very tiny. Under 5mm long. Always behind seaweed or rock for hiding. And moving quickly. So it is so hard finding it out.
Fortunately, the guide I was diving with was excellent. He has good eyes. And has the knowledge for this guy. Its favorite place or appearance time and so on.
This seahorse had not had the scientific name longtime from it was discovered. Japanese divers have been calling it Japapigu longtime. Japapigu is the shortens the name from Japanse pygmy seahorse. This name is spreading to the world through the internet, the scientific name is named after this colloquial Japanese name.
Inside an artificial reef: The stacked concrete blocks covered with colorful soft coral. It looks like a cave.
It built only about 20 years ago. The power of the ocean is excellent. Anything humanmade is reforming easy and makes returning to nature. at Hasama, Chiba, Japan
Everything about underwater and sky 