霧のおとわ池

大佐渡山脈の稜線に広がる高層湿原、乙和池。この日は梅雨の雲にすっぽりと包まれ、池は神秘的な静けさに満ちていました。水面には大きな浮島が浮かび、おとわという美しい娘と大蛇の伝説が語り継がれているのも納得できます。池の周囲はブナなどの樹林に囲まれ、霧が立ち込めることで、森閑とした雰囲気が一層際立ちます。

写真撮影のためだけでなく、乙和池を訪れるなら、やはり梅雨の時期がおすすめです。佐渡には「神秘」「孤絶」「最果て」といった、現代ではなかなか味わえない魅力が凝縮されています。金山が世界遺産に登録されたことで一時的に観光客が増えましたが、時が経てば再び静けさが戻るでしょう。観光地化されていない佐渡の本来の魅力を感じられる乙和池には、ふと足を運びたくなる瞬間があります。そんな時は、船旅の情緒を味わえるカーフェリーに乗って訪れたいものです。

Otowa Pond is a high-altitude marshland that stretches along the ridgeline of the Ogasawada Mountains. On this day, it was completely enveloped in rainy season clouds, and the pond was filled with a mysterious tranquility. Large floating islands floated on the surface of the water, and it was easy to understand why legends of a beautiful girl named Otowa and a giant snake are passed down here. The pond is surrounded by forests of beech trees and other species, and the fog that rises here further accentuates the quiet atmosphere of the forest.

While photography is a draw, visiting Otowa Pond during the rainy season is highly recommended. Sado Island is a place where the charm of “mystery,” “isolation,” and “remoteness”—qualities that are hard to find in modern times—are condensed. While the number of tourists temporarily increased after the gold mine was registered as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the tranquility will eventually return. Otowa Pond, which retains the original charm of Sado Island before it became a tourist destination, is a place you might suddenly feel like visiting. When that moment comes, it would be wonderful to take a car ferry and enjoy the ambiance of a boat trip.

PENTAX67 45mm

©️photo by Nakamura Osamu