#jirosugi

Jiro-sugi Cedar Tree・次郎杉

While traveling to a client’s property in central Ibaraki Prefecture, with Typhoon Jangmi (Typhoon No. 6) approaching the Kanto Plain, I stopped at Osugi-jinja (大杉神社), a Shinto shrine in the small city of Inashiki.

Near the parking lot, where heavy rain had already formed large pools of water, I was pleasantly surprised to discover the towering Jiro-sugi, a Japanese cedar (Cryptomeria japonica) said to reach approximately 40 meters (131 feet) into the sky.

I would not normally recommend heading out for a dawn photo shoot as a typhoon approaches. However, rain can deepen the colors of shrine buildings, particularly structures painted in vermilion, while wet stone, wood, and foliage take on a richer appearance.

Under the dim, overcast morning sky, I hoped to capture something atmospheric and moody. The rain certainly helped, but it also left its mark on the photograph, with several large droplets visible across the lens.

Location: Inashiki, Ibaraki Pref., Japan

Timestamp: 2026/06/03・06:08

Pentax K-1 II + Irix 15mm f/2.4 Blackstone

15 mm ISO 100 for 0.8 sec. at ƒ/14