Rie Hiramatsu

To Nobeyama Radio Observatory. The cool mountain air was perfect, and we had booked a night tour to observe the stars through the radio telescopes, so during the day we went hiking nearby.

Unfortunately, the long-awaited guided tour was cancelled because of bad weather. No stars visible ☁️
It is notoriously (?) difficult to get a reservation, so I was genuinely disappointed. I guess there is nothing to do but try again and have my revenge another time.

Still, since we had come all the way to Nobeyama, we visited the radio telescopes the next morning. And honestly, that turned out to be wonderful in itself.

For the first time in almost 30 years, I came home and rewatched . Having stood in front of real radio telescopes only hours earlier made the film feel incredibly immersive.

I also noticed the quiet tribute to Sagan. Embarrassingly, I had not known he was such a famous astronomer in the search for extraterrestrial intelligence, nor that he had been so deeply involved in making the film but passed away before seeing it completed.

Apparently, he disliked the kind of “ridiculous fantasy” often found in sci-fi films, and continued advising the production staff almost until his death so that the astronomy, physics, and radio telescope scenes would stay faithful to real science.

It reminded me again what a good film it is. And now I understand why the observatory site in the movie looked so much like Nobeyama.

Right then… perhaps tonight is the night for Interstellar.


:

In full bloom 🌸🌸🌸

Today I visited the evening illumination event at Temple in Kyoto.

Before that, I took a peaceful walk along the ’s Path. Along the way, I happened to find a small hidden tea room and stopped in for a quiet moment. I also visited Temple. It was absolutely wonderful. It was much larger than I expected, and stepping inside felt like entering another world.

The illumination at Toji Temple was, of course, breathtaking. I am glad I decided to take the train from Kyoto Station. The ticket said it was within walking distance, but the cold returned today. It was so chilly that my hands went numb, and there was even a little sleet. Fortunately, the sky was mostly clear otherwise.

What made the day even more special were the small, warm exchanges along the way. I shared a friendly smile with the café owner, had a lighthearted moment with the manager at the tea room, and enjoyed a kind interaction with the staff at Eikando. Those small moments created a peaceful and gentle atmosphere.

I was also surprised by a moment of synchronicity that echoed something I had written in my journal yesterday.

Life opens through encounters. Encounters with people, with places, with trees and flowers, and even with food.

It was a day full of quiet blessings.
Thank you.

hesitated at first, but I ended up buying the booklet as both a souvenir and something to keep for future reference. At a glance, it looked like all the text was only in Japanese, but I soon realised that some of the text was also in English. It feels useful to keep, especially since there may be assignments in this field or in related areas.

I went to the Deep Space Exhibition today. It was almost over, so I made it just in time, but I’m really glad I went.
I actually went to the wrong place at first, haha. I thought it was at the Toyota Automobile Museum, but it turned out to be the Toyota City Museum instead. One of those little mishaps that will probably become a good memory someday.

I realised how little I knew about Japan’s current space exploration efforts, so it was great to learn more about them. And with humans heading back to the Moon again next year, I feel even more interested in following what’s happening in space.

And the ALMA telescope is just incredible. I would love to see it in person someday.

This Christmas, I’m spending time with a long-awaited dear friend.
A white Christmas in America, just like in the song lyrics. It truly feels like the Christmas I once dreamed of. Her family here is warm and welcoming, and it has been a wonderfully traditional Christmas, complete with an open fire. I really couldn’t ask for more.

Grateful for such a surprise treat by the organiser 🇹🇭 Cruise dinner - fab!

Saw 『国宝』 again yesterday with some friends — my second time!
Noticed totally different things this time, which made it even more interesting.

Started listening to the original story on Audible as soon as I got home (narrated by Kikugorō Onoe — so good!).
And today I watched Rokujō no Miyasudokoro（『六条御息所』）from the Cinema Kabuki series, with Tamasaburō Bandō and Somegorō Ichikawa as Genji.

If you know the story of Genji, you’ll enjoy it even without an explanation app.
Beautifully filmed, and Tamasaburō’s commentary is a real treat. Highly recommend! 🌸

Finally, summer is over and the weather is cool enough to run again.
It feels unreal after this 3–4 month hiatus.

My knees were like, “Hey! Don’t just start running out of nowhere!” so I kept it light today.

Still, it felt so good. Almost like my body was saying “thank you” for moving.

And the foam roller afterwards… feels good but hurts 😂

The castle-like building beyond the trees isn’t the castle. It’s the new hotel built right across from the castle 🤣

#名城公園 #彼岸花

Looks like I went to the Expo, right? But nope — it was just a quick day trip to Osaka for interpreting work. I’m really not good with crowds… especially when it’s super packed with people.

Though it rained every day on this trip, it was magical to see the misty, mystic landscapes. I’m glad I came, and of course, I had to finish it off with 信州そば. 🌿🍜✨