山の斜面に、青空のかけらを並べたような景色。新潟県の星峠の棚田です。水を張った田んぼが空を映して、一枚一枚、小さな鏡のように見えます。丸みのあるもの、細長いもの。同じ形はなくて、その間を縫うように続く道にも目が向きます。手前には白い穂を広げたススキ。その向こうには、黄色や茶色に色づいた木々と、濃い緑の林。秋の色に囲まれると、水面の青さがいっそう引き立ちます。大きく広がる空と、地形に沿って重なる小さな田んぼ。この二つが一枚に収まっているのが、この写真の好きなところ。遠くの山まで眺めてから、また棚田の青へ。写真の中でも、つい目が行ったり来たりします。 It looks as though pieces of blue sky have been scattered across the hillside. These are the Hoshitoge rice terraces in Niigata, Japan. The water-filled paddies reflect the sky, each one like a little mirror. Some are rounded, others long and narrow. No two shapes are quite the same, and the paths winding between them catch the eye, too. In the foreground, silver grass spreads its white plumes. Beyond it, trees in shades of yellow and brown mingle with deep green woodland. Surrounded by autumn colors, the blue reflections stand out even more. A wide-open sky above small paddies layered along the contours of the land. Having both in one frame is what I like about this photo. From the distant mountains, my eyes return to the blue of the terraces. Even in a photograph, they keep wandering back and forth. #NiigataTravel #japan #星峠の棚田#AutumnScenery #TravelPhotography - @traveller1110