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8k Slideshow(for Quest2/3)
Sayama Pond is Japan’s oldest reservoir, constructed in the early 7th century. Its embankment was built using the shiki-ha (leaf-layering) method, a civil engineering technique introduced from the Korean Peninsula. Even before such engineering arrived, elements like Japanese grammar, kanji, pathogens, and iron likely made their way over from the mainland; this region must have been quite cosmopolitan in ancient times. Coincidentally, the modern-day Sayama Pond is also very international, drawing many foreign tourists. While there is an exclusionary trend in Japan today—with some people resenting the influx of foreign visitors (often referred to as “inbound” in Japan)—I personally find the presence of foreigners quite comfortable, perhaps because I attended a university with a very high number of international students.
The museum located next to Sayama Pond is a signature Tadao Ando structure, characterized by its exposed concrete. I actually like the “ruin-like” feel the concrete has taken on as it has darkened and weathered over the years. It no longer carries the opulence of the bubble era or the functional beauty of modernism, but that is exactly what makes it good. I took some VR180 photos of the museum’s interior, but because I set the distance between the two cameras (IPD or stereo base) a bit too wide, they are somewhat difficult to view. It might be better to invest in circular fisheye lenses and mount the cameras base-to-base; although the resolution would drop to 8K, it would produce VR180 photos that are much easier on the eyes, even when shot indoors.
Music: Seijyakuno Hoshizora
By Music Atelier Amacha
https://amachamusic.chagasi.com/