Follow the river's bends into the distance Take in the green marsh and evening light at Hosooka Observatory in July

On a July evening, I stood by the log railing at Hosooka Observatory. Trees crowded the slope below, but beyond them the view suddenly opened up. The green marsh stretched into the distance, flatter than I'd imagined. ‘Where's the river?’ I wondered, then spotted water glinting off to the right. After walking over from the car park, I stopped to take a long look at the river's bend.

As I followed the Kushiro River with my eyes, it stretched off to one side, then changed direction again. It disappeared behind the trees, only to show up a little farther on, and I loved trying to spot where it went next. I usually reach for a map to see where a road goes next, but here I was tracing the river instead. Even standing in one spot, I kept finding another bend to look at.

I took a bite of the soft serve I'd picked up at the Hosooka Visitors' Lounge beside the observatory. Cold, and just right after the walk. Holding the cone in both hands, I found myself gazing at the soft serve again. I was wearing a pale green blouse with a cardigan over it, and the evening breeze felt lovely. A snack with a view over the marsh makes me want to slow right down and savor it.

The railing's shadow stretched across the stone paving at my feet. The sky was still blue, and the marsh grass bright green, but the light coming in from the side was softer than at midday. Each time I took a bite of soft serve and looked up, the river seemed to catch the light a little differently. Before trying to fit it into a photo, I wanted to take in the full sweep with my own eyes.

Hosooka is known for its sunset views, but I also fell for this green expanse before sunset. Even after finishing my cone, I stayed by the railing a little longer. I'd planned to head straight to my next stop, but I wanted to watch the light change just a bit more. The longer I followed the river's bends with my eyes, the less rushed I felt.