Shizugadake Service Area

　　We arrived in Osaka at 6:00 in the morning. After breakfast on the ferry, I left for Eiheiji Temple, one of the most famous temples in Japan which was located on our route. Just when we got  off the ferry, I found that the navigation system was upset, and it was funny. It was just like the system looked like a live person. I knew the reason why the system didn't work. I inputted today's drive plan into my car navigation system last night when we had started. That meant, the car was transported with its engine stopped. If you place yourself in the system's position, it must have recognized that the car had moved 200 km in a second. Anyway, it was no use if I'd have left it. I re-inputted the destination in the system.
　　To the engineers' credit, the system worked perfectly after that as I had expected. We smoothly went up north on the highway and took a short rest at the Shizugadake Service Area, which is at the northern end of Japan's biggest lake, Biwako. The term "Service Area" might be a Japanese-made English word and let me add a remark about it. The Japanese highways are all toll roads. If you leave the highway, you are charged the toll fare. So, various kinds of services are offered to users of the highways. Restaurants, hotels, shower rooms, dog runs, gas stations and so on. These services are available in the service areas.
　　When we dropped in at this service area, the maintenance of the street lights was under way. I'd never seen it and was watching how things went on for more than five minutes. When I got back to our car, my wife laughed at me, saying that several people were watching me while I was looking up at the work.
　　One more thing, Shizugadake is one of the famous historic battlefields, which I have been eager to visit, but I'd never done it until now. Everytime I passed here by train in the second picture, I wished I had come here by car. This time, however, I came here by car, but we didn't have enough time to get off the highway and walk around the ancient battlefield. I could just take pictures pointing toward the historic site. I'll visit there next time.

(Vocabulary)
place oneself in sb's position  （人）の身になってみる
to someone's credit （人）の名誉のために言っておくと
point [他] （銃・カメラなど）を向ける／《[自]常に＋[副]/[前]》(銃・カメラなどが) 向けられる
point a gun/knife/weapon at sb　銃［ナイフ，武器］を＜人＞に向ける
The man pointed the gun at him and told him to keep still.　男は彼に銃を向け，じっとしてろと言った．
point at sb/sth　 ＜…＞に向けられる
When he woke, a gun was pointing at his head.　彼が目を覚ますと，頭に銃が向けられていた．

(Vocabulary from comments)
funnel  じょうご／(機関車・汽船などの) 煙突
《[他]常に＋[副]/[前]》 (じょうごを使って) 〈液体など〉 を注ぐ
《[自]常に＋[副]/[前]》 (狭い場所を) 通り抜ける
《[他]常に＋[副]/[前]》 (狭い場所に) 〈大勢の人・たくさんの物など〉 を通す
ambush　待ち伏せ（攻撃）／…を待ち伏せ攻撃する
archer 　弓の射手, 弓術家

 

Comments

[KUMO]

Hi, Shiroi_Tora

　　"Dake" of "Shizugadake" is the word that means high mountains like Yarigadake, Hodakadake and Miyanouradake. Ordinary Japanese recall high mountains of more than 2000 meters from the word "dake". So, I was surprised to see the battle area for the first time. The height of the hill was at most 100 meters.
　　Anyway, I always feel some difficulty for explaining Japan's original items, but I'll continue to try it. By the way, "funnel" was nice. I didn't know the verbal usage of "funnel". It's a best word for explaining the situation. Thanks!

[Shiroi Tora]

Another very interesting article. I could see how (in the second photo) the terrain would be a battle field of old. It has the makings of an ambush from the hillside. The opposing troops would have been funneled in the valley and could have been attacked from both sides. I know nothing of this battle, or battle site other than what is in the photo...but ambushing archers could easily have rained down arrows from the relative safety of the hillside.

I am looking forward to reading more of your adventures while on vacation.

[Peter]

SERVICE AREA is the correct term in English. (peter)