Historic Villages of Shirakawa-gō 2024

A captivating journey to the Historic Villages of Shirakawa-gō and Gokayama, UNESCO World Heritage Sites nestled in Japan's Shogawa river valley. These three mountain villages, spanning 68 hectares across Gifu and Toyama Prefectures in central Japan, preserve a unique cultural landscape. During our overnight stay, we witnessed the transition between autumn's vibrant colors and winter's serene snowscape. The remote setting and traditional gassho-style farmhouses created an atmosphere of exceptional tranquility, offering a glimpse into Japan's rich rural heritage.

About the music:
The song "Passenger of the Rain" ("Le Passager De La Pluie") was composed by Francis Lai with English lyrics written by Peter Callander. The song was featured in the 1970 French thriller film "Le Passager de la pluie" (Rider on the Rain), directed by René Clément and starring Charles Bronson and Marlène Jobert.

Francis Lai (1932-2018) was a renowned French composer known for many film scores including "A Man and a Woman" (1966) and "Love Story" (1970), for which he won an Academy Award. The original French film title "Le Passager de la pluie" directly translates to "The Passenger of the Rain."
The song captures the melancholic and romantic themes of the film, with lyrics describing a memorable encounter in the rain and the longing that follows. The English lyrics by Peter Callander transformed the mood of the original film score into a poignant love song about meeting someone too late and the bittersweet memory of that encounter.

The haunting melody and emotional lyrics made the song particularly memorable, though it's less well-known than some of Lai's other works like the "Love Story" theme. The song exemplifies the style of romantic film themes from the late 1960s and early 1970s, combining elements of French musical sensibility with English-language pop songwriting.

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