22/01/2026 / Last updated : 22/01/2026 d.d Hiking / Walking

Jizo-numa and Nature hiking　　地蔵沼、山形県立自然博物園

Oct. 24th. 2025 Michi no eki Nishikawa　　道の駅西川 A cold night, 10 degrees this morning apparently. Michi no eki Nishikawa is busy as groups of school children are accosting everyone with a questionnaire about how to revitalize their nearby town. Rubbish bins would be my suggestion as there are none at this michi no eki, but the town is different. Bins for cans and pet bottles are tantalizingly visible inside the building. They are taken inside at night. (maybe a precaution due to bears) Iwanesawa-sanzan Shrine　　岩根沢三山神社 We set off for the nearby Iwanesawa-sanzan shrine. This we find is huge but in the late stages of disintegration. This shrine has burnt down […]

21/01/2026 / Last updated : 21/01/2026 d.d Tohoku region

Takkoku no Iwaya and Motsu-ji　達谷窟、毛越寺

Oct. 23rd. 2025 A cold night at michi no eki Genbikei, which provided a magnificent display of stars. Such an array I had not experienced for, perhaps, years. Genbikei Gorge　　厳美渓 From the michi no eki Genbikei, we walk for 10 minutes or so to Genbikei Gorge. This gorge is famous and on the tourist itinerary. Mainly because of a novel dango shop that dispenses its wares by way of a rope pulley system. The dango, soft rice balls, are delivered in a basket across the gorge. A gimmick I can do without, but I’m a miserable old sod. The gorge itself is rocky and steep-sided. It is not very long […]

18/01/2026 / Last updated : 20/01/2026 d.d Tohoku region

Sukawa Highland, Lake and Onsen　　須川高原

Oct. 22nd. 2025 The parking adjacent to the main road at michi no eki Misato was not really an issue, but we were woken at 6.00 am with a bear sighting announcement. Quite how near this sighting occurred we are unsure. This announcement is repeated at intervals until we get up on a cold, damp morning. Oyasu Gorge　　小安峡 Our aim for the day is Kirikoma Sanso an onsen hotel at Sukawa Kogen (highland). A famous onsen area. On our way, we stop at Oyasu Gorge. This is a small but impressive spectacle. The access is down numerous concrete steps then along a path deep in a narrow steep-sided gorge. A […]

07/01/2026 / Last updated : 07/01/2026 d.d Tohoku region

Tamagawa onsen　　玉川温泉

October 21st. 2025 Morning in Iwaki michi no eki　　道の駅岩城 Michi no eki Iwaki is not a bad place for an overnight stay. The toilets are spacious and reasonable, if a little the worse for wear. It is possible to park close to these facilities, lucky as it was a wet night. Rubbish bins are provided too. The main attraction is the onsen. Not fancy but large and functional, a good place for a bath after 3 night on the highway. ＊Minato no yu onsen ; 650 yen / adult Hachimantai Oonuma　　八幡平　大沼 We set off for Hachimantai. This proves to be another long drive but the weather is cold and wet […]

17/10/2025 / Last updated : 17/10/2025 d.d Temple / Shrine

Omihachiman, Kyorinbou　　近江八幡　教林坊

2025 june 1 Come the morning Oribe no sato Motosu springs to life. There is a queue waiting for the shop to open at 8.30am. This, we discover, is for a morning set breakfast for 500 yen. I suspect it is a good deal. So, despite the poor facilities, it is perhaps a good spot for an overnight stay after all. We leave, to take the long drive to Omihachiman by Lake Biwa. The morning broke bright and clear but by the time we are skirting Lake Biwa the opposite shore is wreathed in cloud and there is a stiff wind off the water. Omihachiman In Omihachiman, we met the […]

17/10/2025 / Last updated : 17/10/2025 d.d Hiking / Walking

Gandate Gorge, Hida Kosaka　　飛騨小坂巌立峡

May 31, 2025 A quiet, uneventful night at Hida Ahashi Mura. The morning is overcast with occasional very fine drizzle. We set off, heading west stopping at various michi no eki but our aim is Gandate Gorge in Hida Osaka. Gandate Gorge　　巌立峡 This area boasts 200 odd waterfalls and we plan to walk part of the gorge to view a few. We park at Gandate Koen. The parking is free here but there is a 300 yen charge to walk this section of the gorge. This is to cover maintenance and it is easy to see why. The gorge is precipitous and the rocky torrent in its base unpredictable so […]

09/10/2025 / Last updated : 09/10/2025 d.d Hiking / Walking

Mishakaike and Shirakoma no ike　　御射鹿池、白駒の池

May 29th. 2025 Mishaka-ike　　御射鹿池 Michi no eki Tateshina gave us a peaceful night and an overcast morning. Not unusually, we are the last to leave as we set off for Mishakaike. This is an artificial reservoir constructed for agricultural irrigation. The high acidity of the water discourages aquatic life but adds vivid colour to the surrounding vegetation. As a consequence, it has proved popular with Japanese artists and attracts a constant stream of photographers. It is the subject of a famous painting Green Echoes by Nihonga artist Higashiyama Kaii. It really is worth seeing, the lake I mean. On this our second visit, it is still hard to stop taking […]

09/10/2025 / Last updated : 09/10/2025 d.d Koshin and Tokai region

Tanukiko & Hottarakashi onsen　　田貫湖、ほったらかし温泉

May 28th. 2025 Michi no eki Narusawa Wake in michi no eki Narusawa after a wet night. The morning is bright and clear and Fujisan stark and majestic against a blue, blue sky. Beautiful, apart from the buildings, water tanks, cables and netting. Narusawa is ok for an overnight, but not I suspect at weekends. The toilets are reasonable though really, for such a large and popular spot, one has come to expect something a lot better. Wandering around we discover a large grassy expanse with children’s play areas and clear Fuji views that are already beginning to cloud over. Lake Tanuki　　田貫湖 We leave heading for Tanukiko. This lake promises […]