22/10/2020 / Last updated : 22/10/2020 d.d Extra Edition-Okinawa

Ruined Shuri castle and izakaya 首里城

January 2020 Shuri Castle From the Naha airport, we take the monorail to Shuri Station and, after dropping our bags in a coin locker, walk to the famous castle. On the way we have a Family Mart. Picnic in a small park by a pond with many demanding ducks, snapping turtles, a mongoose? And a cat. It is hot, in January, much hotter than we expected but when we get to the castle hill there is a pleasant breeze. Even though it is not really tourist season and the main building recently burnt down, there are a surprising number of people at the castle but not crowded by any means. […]

16/09/2020 / Last updated : 16/09/2020 d.d Drive Kansai Area

Yagyu Kaido Takisaka-no-michi　柳生街道　滝坂の道

November 2nd. Bus to Enjoji-temple We leave Resti Karaki Kagi early. We have to catch a bus to Ishiuchi from in front of Nara Kintetsu station at 9.15. This bus will take us to Ninnikusan bus stop. A fare of 660 yen. This stop is next to Enjoji Temple which has a splendid garden, a pond and a very famous statue by Unkei. On this occasion, we do not visit the temple but cross the road in front of it and take the Yagyu Kaido Takisaka no Michi back to Nara where we have parked the car. This is a walk of about 12 kilometres. At this point the path […]

07/09/2020 / Last updated : 07/09/2020 d.d Drive Kansai Area

Onaruto Bridge to Horyuji　大鳴門橋、法隆寺

November 1st. Hina no Sato Katsuura michi no eki A very quiet night at Hina no Sato Katsuura michi no eki. Ours was the only vehicle in a very large car park and the road, after the evening rush, was largely devoid of traffic. The facilities are reasonable but during the morning busy period prove to be rather too small. This is because the adjoining JA vegetable market is very popular. This area of Shikoku we have explored on previous trips, so after filling up with fuel, (for some reason I cannot fathom, Tokushima-ken has significantly cheaper fuel than most other places) we head out on the highway across Awaji-shima […]

30/08/2020 / Last updated : 30/08/2020 d.d Drive Shikoku Area

Befu gorge べふ峡

October 31st. Yasu michi no eki Yasu michi no eki is a little noisy, due to the piped music, until around 9 pm and the local youth use it as a gathering spot, but it calms down after 10. It is then quiet enough until the farmers start delivering produce around 6. Behind the michi no eki building is a beach with playgrounds for kids. There are also restaurants, so for shachuhaku it has up and downsides. In summer it must be far too busy. We start our day with a walk along the beach on a wooden boardwalk and realize this must be quite a popular place for families […]

18/08/2020 / Last updated : 24/08/2020 d.d Drive Shikoku Area

Yusuhara – Architectural wonders in the mountains – and Yasui Gorge 梼原、安居渓谷

October 30th. Yusuhara michi no eki Yusuhara michi no eki , against expectations, transpires to be a good shachuhaku spot. The upper part of the onsen car park, just below the hotel, is quiet and dark and not really so far from the toilet. A good night, with a very beautiful, starry sky. The stars are one of the pluses of getting up in the night. No, there aren’t any others. Yusuhara Town In the morning, we drop down the hill into Yusuhara town to look around. Yusuhara is an interesting place due to the number of unusual buildings designed by Kuma Kengo, of Tokyo Olympic Stadium fame. In addition […]

06/08/2020 / Last updated : 24/08/2020 d.d Drive Shikoku Area

Uchiko and Shikoku Karst 内子、四国カルスト

October 29th. Tenku no sato Sansan and Uchiko Fresh Park Karari michi no eki Tenku no sato Sansan michi no eki is a good place to stay. It is not the first time for us to stay here so it holds up on a second visit. This, despite the torrential rain all night that remains solid in the morning. There is extremely heavy, low cloud all around. Absolutely no chance of climbing Mt. Ishizuchi today, though the weather is forecast to clear by the afternoon. We set off for Uchiko, a town with a preserved historical district. On arrival, we park at Uchiko Fresh Park Karari michi no eki. This […]

30/07/2020 / Last updated : 24/08/2020 d.d Drive Shikoku Area

The UFO Line-scenic drivecourse　　UFOライン

October 28th. Beppu-wan SA Woke in Beppu-wan SA (Oita-do highway) after a cold and very windy night, and a drive from Fukuoka. This service area is on the top of the hill overlooking Beppu near the APU campus. I once met an APU student, from Singapore, whose first words in Japanese were “Kaze ga tsuyoi desu ne” The wind is strong, isn’t it? If you spend time around APU you will understand this. Nevertheless, from a shachuhaku point of view Beppu-wan SA is a good place to stay,. It is busy early on a Sunday night but ultimately quiet. There is a viewing mound, or grassy knoll, with a view […]

03/06/2020 / Last updated : 13/09/2020 d.d Drive Kansai Area

Sasayama Castle and Okutsu Onsen　篠山城、奥津温泉

June 16th. Kyotamba Ajimu no Sato Kyotamba Ajimu no Sato is an excellent place for shachuhaku. It is one of those two faced affairs. One side is the michi no eki and the other a SA on the highway. Being perched on a hill, there are good views of the sunset. After 8 pm there is only one, multi-purpose toilet. As we were the only people staying overnight, it was a personal bathroom. Once the michi no eki becomes popular, and it is very new, this could be a problem. The access to the main restrooms on the SA side is open from 7 am so not a big deal. […]