15/09/2024 / Last updated : 15/09/2024 d.d Hokuriku region

Ichijodani Asakura Clan Ruins and Kumakawa juku　一乗谷朝倉氏遺跡、熊川宿

April 12th. 2024 Michi no eki Zen no Sato is ok for an overnight but not I imagine at weekends or high season. Ichijodani Asakura clan ruins Yesterday was geological time but today is more 17th Century Japan as we set off for Ichijodani Asakura clan ruins. This is a spot of great historical importance. The site was at one time an important town of some 10,000 inhabitants and the seat of the powerful Asakura warlords for 103 years from the mid 15th century. Though they was evidently not as powerful as Oda Nobunaga who laid the place to waste. All that remains are the foundation stones of numerous buildings […]

05/09/2024 / Last updated : 05/09/2024 d.d Hokuriku region

Dinosaur Day in Fukui　福井県勝山

April 11th. 2024 Michi no eki Katsuyama is a very practical spot for an overnight stay. The parking is flat and extensive. The facilities are very modern and clean and there are ample rubbish bins. Despite the dinosaur models, it is a characterless place, but it does have views of very distant, still snowy mountains. Fukui Prefectural Dinosaur Museum　福井県立恐竜博物館 We set off for the Fukui Prefectural Dinosaur Museum. This is an excellent spot for dinosaur enthusiasts of all ages and for anyone with a remote interest in how life on Earth evolved over millennia. The museum has changed since our first visit in 2017. It has clearly become more popular. […]

09/06/2022 / Last updated : 18/02/2023 d.d Hiking / Walking

Ohkouzu Diversion Channel – Cherry Blossom Road　大河津分水

12th April, 2022 Ohkouzu Diversion Channel Museum Today is a tribute to civil engineering, as we visit Ohkouzu Diversion channel Museum. The museum was commemorating the 100th. anniversary of a the massive civil engineering project. This was to cut a new course, or an alternative course, for the Shinanogawa river in order to prevent the severe flooding to which it was prone. This was obviously a mammoth project, and it is clear that work, major work, is still in progress one hundred years later. If you have a passing interest in major engineering projects, it is worth a look. If not perhaps give it a miss. I found it interesting […]

02/06/2022 / Last updated : 18/02/2023 d.d Hiking / Walking

Climbing Yahiko-san, a mountain of wild flowers 　弥彦山

11th. April, 2022 Michi no eki Kugami　道の駅国上 Michi no eki Kugami is an excellent place for an overnight stay. When we visited it was basically closed for renovation. Major building work was in progress. This explained the absence of light in the car park. The new building looked almost complete but there was no sign of work underway. The toilets were open and splendid they are. The fine mirrors are, apparently, metal, to reflect the predominant industry of these parts (Tsubamesanjo). This explains why the other michi no eki hereabouts all have displays of scissors, knives and garden shears. Yahiko-san　弥彦山 Our target today is Yahiko-san (Mt.Yahiko). A small mountain only […]

02/06/2022 / Last updated : 18/02/2023 d.d Scenic Drive / Spots

Fukushima-Gata, from a snow closed road to 27 degrees.　福島潟

April, 2022 Michi no eki Nou deserves mixed reviews. It is spacious with aforementioned artworks – some of which work well with the splendid sunset others are poorly positioned – but the toilet though functional is just not big enough for the traffic. Travelling on, up the coast road expecting something special but are disappointed. This area of coast is hyped as spectacular but is not that interesting. A day of driving to no great purpose. Michi no eki Atsumi We end the day at michi no eki Atsumi This is also on the coast and provides a suitable sunset. The facilities are much better than Michi no eki Nou, […]

26/05/2022 / Last updated : 18/02/2023 d.d Arts / Places of interest

Shogawa Mizukinen Park　　庄川水記念公園

8th. April, 2022 Elusive viewing point Leaving Kanazawa and heading north, our plan is to visit a viewing spot before traveling up the Japan Sea coast. Apparently, the viewing spot provides a birds eye view of the plains dotted with farmhouses each surrounded by its protective screen of trees (Sankyoson). These houses are a notable feature of the windswept plain between the Japan sea and the mountains of Teteyama. I cannot vouch for this as we failed to find it. Our navi. took us to two erroneous locations before we found the right spot but the after climbing past the now closed ski slopes the road ahead was closed until […]

26/05/2022 / Last updated : 18/02/2023 d.d Arts / Places of interest

Kanazawa Walk in cherry blossoms　金沢歩き

7th. April, 2022 Kenrokuen　　兼六園 A beautiful, fine morning as we walk a few hundred metres to Kenrokuen a large park in the city centre. It is adjacent to City hall and a large, modern art museum ‘Kanazawa 21century Museum’. Kenrokuen is one of three famous Japanese gardens (The other two are in Mito and Okayama), it was created in the Edo era by a Daimyo in Kaga. There is as a rule an entrance fee to Kenrokuen but, unusually, in cherry blossom season this fee is waived. There are various paths to follow, a couple ponds and blossoms everywhere. In a separate area there is a plum grove, but these […]

26/05/2022 / Last updated : 23/02/2023 d.d Temple / Shrine

Otsu to Kanazawa via Nata-dera　大津から金沢

6th. April 2022 This is a driving day as we head for Kanazawa. Crawling up the west bank of Lake Biwa becomes tedious, so we opt for the toll-free motorway. This is a better choice as it is faster, we have a long way to go, and the view is much superior. Instead of car-lots and derelict hotels you get lake and mountainscapes. At some point, we hit the coast and drive with a placid Nihonkai (Japan Sea) on our left and high vegetation covered cliffs and small fishing communities on our right. But we are losing time, so cut inland again to find Route 8. We want to visit […]