18/07/2023 / Last updated : 18/07/2023 d.d Temple / Shrine

Uji Byodo-in, Ten yen temple　　宇治平等院

April 19th. 2023 Michi no eki Resty Karako-Kagi Thunder in the night at Resty Karako-Kagi, but the actual downpour only lasted a few minutes. Resty, as I have said before is an excellent michi no eki for an overnight stay. Consequently, it is becoming known and popular. I think it would be very crowded – too crowded – on a three-day weekend for example. On a damp Wednesday night, there are perhaps 30 to 40 overnight vehicles, and the capacity is 75 cars. Uji Byodo-in, Ten Yen Temple Thunder in the night gives rise to a damp, foggy morning and the humid conditions persist all day. We set off to […]

15/07/2023 / Last updated : 15/07/2023 d.d Temple / Shrine

Nara/ Kyoto border Kasagidera and Dragon Shrines　笠置寺、龍穴神社

April18th. 2023 Kasagidera Temple From the michi no eki Minami Yamashina we drive to Kasagidera. A large temple not on the usual tourist itinerary, outside autumn leaves season anyway. The access to Kasagidera is up a somewhat daunting lane that ends in a car park for perhaps 20 cars. No one is collecting parking fees earlyish on a Tuesday morning in Spring. From the car park, there is a walk of perhaps 200 metres, past an unlikely ryokan to the first temple building. Here a gentleman accepts 300-yen temple entrance fee and another 300 for D.’s Goshuin. We are then free to wander the mountaintop circuit (about 800m) of temple […]

21/05/2023 / Last updated : 22/05/2023 d.d Temple / Shrine

Kimiidera, Negoro-ji and Kokawadera temples, Wakayama　紀三井寺

March 29th. Wednesday Onsen no Sato Kamiyama and ferry to Kii Peninsula Onsen no Sato Kamiyama belies first impressions and is a good spot for an overnight. We leave early, as we have a ferry to catch in Tokushima. But first, we stop in Kamiyama to admire and take some pictures of the fine cherry blossom display. The cherry blossom is everywhere along the road. Kamiyama provides free parking, but we are the only vehicle before 9 am on a Wednesday. It is a beautiful morning of bright sunshine. Good viewing weather, but very difficult to capture the delicate beauty of a cascade of blossom without the intrusions of the […]

08/03/2023 / Last updated : 18/03/2023 d.d Temple / Shrine

Asuka, temples and Cosmos flowers　　飛鳥

Oct. 24th. 25th. 2022, Michi no eki Kudoyama is very good with easy access to Koya san. This, of course, means it will be very busy at weekends. From the michi no eki, we set off for Nara and, prosaically, a coin laundry. Okadera temple In the afternoon we visit Okadera, founded about 1300 years ago. More recently, an enterprising person has set up a car park on the approach to the temple. When we arrive, we assume this is the temple car park, usually free, and are surprised to be charged 500 yen. Walking up to the temple proper, we see a notice informing us that the car park […]

04/03/2023 / Last updated : 18/03/2023 d.d Hiking / Walking

Odaigahara, to the edge of the abyss.　　大台ヶ原

Oct. 23rd. 2022, Kiho-Umigami Koen michi no eki Kiho-Umigami Koen is in most ways a good place to stay. There is a covered walkway which would be great on a rainy night, and it is flat with reasonable facilities. It was a little noisy on a Saturday night. It was also very warm for late October, and we were troubled by mosquitoes. The beach here is famous as a spot for Sea Turtles to lay eggs, as the name suggests. Odaigahara We leave the coast and head into the mountains again. This time to Odaigahara on the Odaigahara driveway. As we climb, approaching our destination, the view of mountains is […]

04/03/2023 / Last updated : 18/03/2023 d.d Temple / Shrine

Dorogawa Onsen, and the wild road to the demon coast　　洞川温泉

Oct. 22nd. 2022, Good night at michi no eki Resti Karako-kagi on the outskirts of Nara. The number of overnight vehicles seems to have increased since our last visit. On leaving, the first thing we do is fill up with fuel. Nara is significantly cheaper than Nagoya. Why should that be? Dorogawa Onsen Full tank, we set off into the mountains to Dorogawa onsen at Tenkawa-mura. This village is the gateway to Ominesan Temple. Well, gateway for males, women are forbidden to approach too close. The onsen village is crowded into a narrow valley so charging for parking is a local industry. We park at Ryusenji Temple, and D. collects a […]

10/07/2022 / Last updated : 18/02/2023 d.d Scenic Drive / Spots

Genbudo Geopark　玄武洞公園

20th. April 2022, The slope at michi no eki Kumihama did not present any problem. There were perhaps 7 other overnight vehicles in this small michi no eki which, I realize in the morning, has a distant view of the sea and a constant chorus of frogs. Despite my initial reservations it is a good place to spend the night. Genbudo Geopark Our first destination for the day is Genbudo Geopark. Here there are some basalt cave formations we want to view. As luck would have it, there is major construction work in progress and one of the main features is closed. The first major basalt cave is a magnificent […]

02/07/2022 / Last updated : 18/02/2023 d.d Hiking / Walking

Amanohashidate Walk to Kinosaki Onsen　天橋立、城崎温泉

19th. April 2022 Michi no eki Mikatagoko Michi no eki Mikatagoko is a good place to stay. There is a view of the lake and it is quiet away from the road. On the other hand, the toilet is too small given the popularity of the place and irrationally it has no bins for rubbish. Not even for drink cans and bottles though there are 3 vending machines. I thought this irresponsible. In the morning, we were disappointed to discover that the lakeside walking path does not extend very far at all. There are bird watching hides around the place but few bird at this time of year. Some of […]

Kansai region