29/10/2018 / Last updated : 29/01/2023 d.d Scenic Drive / Spots

Sabo Culture park, Lake Tazawa　田沢湖サボーカルチャーパーク

Summer 2018, Another day of mice and men. We planned to climb Akita Komagatake, well the easy bits, as the weather forecast was good for the afternoon. The overnight rain, supposedly, clearing by lunchtime. To find some slightly cheaper fuel, we drove to the outskirts of Morioka to fill up the car and to buy food for the climb and dinner. Finally reaching ‘Alpa Komakusa‘ the foothills around lunchtime, it is still raining on and off and the TV screens, showing weather conditions on the mountain, are a grey blur. Having no rain gear we postpone our ascent to the morrow. Sabo Culture Park In the sunny spells, which are […]

26/10/2018 / Last updated : 29/01/2023 d.d Scenic Drive / Spots

Michi-no-eki Futatsui and Lake Tazawa　田沢湖

Summer 2018, Juniko lakes (twelve lakes) are our destination for the day but when we arrive we are not impressed. So underwhelmed, in fact, that we circle the car park and leave. Michi-no-eki Futatsui Lunchtime finds us at Futatsui on route 7. This is a re-new michi-no-eki, open only about three weeks at this point. It is a very large affair, masses of parking and a good deal of open space around. The building itself is rather grand with a high timber roof of intricate rafters. The restaurant serves the usual suspects but is reasonably priced. The Yoneshirogawa (Yoneshiro River) flows behind it and there is a flight of broad steps […]

12/10/2018 / Last updated : 08/02/2023 d.d Scenic Drive / Spots

Mt. Chokai　鳥海山

Day 50、October 2016, A lot of fast moving cloud this breezy morning but the sun breaks through now and again. The top of the mountain is in cloud and white horses crest the Nihonkai(Japan sea). The temperature is about 11°C but the wind is cold. It is well before 8am but 3 or 4 hardy Pokémon hunters are already absorbed at michi-no-eki Kisakata. Chokai Blue Line Finally we leave, and meander through the inland islands which we have to admit are not up to much when driven through. After picking up lunch supplies at a Max Value we head up Mt.Chokai. This is a drive from sea level to over […]

02/10/2018 / Last updated : 29/01/2023 d.d Scenic Drive / Spots

Aomori festival road trip 2018, Getting There.

Planning to attend the Aomori Summer festivals on a month long road trip but concerned about summer heat when sleeping in our vehicle. We take the highways to minimize the nights in hot southern prefectures. Also choose the route and overnight stops to keep to the higher elevations. Fukuoka – Yoshiwa SA (Chugoku highway) Kyushu highway – Chugoku highway 256.7km As a typhoon is sweeping down the length of Japan, unusually from Kanto to Kyushu, we delay our departure for Aomori by one day. Finally we leave around 8pm, when the remnants of the typhoon […]

26/09/2018 / Last updated : 07/02/2023 d.d Scenic Drive / Spots

Driving the Iwate coastline through tsunami devastation

Day47, October 2016, Kyukamura Rikuchu-Miyako A bright morning and I move the car into the sunshine; open all the doors to give it an airing. We eat breakfast outside, in the sun, exciting the crows and a grey and white tom cat that lurks, awaiting an opportunity. Having slept till almost eight, the morning is quite advanced when we leave and drive the short distance from Kyukamura Rikuchu-Miyako to view a blow hole. Unfortunately, the tide is low and the sea rather calm so the blow-hole, is not impressive. The walk through the woods is pleasant though and the coast, of course, wonderful. Miyako　宮古 As D. wants to visit the […]

20/09/2018 / Last updated : 07/02/2023 d.d Scenic Drive / Spots

Sanriku -Tsunami devastation -Kitayamazaki viewpoint　三陸

Day 46, October 2016, A noisy morning as shachuhaku(sleep in a car) people are early risers and the Sunday drivers are making an early start at michi no eki Shizukuishi Anekko. The takoyaki stall holders are setting up preparing for a busy day as we leave the michi-no-eki (road station), heading for the Iwate, Sanriku coast. Not taking the highway apparently only adds 20 minutes to the drive, so we opt for that. This turns out to be not particularly spectacular after the scenery we have become accustomed to. At one point, I feel I could be driving through Germany or Austria just the buildings are not so cute. Sanriku […]

18/09/2018 / Last updated : 07/02/2023 d.d Scenic Drive / Spots

Goshogake onsen and Hachimantai　後生掛温泉、八幡平

Day 45, October 2016, A grey start to the day but not so cold and no frost though the stars were visible in the night. We breakfast on coffee and toast and apples prepared in the office basement of Goshogake campsite and are enjoying this in the dining room when people start arriving for an event starting at 9. They are apologetic when we leave but breakfast is over anyway. The Akita apples ’Kita Kurenai’ are very good. We walk around the pond ‘Onuma’ which is part of the campsite. The usual raised wooden walkway carries you over the swamp and it is all very pretty but no sign of […]

15/09/2018 / Last updated : 07/02/2023 d.d Scenic Drive / Spots

Mt. Iwate, Yakehashiri lava field　焼け走り溶岩流

Day 44, October 2016, It’s a bitter cold morning with a biting wind as we wait at the michi no eki ‘Ikarigaseki‘ to buy apples and walnuts. As the road ‘Hachimantai Aspite line‘, that we had planned to take to Hachimantai, is closed due to sudden cold, we need to think again. On impulse, we decide to check the campsite we plan to stay at. The vast auto camp with chalets and a tent area is very much deserted. No one in evidence and the toilets locked, though the place is advertised as open. Yakehashiri lava field Near this deserted campsite, on one side of Mt. Iwate, we walk the […]