20/11/2022 / Last updated : 16/02/2023 d.d Hokkaido region

Ferry to Hokkaido and Lake Shikotsu

September ’22 Set off for a night drive on the Chugoku Expressway. What a wonderful road this is, winding and rolling through the countryside with rarely another vehicle in sight on either carriageway. Stopped for the night at Tsutsuga, a deserted parking area. Pristine Nexco toilets with decorative chilly plants and small green frogs on the walls and in the wash basins. Ferry to Hokkaido Next morning the drive continues to Tsuruga. The Shin Nihonkai ferry to Tomakomai in Hokkaido leaves at a few minutes to midnight. This ferry is really a freight ferry. There are an awful lot of trucks and passengers something of an afterthought. The boarding is […]

13/07/2022 / Last updated : 18/02/2023 d.d Hiking / Walking

Omijima to Akiyoshidai　青海島、秋吉台

April 2022, Michi no eki Senza Kitchen proves to be an OK place to stay. Even on a wet night the distance from the parking to the covered roofing is not so far. We leave and take a short drive to Omijima island. Omijima Omijima is very popular with scuba divers and when we arrive, in the 300-yen car park, there are various dive school groups preparing to take to the water. We are here to ramble along the Omijima nature coast path. This is an easy (approx. 3.5kilo) walk on a concrete path along the fabulous cliff tops. You can stop at the various viewing points to take stereotypical […]

13/07/2022 / Last updated : 18/02/2023 d.d Hiking / Walking

Tsuwano to Hagi　津和野、萩

April 2022, From michi no eki Goutsu we drive to Tsuwano. Even on a weekend, these Shimanae/Yamaguchi roads winding through mountains are an empty delight. Tsuwano Tsuwano, we wander without real enthusiasm. Years ago, I was impressed by this place with its whitewashed buildings and carp filled drains but now it just seems lifeless. Perhaps I am just jaded. We find ourselves eating a convenience store lunch a railway bridge close-by on our right. There is another person hanging around, whom we suspect to be a railway buff, waiting for a train to cross the perhaps Meiji era bridge. D. checks the timetable, but the next train is not due […]

13/07/2022 / Last updated : 18/02/2023 d.d Hiking / Walking

Cape Izumo-Hinomisaki　出雲日御碕

April 2022, Izumo-Hinomisaki Lighthouse　出雲日御碕灯台 The morning is bright and clear as we wander the beach at michi no eki Kirara Taki before taking the coast road up towards Izumo Taisha. Having visited this major shrine before we have no intention of going there again. We do make a second visit to Izumo Hino Misaki lighthouse on Cape Izumo-Hinomisaki. This place has been upgraded since we were last here. There are flashy new toilets in the car park. Already appropriated by enterprising swallows. The red rumped variety. There are helpful signposts and a new concrete footpath around the cape, past the lighthouse and down to the Hinomisaki shrine. The cape and […]

10/07/2022 / Last updated : 30/01/2023 d.d Hiking / Walking

Kurayoshi-White wall warehouse　倉吉

April 2022, The morning in Nishi Inaba Kirari is overcast with the sun trying to break through the clouds but it has abandoned the project by 9am. Kurayoshi We had planned to hike on Daisen, but the rain is forecast to begin before we reach the mountain, so we wander around Kurayoshi. This has an area of preserved houses and white plaster walled warehouses (Kura). These run along a shallow canal crossed by stone slab bridges. It is not as picturesque as Hida Furukawa nor as interesting a place in itself but pleasant enough for a wander. By the time we leave Kurayoshi and head towards Daisen, the weather is […]

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 […]

27/06/2022 / Last updated : 18/02/2023 d.d Hiking / Walking

Shirawakawago in spring to Kuzuryu　白川郷から九頭竜

18th April 2022 Michi no eki Hida Hakusan This was our second time to spend a night at Hida Hakusan. It is a good place for an overnight at least outside peak tourist season as the proximity to a world heritage site probably means it get seriously crowded. We shared the car park with perhaps four other vehicles and one person on a Honda 50 who erected a small tent. Kudos. Trucks grinding up the hill do make a noise but there are few. This michi no eki has an adjacent onsen which is spacious and pleasant. The outside bath was, sadly, not in operation due to lack of water. […]