15/03/2023 / Last updated : 18/03/2023 d.d Arts / Places of interest

Shodoshima, Hoshoin and Hishio no Sato　　醤の郷

Oct. 29th. 2022 Osaka Castle Memorial Stones Commemorative Plaza. Osaka Castle Memorial Stones Commemorative Plaza michi no eki provides a restful night. Morning brings the excitement of a lone monkey wandering across the empty car park and along the front of the not yet open michi no eki buildings. A little later, small children with grandparents arrive to wait for the school bus. Here there is a remnant of an earlier Triennale festival. Castle stones with plaques of an esoteric nature entitled “Dynamite Traverse Variations”. These depict the trajectory of shock waves from dynamite blasts traveling through rock, I think. Pulling out we make for Sakate Port, as we will […]

15/03/2023 / Last updated : 18/03/2023 d.d Arts / Places of interest

Teshima, Art from the spooky to the kitsch　　　　豊島

Oct. 28th. 2022 The Olive Park michi no eki lowest car park has to have a reappraisal. Arriving in the dark it seems a dismal, melancholy place but in the morning sunshine it is airy and right on a pleasant beach. The toilets though old and dilapidated were at least functional on this return visit. Start from Ieura port Today, we head to Tonosho Port to take the ferry to Teshima. We plan to cycle around, viewing the Triennale Artworks. Consequently, we take the ferry to Ieura as there are more bicycle rental places there. In the event, there were no bicycles to be had. All had been pre-booked, so […]

12/03/2023 / Last updated : 18/03/2023 d.d Arts / Places of interest

Kanka-kei and Kasaneiwa　　寒霞渓、重岩

Oct. 27th. 2022, Michi no eki Osakajo Zanseki Kinenkoen Michi no eki Osakajo Zanseki Kinenkoen (Osaka Castle Memorial Stones Commemorative Plaza) turns out to be an excellent place to stay. It is flat, quiet and with clean, modern facilities. The staff were also friendly. It has a small museum with explanations concerning the stone quarries in this area that provided stone for the repair of Osaka Castle. The michi no eki is decorated with unused stones from the project. Known as the unlucky stones. There is a display of local festival figures – lucky gods, dragons that sort of thing. Left over from a previous Triennial art festival, there is […]

10/03/2023 / Last updated : 18/03/2023 d.d Arts / Places of interest

Shodoshima and the Setouchi Triennale Art Festival　小豆島

Oct. 26th. 2022, The lowest car park, on the opposite side of the road from michi no eki Shodoshima olive park, is dark and quiet. A very dark night. I noted two shooting stars in quick succession. Shodoshima Olive Park We start the day at the michi no eki, up on the hill above. Here, there is a shop selling olive produce and an exhibition concerning the struggle to start olive production and, of course, olive ice cream. This proves to be little different from vanilla except for its light green colouring. As we wander the olive groves, thick with olives we watch other people take photos of each other jumping […]

01/03/2023 / Last updated : 18/03/2023 d.d Arts / Places of interest

Yoro Park, Falls and Reversible Destiny　養老天命反転地

Oct. 21st. 2022, Yoro Falls We start the day with a visit to Yoro falls. This is one of the best 100 waterfalls in Japan. There is a 500-yen car park at the top from which you walk down some steps the falls. Alternatively, there is a free car park at the bottom, and you can hike up to the falls. The Yoro waterfall is nice enough though I am not sure it warrants a 20-kilometre drive and 500-yen parking. As a goal for a hike from the bottom car park it is reasonable enough. I suspect it is included in the 100 best falls in Japan because Emperor Gensho […]

26/02/2023 / Last updated : 18/03/2023 d.d Hiking / Walking

Lake Tateshina, Art in the morning and Bijyogaike　蓼科湖

October 2022, Miichi no eki Venus Line Tateshinako Michi no eki Venus Line Tateshinako is an excellent place for an overnight stay. When we arrived, it was busy with Sunday excursionists but by 8pm it was very quiet with only a handful of shachuhaku vehicles. The facilities are excellent, very modern and clean. They are in a stand-alone rectangular building, but the main doors are closed at night, access being through small doors at either end of the building. This can be confusing. Lake Tateshina The small lake offers a fine walk which we enjoyed in the evening and again, in the opposite direction, in the morning. There is also […]

18/08/2020 / Last updated : 01/02/2023 d.d Hiking / Walking

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

October 2019, 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. Update. October 22nd. 2022 This Michi no eki no longer exists as a shachuhaku spot. The 24-hour toilets have been demolished and one is referred to the public toilets about 200 metres up the hill. Yusuhara Town In the […]

11/05/2020 / Last updated : 31/01/2023 d.d Arts / Places of interest

Obuse, Hokusai’s Phoenix ceiling 小布施

July 2019, Obuse michi no eki Obuse is a strange michi no eki in that there is parking underneath the main building. This is good in the rain. Unfortunately, the elevator from the parking area to the toilet stops at 8 pm. After that you have a long trek outside and up some steps. A long way in the wet. It is also noisy, as the road, just off a highway interchange and at a crossroads, is very busy. On the other hand, the toilets are very good and rubbish bins are provided. There is also a park and a restaurant. On this visit it was all under wraps as […]