02/05/2020 / Last updated : 31/01/2023 d.d Arts / Places of interest

Hakone Okada Museum of Art and Oshino Hakkai 　岡田美術館、忍野八海

July 2019, Taking the Tokaido A wild, wet and windy night. Torrential rain and the van rocking in the gusts. The morning brings no respite as the rain is still relentless and forecast to be so until lunchtime. There is not a lot we can do, so decide to take a look at the Okada Museum of Art in Hakone. We set off along the coast road, strewn with leaves, branches and the occasional rock, detritus from the storm. Of course, all the places along here that boast a Fuji view are overly optimistic. Finally, we take Route 1., the old Tokaido. This is the route to Edo (modern Tokyo) […]

25/04/2020 / Last updated : 31/01/2023 d.d Arts / Places of interest

Eirinji Temple and Ishikawa Uncho 石川雲蝶, Michelangelo of Echigo

June 2019, Eirin-ji Temple and the Echigo Michelangelo　永林寺 The morning at Minami Uonuma michi no eki is dismal wet. Relentless rain and heavy, dark clouds piled up around the mountain as we set out for Eirin-ji temple. This unprepossessing, out of the way temple is home to the works of Ishikawa Uncho. A late Edo and early Meiji period artist, he was a master of wood carving, painting and plaster relief. He worked mainly in Niigata so became known as the Michelangelo of Echigo, the old name for Niigata. His work impressed us in various ways. The incredible skill of his 3-D wood carving, some incorporating perspective and some double […]

22/04/2020 / Last updated : 31/01/2023 d.d Arts / Places of interest

Tagokura Dam, Rokujuri-goe Pass and Kiyotsu Gorge　田子倉ダム、清津峡

June 2019, Oku Aizu Kaneyama is a good place to stay. There was some major construction in progress, but the view is better than most, the facilities are good and rubbish bins are provided. Shachuhaku friendly. It is also set in a picturesque area. Very Nihon mukashi-banashi as in old folk tale. Tagokura Dam Today rain is forecast, but there is some hazy sunshine as we set off. First, we drive to the Tagokura Dam on the Tadami River. The road leading up the dam is very steep and delivers spectacular views. The dam was planned in 1939 but, after many difficulties, was finally finished in 1960, J Power is […]

12/02/2020 / Last updated : 20/03/2023 d.d Arts / Places of interest

Hosooka Viewing Point, Rokka no Mori 　細岡展望台と六花の森

June 2019, Hosooka Viewing Point The morning at Takkoku Campsite is damp and blustery but the only rain is an intermittent sprinkle borne on the wind. For an overall, last look at the wetlands, we set off for the Hosooka Viewing Point. From here there is a good scenic vista of the marshes and the meandering Kushiro River. There is a visitor centre near the viewing point, but parking is limited so it is better to park in the much larger parking area a little lower down. This large car park serves the tiny Kushiro Shitsugen station. The visitor centre is large and provides comfortable armchairs around a huge wood […]

11/09/2019 / Last updated : 02/02/2023 d.d Arts / Places of interest

Naoshima-Benesse House Museum 　直島

November 2018, Naoshima The rain in the night causes us no problem and we are awake early to catch the Shikoku Kisen ferry from Takamatsu to Naoshima. We arrive in good time for the 10 am sailing. It is a sunny morning, after the overnight rain, and the short boat ride to the island is very pleasant. ＊Takamatsu – Naoshima (Miyanoura) ; 990 yen / adult (return) On arrival at Naoshima, we have a picnic lunch at the ferry port with a view of Kusama Yayoi’s red pumpkin. We then take the 100-yen bus to the Chichu Museum but, rather than enter, we walk along the road devoid of cars, […]

29/08/2019 / Last updated : 02/02/2023 d.d Arts / Places of interest

Tokoro Museum and Kirosan Observatory on Shimanami Kaido　しまなみ海道

October 2018, A very quiet night. Shimanami no eki Mishima is fine for an overnight stay. The toilet is basic and none too clean, but it is ok. Oyamazumi Shrine 　大山祇神社 We start the day with a wander around Oyamazumi shrine on Omishima island. This is next door to Shimanami no eki Mishima. The shrine is quite large with a fine Kusunoki (Camphor) tree. Some of the buildings are new, but these are in traditional style. A good example of a better than average shrine. Worth a visit. Tokoro Museum After a tour around Omishima island, we visit the Tokoro Museum. This is a small art museum, built as a […]

27/08/2019 / Last updated : 02/02/2023 d.d Arts / Places of interest

Kirishima Open-Air Museum 霧島アートの森

December 2017, Kirishima Open-Air Museum On a trip to see the eruption of Shinmoedake in Kirishima volcano, we discovered the Kirishima Open-Air Museum. This was a real surprise. As you wander around a large, pleasant park of grassy expanses and a woodland of spindly trees, you can view the work of a variety of artists. Being an open air exhibition, it is sculpture based. The works are, however, of wildly different concepts. They range from the outrageous pop of Kusama Yayoi’s huge polka-dot shoes, to the enigmatic, sinister yet vulnerable “Insiders”. Antony Gormley’s frail figures lurking in the thin trees. There is perhaps something for most tastes, solid stone, spindly […]

25/07/2019 / Last updated : 01/02/2023 d.d Arts / Places of interest

Kanazawa Noh Museum and Museums in Fukui　金沢能楽美術館、福井市立美術館

October 2017, On a Saturday morning, Korogaki no Sato Shika is a very busy michi no eki. The car park is full and people were arriving by local bus to queue up for the vegetable shop that opened at nine. We did not try to shop as the store was very crowded and the queue for the checkout, dauntingly long. Kanazawa Noh Museum So, we set off for Kanazawa Noh Museum arriving a little before midday. The town is very busy and we crawl in traffic looking for the museum parking. This, of course, does not exist but there is a large, underground parking garage for a bigger museum(21st. Century […]