Kabira Bay
17/12/2020 / Last updated : 23/02/2023 d.d Extra Edition-Okinawa

Ishigaki island, glass bottomed boat trip 石垣島

Jan. 2020 We have the complimentary breakfast. D enjoys this and says I shouldn’t complain as it is free. She is right, of course, but I can’t really enjoy miso soup in the morning, free or not. Pottery Street 　壺屋やちむん通り We have some time to fill before our flight to Ishigaki-jima. Not enough to do very much, but too much to ignore. We opt to wander, with laden rucksacks, and visit the pottery street ‘Tsuboya Yachimun Street’. This is, obviously, located not far from where we were staying. The street is cobblestones with old shops and houses, good for wandering. It is still too early for most of the shops, […]
Kouri-jima
08/12/2020 / Last updated : 23/02/2023 d.d Extra Edition-Okinawa

Bise, Kouri Island and Manzamo 備瀬、古宇利島、万座毛

Jan.2020 Very comfortable night in our accommodation on Sesoko. I told D. the foam mattress was a “True Sleeper”, but she did not believe me. After our complimentary breakfast coffee, we set off to walk on the famous Sesoko island beach nearby. Sadly, access was denied as construction of a huge hotel had taken over the entire area. So, we visited the only other beach on this island which turned out to be a poor affair under the bridge that links it to the mainland. We made use of it for a U-turn and set off for Bise. Bise Bise is a very old settlement, laid out on a grid […]
Okinawa
29/11/2020 / Last updated : 23/02/2023 d.d Extra Edition-Okinawa

Ikei Beach and Cape Hedo 伊計ビーチ、辺戸岬

Jan. 2020 We pick up a rental car at Louis Vuitton, or at least the large store housing LV and a host of other luxury brands. Being unaccustomed to entering such places, we could not find the rental car office. We wandered around outside this large, imposing building never dreaming the rental car counter would be inside. Ikei Beach First, we drive out of Naha and on to Ikei-jima to visit Ikei Beach. We take the Kaichu-doro by Kin-wan (bay) which is an interesting route. We cross two islands to Ikei-jima which is quiet island mostly given over to sugar cane. Ikei beach, I would suggest, is best avoided. It […]
Fukiagehama
13/08/2019 / Last updated : 02/02/2023 d.d Scenic Drive / Spots

Izumi Cranes and Fukiagehama　出水の鶴、吹上浜

December 2017, Kuronoseto Dandanichiba Dandanichiba was a little noisy during the night due to passing trucks. In the morning, from quite early, it was very busy and noisy, it being a Saturday. We watch as live fish are unloaded from a truck to stock the tanks in the michi-no-eki. The truck driver struggling under the weight of the fish as he carried them, one by one, in a net, from the truck into the michi no eki. Later we check the tanks and note very large Kanpachi (Greater Amberjack), Thai (Sea Bream) and beautiful mackerel swimming about. One Dandanichiba customer bought 3 or 4 big fish; pointing out his choices […]
Tanesashi beach
07/10/2018 / Last updated : 29/01/2023 d.d Hiking / Walking

Tanesashi Beach to Lake Ogawara　種差海岸、小川原湖

summer, 2018 Michi-no-eki Hashikami proves to be a very quiet spot with a reasonable toilet. There is a lot of parking space some in the shade. We leave before the Road Station is open and head for Tanesashi Beach, but stop to buy frozen drinks from the Lawson on the other side of the main road. These are useful to keep the cooler box cold. We also take the opportunity to dump our rubbish. Tohoku is bad in this respect as even the drink vending machines do not have the usual rubbish bins. Tanesashi Beach On to Tanesashi Beach, which is not the stretch of sand littered with semi-naked humanity […]
road sign
06/02/2018 / Last updated : 03/02/2023 d.d Scenic Drive / Spots

Shosanbetsu- Obsevatory- Salmon fishing　初山別

Day 8, September 2016, As we moved on up Hokkaido’s Japan Sea coast, we checked a couple of michi no eki with a view to staying. The first was rubbish, second one had a big onsen (hot spring) and a rose garden but the parking spot was not good. We were a bit spoilt by 21 Century Forest. So, we pushed on to the next possibility. this was Shosanbetsu, which has an onsen and a free campsite, near an observatory. This turned out to be a lucky choice. Shosanbetsu At the Michi no eki ‘Shosanbetsu’ (R.232) we are directed to the top of the headland and there, sure enough, is […]