18/06/2023 / Last updated : 02/07/2023 d.d Hiking / Walking

Nokogiriyama Nihon-ji Temple　鋸山日本寺

April 9th. Tokyo Bay Aqua Line Leaving Tokyo via the Aqua Line which we had fondly imagined to be some kind of bridge across Tokyo Bay. It turns out to be a 9.5 kilometre tunnel full of crawling Sunday traffic. After the Umihotaru S.A. it does become a bridge to Chiba side, but the magic has gone. ＊Tokyo Bay Aqua Line ; 3140 yen (car with ETC ; 800 yen) Nokogiriyama Nihon-ji Temple Once in Chiba, a prefecture we are visiting as we have neglected it so far, we head for Nokogiriyama. To climb from the bottom, take the ropeway or drive to the top? That is the question. It […]
Kunozan Toshogu
30/05/2023 / Last updated : 18/06/2023 d.d Temple / Shrine

Nihondaira and Kunozan Toshogu　日本平、久能山

April 1st. 2023 Akabane Loko Park When we went to sleep at Akabane Loko Park we were far from the michi no eki, out along the sea front. We were also alone. In the morning there are 20 or 30 vehicles stretched out along the beach. These are surfers who have arrived during a Friday night. Before breakfast, we move to the michi no eki Akabane Loko Station itself for the facilities and availability of coffee. Our eventual departure sets us up for a day of driving as we head for Nihondaira.  First, along a lengthy stretch of Route 42 following the beach to Hamanako. This an inlet from the […]
Nagoro Scarecrow
17/05/2023 / Last updated : 21/05/2023 d.d Scenic Drive / Spots

Oku-Iya, Ochiai Village and Nagoro Scarecrow Village　　奥祖谷

March 28th. Tuesday Very reasonable night at  Michi no eki Musasabi no sato. but very cold as we are at some elevation. The facilities are reasonable. Fresh flowers! It is busy in the morning and the parking is close to the road, but the road is quiet during the night. We leave and take the road towards the famous vine bridge in the Iya valley. This place is very popular with foreign tourists for some reason. We do not view the bridge but press on, on Route 439 towards Mt. Tsurugi. This narrow and tortuous road we follow basically all day. Ochiai Village Observatory　　落合集落展望所 First, we stop at michi no […]
Mt. Kamegamori
19/03/2023 / Last updated : 19/03/2023 d.d Hiking / Walking

Climbing Mt. Kamegamori at UFO line　瓶ヶ森

Oct. 31st. 2022, Michi no eki Konoka is excellent for an overnight stay. It has a restaurant that closes at 8pm as does the onsen. The onsen is very good, but I have no experience of the restaurant. I suspect river fish high on the menu as this is a fishing spot. UFO Line It is also close to the entrance to the UFO line, just before the Kanpuzan tunnel on R.194. We have driven this road before but only in thick fog, so we are here for the views. D. has checked the weather forecast and planned to be here on this day. She and the meteorological office are […]
Niseko Panorama Line
22/12/2022 / Last updated : 18/03/2023 d.d Scenic Drive / Spots

East / West across South Hokkaido

Early October 2022, Niseko Panorama Line Leaving Michi no eki Kuromatsunai, we set off for a day of driving. First heading for Mt. Yotei to view the huge volcanic cone, then cutting across to the Japan sea via the Niseko Panorama Line (Prefectural Road 66). This should have been a blaze of Autumn colour, but this year remains stubbornly green. Notwithstanding, it is an excellent road to drive. The coast south of Iwanai On reaching the coast at Iwanai, we head south following the coast of black ominous rocks and shallow reefs. The roadside is dotted with abandoned dwellings and those still inhabited are protected from the wind and winter […]
Shirakawago
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. […]
Takachiho gorge
10/03/2022 / Last updated : 19/02/2023 d.d Hiking / Walking

National Route 445 and Takachiho Gorge　　国道445号、高千穂峡

December 2021, National Route 445 Today we are making for Takachiho and its famous gorge. It is many, many years since we were last there. First, we have to cross the Kyushu Mountains. The highway is the easy but dull option, so we take Route 445. This is a national route, but the actuality makes this hard to credit. Long sections of this road are far too narrow for two vehicles to pass, and it is very windy indeed. There is evidence of rockfalls, and road subsidence everywhere so considerable maintenance is essential. This in turn means construction traffic, so the possibility of meeting oncoming dump trucks is constant. As […]
Bandokorobana Park
16/02/2022 / Last updated : 18/02/2023 d.d Scenic Drive / Spots

South West Kagoshima Drive　南西鹿児島

December. 2021 Kiire michi no eki　　喜入 Our first shachuhaku night in a long time and we choose a very cold and windy one. Driving down on the west coast of Kagoshima prefecture, we stop for lunch at Izumi. Here, car rocking in the strong wind, we watch tsuru (common and hooded cranes) banking as they come in to land. We planed to visit Fukiagehama to see the longest dunes in Japan but the gale means it is not the right weather for sand. So we just try to find the place for the night. Our first choice of michi no eki, Kinpo Konohanakan, proves to be very open and exposed […]