Oouchi-juku
31/12/2018 / Last updated : 22/03/2023 d.d Hiking / Walking

Jodo-daira and Ouchi-juku　浄土平、大内宿

Summer 2018, Jodo-daira　　浄土平 After leaving Michi no Eki Bandai, we drive the Bandai-Azuma Skyline to Azuma Ko-Fuji. We park at Jodo-daira, at a cost of 400 yen. Due to a landslide, the result of the recent typhoon, from this point the road was closed on the Fukushima City side so, the restaurant was offering all meals at half price. There was a substantial queue, even though it was barely 11am and the restaurant not yet open. We planned to climb to the rim of the small crater and walk the perimeter. The weather, in the car park, was blustery cold with intermittent showers, so we broke out the light down […]
ceiling of Sazaedo
27/12/2018 / Last updated : 29/01/2023 d.d Temple / Shrine

Sazaedo at Aizu Wakamatsu さざえ堂

Summer 2018, Sazaedo An intermittently wet day, so we drive to Aizu Wakamatsu in Fukushima prefecture, via the Bandaisan Gold Line, to visit Sazaedo. This is a spiral, wooden pagoda that was once a temple in its own right. It is situated, naturally, at the top of a flight or two of the inevitable steps. At first we climb to the very top of the steps, to visit the shrine. This is dedicated to the young boy soldiers who committed suicide when they found themselves to be on the losing side of the Boshin War.  This was one of the last ditch resistance attempts against the Meiji Restoration’s abolition of […]
susuki
19/12/2018 / Last updated : 16/03/2023 d.d Arts / Places of interest

Aizu Tsurugajo castle　会津鶴ヶ城

Day 60, November 2016, Unexpected rain in the night and I find my crocs full of water. There is a grey, watery sky but no actual rain. I count at least 42 shachuhaku vehicles in the parking area of michi-no-eki Kita no Sato. Mostly they are camper vans but there is the man in the K (small size) car and a couple in a BMW!  Not sure what that was about?  After checking the ducks on the small lake – pintail and pocard – we set off for Tsurugajo castle in Aizu. Aizu-Wakamatsu Tsurugajo castle The Tsurugajo castle proves to be very busy even though it is still quite early […]
Bandai Azuma Lakeline
18/12/2018 / Last updated : 16/03/2023 d.d Hiking / Walking

Ura-Bandai Nakasenuma hiking　裏磐梯中瀬沼

Day 59, November 2016, Michi no eki Bandai The locals are early, preparing for Mochitsuki (rice cake making) on a bright chilly morning at michi-no-eki Bandai.   As we breakfast, the mist comes rolling in and we can see almost nothing. We wait around, delaying our departure. When the sun shows signs of breaking through the mists, we set off for some small lakes. Nakasenuma There is a walking trail around these lakes. It is not very long, but we make sure we have a picnic with us. The walk is very easy, mostly flat with broad paths but it affords a view that, I felt, was unprecedented – just […]
Goshikinuma
16/12/2018 / Last updated : 09/02/2023 d.d Hiking / Walking

Urabandai Goshikinuma　裏磐梯五色沼

Day 58, November 2016, Morning in Michi-no-eki Kita no Sato Intermittent rain during the night but the morning is sunny, if cold, and very wet underfoot. There are dark clouds hanging on the mountains and a few short showers. Sometimes the clouds lift and we get glimpses of the higher peaks sprinkled with early snow. We drive to Goshikinuma, to walk the trail by the ponds. The skyline we drove in the rain –the Gold Line- is closed today as the temperature is low about 4 degrees. The weather seems uncertain, so we put on lots of layers and rain suits. As we start to walk, the sunny patches become […]
09/12/2018 / Last updated : 09/02/2023 d.d Scenic Drive / Spots

Bandaisan area Michi no Eki

Day 57, November 2016, This being a national holiday, michi no eki ‘Adachi’ is very busy early on a bright, breezy morning. Today we plan to walk around the many lakes and admire the views of Ura Bandai. As we begin to drive up into this mountain area, we can see a very large rainbow ahead. This means it is raining up there. The higher we get, the worse the weather gets. We can see the cloud pouring over the ridges of the mountain until finally the rain is falling in torrents and the wind must be approaching typhoon levels. michi no eki ‘Tsuchiyu’ It is cold, wet and very […]