Ikitsuki island
18/01/2021 / Last updated : 18/01/2021 d.d Kyushu 2020-21

Ikitsuki Island and Hirado 生月島、平戸

Hirado and Ikitsuki November 25th. Ikitsuki Ohashi michi no eki A mild night at Ikitsuki Ohashi michi no eki, which proved to be an excellent place to stay. The toilets are clean, if basic, but boast a heated seat washlet which was a surprise. The car park has a view of the bridge, you are almost underneath it, and the sea is next to you. There are benches and picnic tables if the weather allows outside dining. In season it is probably very busy but at this time of year, November, there were only a couple of other vehicles overnight. Obae Lighthouse and Shiodawara cliffs　大バエ灯台、塩俵の断崖 We set off for Oobae […]
Yobuko
02/01/2021 / Last updated : 02/01/2021 d.d Kyushu 2020-21

Nanatsugama Quasi National Park and Yobuko 七ツ釜、呼子

November. 2020 An extraordinarily hot day for November. Due to the Corvid 19 pandemic, long trips seem indulgent and reckless, so we take a day trip to Nanatsugama Quasi National Park and Yobuko. From Fukuoka, we take the coast road R.202 to Karatsu. This road used to be narrow and very busy but, due to the toll road highway (Free in this area), the coast road has become far less frequented. It has also been improved so less heart-stopping but still satisfyingly winding. There are also good views of the sea for considerable parts of the way. Niji-no-matsubara　虹の松原 This road also passes through Niji-no-matsubara an area of pine trees planted […]
Kouri-jima
08/12/2020 / Last updated : 08/12/2020 d.d Extra Edition-Okinawa

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

Day 3 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 […]
Izu Matsuzaki
30/04/2020 / Last updated : 07/09/2020 d.d Drive Chubu Area

Nishi-Izu, Matsuzaki and Dogashima　西伊豆

July 3rd. Shimogamo Onsen Yunohana is not a bad place to stay but it is low lying, backs on to a river and is surrounded by foliage. In the rainy season it is hot and full of mosquitoes. Our night was not as bad as I make this sound and we both slept well. The dismal weather is a problem. This area is famous for views of Mt. Fuji and that is out of the question. As we drive the coast road R.136, the glimpses of the cliffs and coastline urge us to stop and admire the scenery. However, as in many areas like this, where the land drops abruptly […]
Hotokegaura
26/12/2019 / Last updated : 17/09/2020 d.d Drive Tohoku Area

Mutsu Bay Coast Road and Ferry to Hokkaido　陸奥湾

June 1st. Yokohama michi no eki was busy from dawn. From first light people were gathering and by 7am two busloads of baseball teams were overwhelming the facilities. Mutsu Bay Coast Road to Hotokegaura and Ooma We have to catch a ferry from Ooma at 1:00 pm so this gives us enough time to take the coast road (R.338) via Wakinosawa and Hotokegaura. This road has a bad reputation and most people avoid it. This seems to me overcautious as almost all the way to Hotokegaura it is two-way traffic. It even has a centre line, so it is merely, bendy. Initially, this route passes a natural harbour formed by […]
Onigajyo
17/09/2019 / Last updated : 24/08/2020 d.d Drive Kansai Area

Yokoyama Viewing Point, Onigajo and Dorokyo 横山展望台、鬼ヶ城、瀞峡

November 12th. & 13th. Michi no eki Ise-Shima proves to be an excellent shachuhaku spot. It is well away from the road, flat, with modern toilets and a large Plant supermarket, which has a good quality deli area, only five minutes’ drive away. Yokoyama Viewing Point Our first stop of the day is Yokoyama Viewing Point. The road, up to the viewing point itself, is steep and very narrow in places. In high season it may be better to park at the bottom (Visitor centre) and walk up as, I imagine, the congestion must be chaotic. We are there early on a Monday morning in November and by the time […]
Cape Muroto
04/09/2019 / Last updated : 18/01/2021 d.d Drive Shikoku Area

Kochi Sunday Market, Cape Muroto and Awa no Dochu　高知、室戸岬,　阿波の土柱

November 4th. Leaving the michi-no-eki we drive into Kochi city and park in the castle car park. We want to explore the Sunday Market. This, D. informs me, is the largest in Japan with a history of more than 300 years. Kochi Sunday Market The stalls run down one side of the street but, Kochi has wide streets and a lot of open space. This means there is room for a double row of stalls and the punters to stroll down the middle. On display are antiques and junk, mostly junk. A large number of stalls are offering all manner of knives, saws, hatchets and scissors, any kind of sharp […]
Lake Toyoda
21/05/2019 / Last updated : 18/08/2020 d.d Drive Chugoku Area

Susa Hornfels, Toyota Lake and Shimonoseki Fish Market　須佐、豊田湖、下関

Day 94 Very unsettled weather this morning, blustery with patchy sunshine and very dark, threatening clouds around. D. is on-line, doing some research, so I go for a short stroll to the nearby river. I notice two rainbows and, as I am admiring them, I realize one is between me and a nearby clump of trees. I make a break for the car but I am too late and am caught in the downpour. We sit in the car, in the pouring rain, wondering where to go as our destination for the night is only a couple of hours away. We decide to head for Hagi and then plan what […]