21/05/2020 / Last updated : 11/10/2021 d.d Early Summer Flowers Road Trip '19

Norikuradake Hiking and Hirayu Onsen　　乗鞍岳と平湯温泉

June 13th. Wake earlier than usual as we plan to climb, well hike a bit, on Norikuradake Mt. Norikura. We drive to the Honoki-daira free parking area to take the bus to Tatamidaira by way of the Norikura Skyline. Tatami-daira is the highest bus stop in Japan, which was certainly news to me. The bus fare is 2,300 yen return and the shuttle bus runs every 30 minutes. Norikura Skyline is open from May 15th. to Oct. 31st. Tatami-daira　　畳平 From Tatami-daira there are various hiking routes, from the gentle stroll round the flower meadow, Ohanabatake, to the hike to the top of Mt. Kengamine, the highest peak of the […]

17/05/2020 / Last updated : 31/10/2021 d.d Early Summer Flowers Road Trip '19

The Hakusan White Road – scenic driving　白山ホワイトロード

June 12th. Hakusan White Road A peaceful night at Hida Hakusan as the rain eases and gives way to a morning of patchy sunlight. I make use of the Ashiyu, or hot spring foot-bath, before we set off for the Hakusan White Road. This is a toll road through the mountains from Shirakawago in Gifu over to Ishikawa pref. We have limited expectations, as we know the road is closed, due to a landslide, on the Ishikawa side. We also know it is possible to go as far as the onsen and nature centre. The toll, at 3200-yen return, is a bit steep. In the event, as the way through […]

13/05/2020 / Last updated : 11/10/2021 d.d Early Summer Flowers Road Trip '19

Hida Takayama Museum

June 11th. Hida Kaido Nagisa michi no eki is a large place with little going on. There is a sizable information centre with a stuffed serow, a couple of tanuki in comical hats and very little else. From a shachuhaku point of view it is fine, apart from the lack of rubbish bins. Minami Hida Osaka michi no eki We start the day with a drive to Minami Hida Osaka michi no eki. We were hoping to walk to a couple of waterfalls before the rain that is forecast for later in the day. On the way, we are pre-empted and by the time we arrive the rain is relentless. […]

11/05/2020 / Last updated : 11/10/2021 d.d Early Summer Flowers Road Trip '19

Nakasendo from Magome to Tsumago 馬籠から妻籠

June 10th. Kisomura michi no eki is fine for shachuhaku. The traffic did not prove to be a problem. The toilet is modern but does smell a bit. It has no natural ventilation and the automatic fan is not effective enough. That’s my diagnosis – for what it’s worth. Nakasendo from Magome 馬籠 to Tsumago 妻籠 From the michi no eki we drive Route 19 towards Nagoya but branch off and travel through Tsumago and on up to Magome to walk the famous section of the Nakasendo. This is the old Edo era road from Kyoto to Edo, today’s Tokyo. Along this route were numerous – 69 in fact […]

01/07/2019 / Last updated : 02/11/2021 d.d Tateyama and Japan's South-West Coast trip '17

Ainokura Traditional Houses in Gokayama　五箇山

October 16th. Michi no eki Alp Hida Furukawa Last night’s michi-no-eki Alp Hida Furukawa is, in retrospect, worth recommending as a Shachuhaku spot – large car park, spacious toilet and rubbish bins provided. It was also quiet but that may have been due to the incessant rain. The rain persists and we wonder how to spend the day. Finally, we decide to drive towards Shirakawago, as this is a scenic route, and visit Ainokura. Ainokura has houses similar to those of Shirakawago but fewer in number and in a less picturesque setting. It also has far […]

11/06/2019 / Last updated : 02/11/2021 d.d Tateyama and Japan's South-West Coast trip '17

Gujo Hachiman town walk　郡上八幡

October 15th. D. complains that Ikeda Onsen michi no eki was noisy. The local kids dashing about in their cars but, I confess, I slept like a baby. The morning is damp not actually raining or a least not very much. The michi no eki has several shops selling cakes, soft creams, oysters, fish on sticks and other miscellaneous merchandise. It also has a foot bath, electric bicycles for rental and a reasonable view over somewhere. There are decorative pot plants in the toilets which is always a good sign. Gujo Hachiman　　郡上八幡 Today we are bound for Gujo Hachiman, a drive that takes us initially through a flat unimpressive landscape […]

23/02/2019 / Last updated : 07/11/2021 d.d Japan Summer Festivals Road Trip '18

Abo Toge / Abo Pass　安房峠

Michi no eki Fuketsu no sato is a busy michi no eki on the main route between Matsumoto and Takayama. Consequently, a lot of tour buses stop here and it is on the Highland Kamikochi and Norikura bus lines. Thunder in the night and the day breaks cloudy with intermittent rain. After driving towards Matsumoto, to take advantage of the cheaper gasoline, we U-turn towards Takayama. Skirting the town, we have wandered its crowded tourist sites in the rain before and have no desire to do so again, we head slowly on R. 173 towards Gujo Hachiman. Having time on our hands we plan to check a few michi no […]

13/02/2019 / Last updated : 07/11/2021 d.d Japan Road Trip Autumn '16

Gujo Hachiman and Enku　郡上八幡

Day 74 During the night, I had to remove some layers of clothing and we were not using sleeping bags. The morning is damp and very warm. We look around the michi no eki ‘Kokindenju no sato Yamato‘ which is a very pleasant place. It is laid out with small gardens and square ponds full of carp, linked by canals. There are large, flat stones placed here and there to serve as benches. The vegetable market is open and doing good business. On display are some odd vegetables that I have never seen before as well as the usual suspects. The temple museum that houses the Buddha images that D. […]