Ebino highland
26/03/2022 / Last updated : 26/03/2022 d.d Kyushu 2020-21

Ebino Plateau and the 3 Lake Course　えびの高原

December, ’21 A bright full moon and a very cold night. Ebino Plateau We set off on a beautiful morning for the Ebino Plateau, making sure to buy supplies on the way before getting into the mountains. It is often difficult to buy food in very rural areas. Around midday, we arrived at a large car park of Ebino Eco Museum Centre. From here we could see the snow on Mount Io and Karakunidake glistening in the bright sunshine, there was, however, a bitterly cold wind whipping across the open space. The 3 Lakes Course　池めぐりコース We had planned to hike around the three crater lakes, but part of the route […]
Uchiko-za
06/08/2020 / Last updated : 30/10/2021 d.d Shikoku - Nara Road Trip '19

Uchiko and Shikoku Karst 内子、四国カルスト

October 29th. Tenku no sato Sansan and Uchiko Fresh Park Karari michi no eki Tenku no sato Sansan michi no eki is a good place to stay. It is not the first time for us to stay here so it holds up on a second visit. This, despite the torrential rain all night that remains solid in the morning. There is extremely heavy, low cloud all around. Absolutely no chance of climbing Mt. Ishizuchi today, though the weather is forecast to clear by the afternoon. We set off for Uchiko, a town with a preserved historical district. On arrival, we park at Uchiko Fresh Park Karari michi no eki. This […]
Sky
30/07/2020 / Last updated : 05/03/2022 d.d Shikoku - Nara Road Trip '19

The UFO Line-scenic drivecourse　　UFOライン

October 28th. Beppu-wan SA Woke in Beppu-wan SA (Oita-do highway) after a cold and very windy night, and a drive from Fukuoka. This service area is on the top of the hill overlooking Beppu near the APU campus. I once met an APU student, from Singapore, whose first words in Japanese were “Kaze ga tsuyoi desu ne” The wind is strong, isn’t it? If you spend time around APU you will understand this. Nevertheless, from a shachuhaku point of view Beppu-wan SA is a good place to stay,. It is busy early on a Sunday night but ultimately quiet. There is a viewing mound, or grassy knoll, with a view […]
Tsugaike Shizen-en
08/05/2020 / Last updated : 11/10/2021 d.d Early Summer Flowers Road Trip '19

Tsugaike Shizen-en, wetland flowers 　栂池自然園

July 7th. Hakuba michi no eki Hakuba michi no eki is a very reasonable place to spend the night. The traffic does not bother us, but it does become very busy on Sunday morning. A group of enthusiasts of an older model VW Golf show up and hang around for a while. We wait too, hoping the weather will clear. There is a thin drizzle, but the forecast is brighter or at least drier later in the morning and we are planning to walk Tsugaike Shinzen-en. This is a high plateau wetland noted for spring flowers. Tsugaike Shizen-en(Nature park) To reach the wetland hiking course it is necessary to take […]
Yashimagahara wetland
06/05/2020 / Last updated : 11/10/2021 d.d Early Summer Flowers Road Trip '19

Yatsugatake line, Yashimagahara wetland 八島ヶ原湿原

July 6th. Yatsugatake Echo Line Kobuchizawa michi no eki was fine for an overnight stay. Even on a Friday night it is not so crowded and very quiet. The morning is dry, but overcast, as we set off for Kirigamine following the Yatsugatake Echo Line and Vinas Line. This is a good drive, even on a weekend though the weather is, of course, suspect. At the Kurumayama ropeway station the clouds are hemming in the mountains, so we don’t think it is worth the price of two tickets so pass on by. We do stop a little later at a spot, to view flowers, that offers a trek up the […]
Utsukushi no Mori
02/05/2020 / Last updated : 13/10/2021 d.d Early Summer Flowers Road Trip '19

Hakone Okada Museum of Art and Oshino Hakkai 　岡田美術館、忍野八海

July 4th. Taking the Tokaido A wild, wet and windy night. Torrential rain and the van rocking in the gusts. The morning brings no respite as the rain is still relentless and forecast to be so until lunchtime. There is not a lot we can do, so decide to take a look at the Okada Museum of Art in Hakone. We set off along the coast road, strewn with leaves, branches and the occasional rock, detritus from the storm. Of course, all the places along here that boast a Fuji view are overly optimistic. Finally, we take Route 1., the old Tokaido. This is the route to Edo (modern Tokyo) […]
Miraikan
27/04/2020 / Last updated : 13/10/2021 d.d Early Summer Flowers Road Trip '19

Nikko Senjogahara 日光戦場ヶ原 and Tokyo Odaiba お台場

June 25th. Oze Katashina michi no eki, as expected, was an excellent place to stay. The toilet facilities must be the best of any michi no eki in Japan. I have never seen better from Kagoshima to Wakkanai. Unfortunately, due to panic induced by a sudden, torrential downpour, we forgot all about the special toothbrushing room, so that remains untested. Nikko Senjogahara We set off for Nikko, following R.120, to walk at Senjogahara. We have walked here before, in winter, but that did not prepare us for the huge number of school groups. When we returned to the Akanuma car park after our walk, there were 18 tour buses parked. […]
Tsutanuma hiking
20/12/2019 / Last updated : 31/10/2021 d.d Early Summer Flowers Road Trip '19

Tsuta 7 Ponds Walk　蔦七沼ウォーク

May 30th. Sukayu to Tsuta Onsen Futasui michi no eki proved to be a good place to stay. Good facilities and a tatami space inside for bikers or cyclists to sleep. No rubbish bins are provided though. Our goal for the day is Tsuta onsen. This involves a pleasant drive with views of Mt.Iwaki still capped with patches of snow. As we pass Sukayu onsen there are large areas of grubby snow around and the road (R.103) is running with snow melt. We also spot the skunk cabbage flowers that appear through the melting snow. I say spot, they were everywhere. Tsuta 7 Ponds walk　　蔦七沼 From Sukayu we drop down […]