14/05/2026 / Last updated : 16/05/2026 d.d Hiking / Walking

Kikuchi Gorge　菊池渓谷

Nov. 14th 2025 Michi no Eki Kugino Michi no eki Kugino is quiet overnight despite the large number of shachuhaku vehicles. The morning brings more activity, as 4 buses arrive bringing in school parties. We take a wander around the place, there is a great deal of space, views of distant Aso and even a dog run. We leave, it is time to visit Kikuchi Gorge. Kikuchi Gorge This, we find, is surprisingly busy by 10.00am on a Friday morning. The gorge offers a couple of circular walks, the longer around an hour. There are some pretty falls and deep pools as you walk along the rushing river. The water […]

01/03/2026 / Last updated : 01/03/2026 d.d Hiking / Walking

Okususohana Shizen-en Hiking　　奥裾花自然園

Oct. 30th. 2025 Michi no eki Kita Shinshu Yama no Uchi is a reasonable and popular place to stay. There were quite a number of shachuhaku vehicles sharing the parking lot with us. The facilities are good but a little overwhelmed in the morning rush hour. There is a vegetable market that is very busy with farmers delivering produce and customers waiting for the shop to open at 8.30am. Shibu Onsen – Ryokan Kanaguya　渋温泉金具屋 We depart, later than most, and take the short drive to Shibu Onsen. Here we want to take a look at Kanaguya. This ryokan, built in the 1930’s is the model for the onsen in […]

22/01/2026 / Last updated : 22/01/2026 d.d Hiking / Walking

Jizo-numa and Nature hiking　　地蔵沼、山形県立自然博物園

Oct. 24th. 2025 Michi no eki Nishikawa　　道の駅西川 A cold night, 10 degrees this morning apparently. Michi no eki Nishikawa is busy as groups of school children are accosting everyone with a questionnaire about how to revitalize their nearby town. Rubbish bins would be my suggestion as there are none at this michi no eki, but the town is different. Bins for cans and pet bottles are tantalizingly visible inside the building. They are taken inside at night. (maybe a precaution due to bears) Iwanesawa-sanzan Shrine　　岩根沢三山神社 We set off for the nearby Iwanesawa-sanzan shrine. This we find is huge but in the late stages of disintegration. This shrine has burnt down […]

09/10/2025 / Last updated : 09/10/2025 d.d Hiking / Walking

Teppogi no Atama, view of Mt. Fuji 鉄砲木の頭

May 24th. & 27th. 2025 Doryu Waterfall　　　吐龍の滝 On the way to Kiyosato, we pay a visit to Doryu waterfall. This is reached by a short walk through delightful, deciduous woods resplendent in fresh foliage. Only the beware of bears sign put a damper on the stroll. The falls themselves are not spectacular but pretty enough with the odd patch of azalea adding colour. Michi no eki Tabayama　　道の駅たばやま Then a fine, mountain drive to our michi no eki for the night. Michi no eki Tabayama appears to be deep in the forest but we find unexpectedly that it has an onsen. As it is still early and the rain finally arrives, […]

07/10/2025 / Last updated : 07/10/2025 d.d Hiking / Walking

Climbing Kurumayama　　車山

May 23rd. 2025 Michi no eki Venus Line Tateshina　　道の駅ビーナスライン蓼科 Morning at Venus Line Tateshina michi no eki. This michi no eki, situated on the shore of Lake Tateshina, is a popular spot and preparation for the weekend tourist rush is underway. Stalls are being set up for food, cute things and arty stuff but, this early, things are still pretty quiet. The lake is not very large and provides an easy walk around its perimeter. There is a small sculpture garden (Tateshina highland Geijutsu no mori sculpture park) that has some interesting pieces but mostly a lake walk of trees, reeds, coots and watery reflection. We wandered it at dusk […]

26/01/2025 / Last updated : 26/01/2025 d.d Scenic Drive / Spots

Kunimigaoka and Mitate gorge　国見が丘、見立渓谷

November 19th. 2024 Kunimigaoka, cloud sea. The night at michi no eki Seiunbashi was very cold, a sudden, drastic drop in temperature. 3 degrees C with the clear sky, bright with a waning moon. This morning D. wants to go to Kunimigaoka to view the cloud sea. Consequently, we set the alarm for 6.30 and set off before breakfast. It is, however, quite a long drive and well past sunrise when we arrive to a wonderful view with an almost complete absence of cloud. We can see a puff of smoke hanging over Mt. Aso far away in the distance. The reclining Buddha, formed by Nekodake and Aso, very clear […]

17/01/2025 / Last updated : 18/01/2025 d.d Hiking / Walking

Shimojo Ginko tree and Aso Oguni　下城の大銀杏と阿蘇小国

November 16th. 2024 Michi no eki Oguni　道の駅小国 Wake early in michi no eki Oguni. Very damp and misty morning, very warm too. We were too hot during the night. Michi no eki Oguni we have visited many times but this was the first time to overnight. The parking adjacent to the toilets is limited for such a popular spot. Most of it given over to spaces for large vehicles. However we note an increase in the number of camper vans, especially the oversized ones. The toilets are modern and clean, though rather too small for the amount of traffic. No rubbish bins are provided except for cans and pet bottles. […]

29/09/2024 / Last updated : 29/09/2024 d.d Hiking / Walking

Chomonkyo　長門峡

April 17th. 2024 Michi no eki Ganjoju Onsen lives up to its promise. There are only 4 overnight vehicles. The morning is wreathed in mist and a moth that I photographed a year earlier on the toilet wall because it was so large and beautiful (the moth not the toilet) was still there. Well, one of the same species in much the same place. Chomonkyo After leaving the michi no eki, we drive about 40 minutes to Chomonkyo/gorge. The latter stages of this drive is along a narrow and I mean narrow (prefecture road 310). In the unlikely event that you read a lot of these pages, you will be […]