05/01/2023 / Last updated : 18/03/2023 d.d Hiking / Walking

Oirase Gorge from Lake Towada 十和田湖、奥入瀬

October ’22 Oirase hiking Michi no eki Towada was a better experience than expected. The rain ceased completely before the necessary toilet trips so a dry and peaceful night. The place has rubbish bins so, presumably, Aomori has different regulations from Hokkaido. We had planned to hike Mt. Hakkoda, but the weather forecast for the summit was cold, cloudy and foggy. With little point to slogging up a mountain, we head for Lake Towada and the Oirase gorge We park at Nenokuchi by the lakeside where there is a bus station and a lake cruise boat dock. From the point where the stream leaves the lake to start its journey […]

22/12/2022 / Last updated : 18/03/2023 d.d Hiking / Walking

Lakes in Furano and Noboribetsu Onsen　登別温泉

Late September ’22 Lake Kanayama and Torinuma Koen　金山湖、鳥沼公園 Today we visited Lake Kanayama. This is accessible near a campsite and one or two other spots but offers no lakeside paths as far as we could see. It is a large lake with no particularly distinguishing features. From the lake we visit Torinuma Koen(park) in Furano. This a supposed bird sanctuary and as we wander through the dark woods, we note evidence of rotted bird houses clinging to trees as others lie mouldering in the undergrowth. There is pleasant pond of very clear water fed by an underground spring. Large Nijimasu (Rainbow trout?) glide about in the pristine environment. There were […]

22/12/2022 / Last updated : 18/03/2023 d.d Scenic Drive / Spots

East / West across South Hokkaido

Early October 2022, Niseko Panorama Line Leaving Michi no eki Kuromatsunai, we set off for a day of driving. First heading for Mt. Yotei to view the huge volcanic cone, then cutting across to the Japan sea via the Niseko Panorama Line (Prefectural Road 66). This should have been a blaze of Autumn colour, but this year remains stubbornly green. Notwithstanding, it is an excellent road to drive. The coast south of Iwanai On reaching the coast at Iwanai, we head south following the coast of black ominous rocks and shallow reefs. The roadside is dotted with abandoned dwellings and those still inhabited are protected from the wind and winter […]

01/12/2022 / Last updated : 16/02/2023 d.d Hiking / Walking

Daisetsuzan National Park – Tokachidake Area　大雪山国立公園十勝岳

September ’22 Michi-no-eki Biei Shirogane Biruke　道の駅美瑛白金ビルケ Here, the car park is adjacent to the michi-no-eki ’Biei Shirogane Biruke’ proper, so appears to be almost a shachuhaku annex. Certainly, there were overnighters in double figures. The facilities are adequate, but no rubbish bins are provided. Even though there are vending machines there are no bins for bottles and cans. This irresponsible trend seems to be widespread since our last visit to Hokkaido. Even convenient store ‘Seicomart’ have stopped providing bins outside their stores. Blue Pool　青い池 We start the day by visiting the nearby Blue Pool/pond (Aoi Ike). This is a mineral-rich, probably acidic, pool that has killed the trees where it […]

20/11/2022 / Last updated : 16/02/2023 d.d Hokkaido region

Ferry to Hokkaido and Lake Shikotsu

September ’22 Set off for a night drive on the Chugoku Expressway. What a wonderful road this is, winding and rolling through the countryside with rarely another vehicle in sight on either carriageway. Stopped for the night at Tsutsuga, a deserted parking area. Pristine Nexco toilets with decorative chilly plants and small green frogs on the walls and in the wash basins. Ferry to Hokkaido Next morning the drive continues to Tsuruga. The Shin Nihonkai ferry to Tomakomai in Hokkaido leaves at a few minutes to midnight. This ferry is really a freight ferry. There are an awful lot of trucks and passengers something of an afterthought. The boarding is […]

13/07/2022 / Last updated : 18/02/2023 d.d Hiking / Walking

Omijima to Akiyoshidai　青海島、秋吉台

April 2022, Michi no eki Senza Kitchen proves to be an OK place to stay. Even on a wet night the distance from the parking to the covered roofing is not so far. We leave and take a short drive to Omijima island. Omijima Omijima is very popular with scuba divers and when we arrive, in the 300-yen car park, there are various dive school groups preparing to take to the water. We are here to ramble along the Omijima nature coast path. This is an easy (approx. 3.5kilo) walk on a concrete path along the fabulous cliff tops. You can stop at the various viewing points to take stereotypical […]

10/07/2022 / Last updated : 18/02/2023 d.d Scenic Drive / Spots

Genbudo Geopark　玄武洞公園

20th. April 2022, The slope at michi no eki Kumihama did not present any problem. There were perhaps 7 other overnight vehicles in this small michi no eki which, I realize in the morning, has a distant view of the sea and a constant chorus of frogs. Despite my initial reservations it is a good place to spend the night. Genbudo Geopark Our first destination for the day is Genbudo Geopark. Here there are some basalt cave formations we want to view. As luck would have it, there is major construction work in progress and one of the main features is closed. The first major basalt cave is a magnificent […]

02/07/2022 / Last updated : 18/02/2023 d.d Hiking / Walking

Amanohashidate Walk to Kinosaki Onsen　天橋立、城崎温泉

19th. April 2022 Michi no eki Mikatagoko Michi no eki Mikatagoko is a good place to stay. There is a view of the lake and it is quiet away from the road. On the other hand, the toilet is too small given the popularity of the place and irrationally it has no bins for rubbish. Not even for drink cans and bottles though there are 3 vending machines. I thought this irresponsible. In the morning, we were disappointed to discover that the lakeside walking path does not extend very far at all. There are bird watching hides around the place but few bird at this time of year. Some of […]