09/06/2022 / Last updated : 18/02/2023 d.d Hiking / Walking

Mt. Kobo Tomb Cherry Blossom Hiking　弘法山古墳

13th April, 2022 Michi no Eki Farmus Kijimadaira Michi no Eki Farmus Kijimadaira gave us a very quiet night. This michi no eki provides no rubbish bins and there are notices requesting you take your rubbish home. Today we are traveling to Matsumoto city in Nagano prefecture to view the cherry blossom of the 4,000 trees covering an ancient tomb. Nakayama Cemetery　中山霊園 Arriving in Matsumoto we make for the Nakayama municipal cemetery. From there, there is a short, about 5km. return hike to the tomb and 4,000 cherry trees. It was a surprise to find that the cemetery shares space with a mallet golf course. Mallet golf which, I suspect […]

11/05/2020 / Last updated : 31/01/2023 d.d Hiking / Walking

Nakasendo from Magome to Tsumago 馬籠から妻籠

June 2019, 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 […]

10/05/2020 / Last updated : 31/01/2023 d.d Hiking / Walking

Togakushi Kodo and Okusha, Lake Kizaki　戸隠古道、木崎湖

July 2019, Otari michi no eki Otari michi no eki is a noisy place, even on a Sunday night. It is on a straight stretch of road at the bottom of a long hill so the trucks, of which there are many, really get up speed, sweeping down or taking a run up for the climb. They roar past very close to the parking. The morning is bright, hot and sunny so we think we will grab the chance to walk Happo-One and see the view. It is only a 10 or 15-minute drive but during that short period the cloud has rolled in and the nearby hilltops are lost […]

08/05/2020 / Last updated : 31/01/2023 d.d Hiking / Walking

Tsugaike Shizen-en, wetland flowers 　栂池自然園

July 2019 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 […]

06/05/2020 / Last updated : 31/01/2023 d.d Hiking / Walking

Yatsugatake line, Yashimagahara wetland 八島ヶ原湿原

July 2019, 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 […]

02/05/2020 / Last updated : 31/01/2023 d.d Arts / Places of interest

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

July 2019, 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) […]

23/02/2019 / Last updated : 29/01/2023 d.d Scenic Drive / Spots

Abo Toge / Abo Pass　安房峠

Summer 2018, 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 […]

07/02/2019 / Last updated : 29/01/2023 d.d Temple / Shrine

Kuonji Temple　久遠寺

Summer 2018, Wake to an overcast, misty morning at Asagiri Kogen, Michi no eki. Immediately we move further away from the stench, emanating from the manholes, so we can attempt breakfast. Kuonji Temple Set off for Kuonji, as the day brightens into sunshine. Shy, Fujisan continues to drape its elegant form in cloud. By 9.30am it is 30 degrees C. The road to Kuonji passes Motosuko, Motosu Lake, and then climbs into the mountains before deciding to follow the wide but shallow Fujigawa. Fuji River. Kuonji is approached through a traditional temple gate and then, a narrow street, climbing past the usual shops and restaurants associated with major temples. The […]