Uchiko-za
06/08/2020 / Last updated : 24/08/2020 d.d Drive Shikoku Area

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 […]
Tamba Sasayama
03/06/2020 / Last updated : 13/09/2020 d.d Drive Kansai Area

Sasayama Castle and Okutsu Onsen　 篠山城 、奥津温泉

June 16th. Kyotamba Ajimu no Sato Kyotamba Ajimu no Sato is an excellent place for shachuhaku. It is one of those two faced affairs. One side is the  michi no eki and the other a SA on the highway. Being perched on a hill, there are good views of the sunset. After 8 pm there is only one, multi-purpose toilet. As we were the only people staying overnight, it was a personal bathroom. Once the michi no eki becomes popular, and it is very new, this could be a problem. The access to the  main restrooms on the SA side is open from 7 am so not a big deal. […]
03/06/2020 / Last updated : 13/09/2020 d.d Drive Kansai Area

Ohara Sanzenin to Miyama 大原三千院、美山

June 14th. Leave Nanamori Kiyomi michi no eki with an end of trip feeling. We are definitely heading home. Nanamori Kiyomi michi no eki, however, deserves some recognition. It is a good place to stay. The toilets are clean and relatively modern, and the flowers are changed daily. (This is always an excellent sign.) The vegetable shop is cheap and popular. The michi no eki is also very convenient for Takayama, as a short, free highway leads directly into the town. We, on the other hand, now head for Gujo Hachiman on the Seseragi Kaido (R.257, R472). This is a good road to drive and far from busy in the […]
Izu Matsuzaki
30/04/2020 / Last updated : 07/09/2020 d.d Drive Chubu Area

Nishi-Izu, Matsuzaki and Dogashima　西伊豆

July 3rd. Shimogamo Onsen Yunohana is not a bad place to stay but it is low lying, backs on to a river and is surrounded by foliage. In the rainy season it is hot and full of mosquitoes. Our night was not as bad as I make this sound and we both slept well. The dismal weather is a problem. This area is famous for views of Mt. Fuji and that is out of the question. As we drive the coast road R.136, the glimpses of the cliffs and coastline urge us to stop and admire the scenery. However, as in many areas like this, where the land drops abruptly […]
Wakakusayama
01/12/2019 / Last updated : 24/08/2020 d.d Drive Kansai Area

Wakakusayama and Unkei statues　若草山

November 20th. Resuty Karako・Kagi michi no eki. Resuty Karako・Kagi, proves to be a good place to stay and with easy access to Nara. A look around the shop shows it offers a wide range of produce, vegetables, meat and a few bentos. It also has a bakery, a restaurant and sells clothes and trinkets. Also, within walking distance, are the Karako Kagi Remains, now a park featuring the Yayoi era. Wakakusayama　　若草山 We leave, and make for the Nara Okuyama Driveway. This is not what we expected at all and we find ourselves in a car park at the top of Wakakusayama overlooking Nara. This is a viewing spot but if […]
Todai-ji
01/12/2019 / Last updated : 24/08/2020 d.d Drive Kansai Area

Temples of Nara Park　奈良公園

November 19th. Udaji Ouda michi no eki is an early riser. Piped, tinkly music starts just before 7am. I am not sorry to leave, as we head off into Nara city. This is a pleasant drive along R. 370 and R. 80 that turns suddenly exciting. It becomes very narrow indeed for a very long stretch. So much so that, I was relieved to meet something coming the other way. Even though reversing was necessary to pass each other, at least it was reassuring to know there was a way out. Once in Nara, we wander through the deer, admiring the temples and traces of Koyo (colourful autumn leaves). The […]
flower vase and shouji
27/08/2019 / Last updated : 24/08/2020 d.d Drive Shikoku Area

Takehara to Shimanami Kaido　竹原、しまなみ海道

October 29th. A little rain in the night at Mito SA. The morning is aglow with misty sunshine that rapidly becomes more shine than mist. The cleaners are abroad in the car park with their yellow balloons attached to their helmets. We follow the Chugoku Expressway but, sadly, only as far as Ogori where we pick up the Sanyo Expressway. This is not such a good road as far as I am concerned, more traffic, more tunnels, less undulation and fewer curves. Takehara – Taketsuru Masataka Coming off the Sanyo, we take Route 185 to Takehara. This town has an area of Meiji era houses; just one street really, overlooked […]
06/08/2019 / Last updated : 24/08/2020 d.d Drive Chugoku Area

Iwami Ginzan, an old silver mining village 　石見銀山

October 29th. Relentless rain all night and no let up this morning. We are planning a trip to Iwami Ginzan, a pre-Edo era silver mine that was still operating in the early Showa period. We know this involves a 45-minute walk, so are reluctant to go there until the weather improves; as the forecast promises. Finally, we set off in the opposite direction and drive along the coast towards Izumo Taisha though we have no intent to visit that place again. We just want to view the coastline. Reaching the Taisha, we turn around and head back the same way we have come. The sky, out over the sea, is […]