Karekinada
25/09/2019 / Last updated : 12/05/2026 d.d Hiking / Walking

Kumano-kodo Ohechi ; Nagaizaka　 熊野古道大辺路；長井坂

November 2018、 A fine sunny morning with a strong, chill wind coming off the land not the sea. Susami michi no eki has a good view of the sea though this is not obvious from the car park. You must walk round to the other side of the building. Kumano-kodo Ohechi, Nagaizaka course from Mirozu station There are three sacred places in Kii peninsula, Yoshino, Koyasan and Kumano. These are linked by numerous pilgrimage route mostly for Shugendo, a mountain worshiping sect. The Kumano-kodo, however has been a very popular pilgrimage route for more than 1000 years. People, rich and poor, walked from Kyoto to Kumano Hongu Taisha, Kumano Hayatama […]
Onigajyo
17/09/2019 / Last updated : 13/05/2026 d.d Scenic Drive / Spots

Yokoyama Viewing Point, Onigajo and Dorokyo 横山展望台、鬼ヶ城、瀞峡

November 2018、 Michi no eki Ise-Shima proves to be an excellent shachuhaku spot. It is well away from the road, flat, with modern toilets and a large Plant supermarket, which has a good quality deli area, only five minutes’ drive away. Yokoyama Viewing Point Our first stop of the day is Yokoyama Viewing Point. The road, up to the viewing point itself, is steep and very narrow in places. In high season it may be better to park at the bottom (Visitor centre) and walk up as, I imagine, the congestion must be chaotic. We are there early on a Monday morning in November and by the time we leave […]
Tsuda no matsubara
14/09/2019 / Last updated : 13/05/2026 d.d Scenic Drive / Spots

Awajishima to Soni HIghlands　淡路島、曽爾高原

November 2018, We follow R.11 towards Tokushima to take the bridge to Awajishima. At Tsuda no Matsubara michi no eki we stop for lunch. This is a pleasant location, next to a shrine and a short walk to the beach. The michi no eki is nothing special and the facilities primitive. The beach is a good spot for a picnic with a view out over the Setonaikai. After lunch, we fill up with fuel as petrol is significantly cheaper in Tokushima-ken than Kagawa-ken. Don’t ask me why. Onaruto Bridge and Uzushio michi no eki Across Onaruto Bridge to Awaji, where we stop, on the off chance, at michi no eki […]
Tsurugisan
08/09/2019 / Last updated : 01/05/2026 d.d Hiking / Walking

Tsurugisan – Climbing Mount Tsurugi　剣山

November 7th. 2018 Tsurugisan  剣山 A clear, pink dawn as we set off for Tsurugisan (Mt.Tsurugi). We drive about 40 kilometres along R.438. and arrive at the chair lift station, ‘Minokoshi’, before 10 am. under a blue, blue sky in warm sunshine. The chair lift ticket is 1860-yen return, but it whisks you up from 1,420 metres to 1,750 metres in 15 mins. The summit is 1,955 metres. There are 4 courses to the top from the chair lift station ‘Nishijima’. We avoid the Ridge course – it being the shortest and most popular – and take the Yuhodo course. This is longer about 2km and, as we later discover, […]
flower vase and shouji
27/08/2019 / Last updated : 12/05/2026 d.d Hiking / Walking

Takehara to Shimanami Kaido　竹原、しまなみ海道

October 2018, 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 […]
giraffe road sign
25/08/2019 / Last updated : 20/03/2023 d.d Arts / Places of interest

Timber Wolves at Asahiyama Zoo 旭山動物園

Day 7 September 2016, Today is zoo day, so we drive back towards Asahikawa. This involves driving down the long valley of rice fields that stretch to the wooded hills that rise sharply on either side. Tacky tin buildings, farm house and sheds dot the fields. There are also many abandoned structures too. Some of these completely collapsed presumably by the weight of winter snow. Asahiyama Zoo The zoo is well signposted and there are many large car parks. Asahiyama zoo is famous, at least in Japan, for the ingenuity of some of its enclosures. This zoo attempts to shows the normal behaviour of the animals. Impossible, of course, in […]
Kagoshima bay
14/08/2019 / Last updated : 12/05/2026 d.d Scenic Drive / Spots

Ibusuki, Tamatebako Onsen and Sakurajima　指宿、桜島

December 2017, Tamatebako Onsen A good, quiet night so I can recommend Yamagawaminato Iokaido for an overnight stay. Quite a lot of activity on this Sunday morning, as people arrive to stock up on Katsuobushi. There is even a small bus tour, stopping to make purchases before 9am. We depart and make it back the 15 minute drive to Tamatebako Onsen. We are the first to arrive, still a few minutes early for a 9.30 opening. The entrance building is a modern, unimpressive, concrete structure which belies the experience within. Well, not the washing area which is small, only 8 washing stations, functional and rather cold as the door to […]
Fukiagehama
13/08/2019 / Last updated : 12/05/2026 d.d Scenic Drive / Spots

Izumi Cranes and Fukiagehama　出水の鶴、吹上浜

December 2017, Kuronoseto Dandanichiba Dandanichiba was a little noisy during the night due to passing trucks. In the morning, from quite early, it was very busy and noisy, it being a Saturday. We watch as live fish are unloaded from a truck to stock the tanks in the michi-no-eki. The truck driver struggling under the weight of the fish as he carried them, one by one, in a net, from the truck into the michi no eki. Later we check the tanks and note very large Kanpachi (Greater Amberjack), Thai (Sea Bream) and beautiful mackerel swimming about. One Dandanichiba customer bought 3 or 4 big fish; pointing out his choices […]