Tsumago-juku
11/05/2020 / Last updated : 07/09/2020 d.d Drive Chubu Area

Nakasendo from Magome to Tsumago 馬籠から妻籠

June 10th. 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 […]
Japanese Umbrella
07/09/2019 / Last updated : 24/08/2020 d.d Drive Shikoku Area

Oboke, Iya and Mima in Tokushima　大歩危、祖谷、美馬

November 6th. Oboke Valley 　大歩危 Our plan for the morning is to climb Mt. Tsurugi but, the forecast is cloud and we can see the mist hanging over the peaks in the distance. So, we postpone the climb for a day. As an alternative, we decide to drive the Oboke valley. This is a disappointment, as the valley is difficult to appreciate from the road and the only access points appear to be boat tour stations. Boat tours are popular, perhaps, the only way to view this valley. Iya no Kazurabashi We continue on to visit the famous vine bridge at Iya no Kazurabashi. On arrival, we decide we don’t […]
Sekijuku
25/04/2019 / Last updated : 28/09/2020 d.d Drive Kinki Area

Muroji and Hasedera Temples plus Sekijuku　室生寺、長谷寺、関宿

Day 83 Muroji Temple We wake to a chilly morning after a quiet night but, thankfully, the weather is brighter. I discover the michi no eki Udaji Muro has a river behind it, the Uragawa, and I watch the egrets and a cormorant. After breakfast, we move out towards Muroji, a temple that used to be exclusively for women as Koyasan was forbidden to females. After parking the car near Muroji, we wander through the village a little, then over a red arched bridge and, turning right, enter the temple. Passing through the gate, we note that the guardians, Niosama, are nothing extraordinary. A steep flight of steps leads you to the […]
01/03/2019 / Last updated : 22/08/2020 d.d Drive Chugoku Area

Izushi – stork revival 出石

Tajimarakuza, michi no eki, does not improve with familiarity. In mitigation, I should mention that the old building is undergoing refurbishment. So, it may be better in a few months, say Spring 2019. Izushi – stork revival From Tajimarakuza, we take a look around the nearby town of Izushi, famous for porcelain, sara-soba, an old clock tower ‘Shinkoro’ and storks. Here, some traditional buildings remain plus the foundations of the castle. These castle foundations are jumbled with an Inari (fox) shrine. Interesting enough. Izushi is only a half hour drive from the famous Kinosaki hot spring, and 2 hours from Himeji and its famous castle.   As we are leaving […]
Kuonji temple
07/02/2019 / Last updated : 22/08/2020 d.d Drive Chubu Area

Kuonji Temple　久遠寺

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 temple, at […]
Oouchi-juku
31/12/2018 / Last updated : 07/09/2020 d.d Drive Tohoku Area

Jodo-daira and Ouchi-juku　浄土平、大内宿

Jodo-daira After leaving Michi no Eki Bandai, we drive the Bandai-Azuma Skyline to Azuma Ko-Fuji. We park at Jodo-daira, at a cost of 400 yen. Due to a landslide, the result of the recent typhoon, from this point the road was closed on the Fukushima City side so, the restaurant was offering all meals at half price. There was a substantial queue, even though it was barely 11am and the restaurant not yet open. We planned to climb to the rim of the small crater and walk the perimeter. The weather, in the car park, was blustery cold with intermittent showers, so we broke out the light down jackets and […]
susuki
19/12/2018 / Last updated : 20/08/2020 d.d Drive Tohoku Area

Aizu Tsurugajo castle　会津

Day 60 Unexpected rain in the night and I find my crocs full of water. There is a grey, watery sky but no actual rain. I count at least 42 shachuhaku vehicles in the parking area of michi-no-eki Kita no Sato. Mostly they are camper vans but there is the man in the K (small size) car and a couple in a BMW!  Not sure what that was about?  After checking the ducks on the small lake – pintail and pocard – we set off for Tsurugajo castle in Aizu. Aizu-Wakamatsu Tsurugajo castle The Tsurugajo castle proves to be very busy even though it is still quite early but, not […]