01/07/2019 / Last updated : 31/01/2023 d.d Scenic Drive / Spots

Ainokura Traditional Houses in Gokayama　五箇山

October 2017, Michi no eki Alp Hida Furukawa Last night’s michi-no-eki Alp Hida Furukawa is, in retrospect, worth recommending as a Shachuhaku spot – large car park, spacious toilet and rubbish bins provided. It was also quiet but that may have been due to the incessant rain. The rain persists and we wonder how to spend the day. Finally, we decide to drive towards Shirakawago, as this is a scenic route, and visit Ainokura. Ainokura has houses similar to those of Shirakawago but fewer in number and in a less picturesque setting. It also has far […]

18/05/2019 / Last updated : 12/02/2023 d.d Arts / Places of interest

Adachi museum and Shinjiko　足立美術館、宍道湖

Day 92, December 2016, Adachi Museum　　足立美術館 After the thunderstorms of the night, the morning breaks raw and dripping. A short drive, mostly along a river bank, brings us to the Adachi Museum of Art. This museum is famed, and rightly so, for its gardens. It has a plaque to state that it has been the winner of the award for the number one Japanese garden for thirteen consecutive years. The gardens are perfect and that is, perhaps, the only problem with them. The Gardens For the most part, you cannot enter the exquisite gardens but only view them through the plate glass. At certain places it is permitted to step […]

13/05/2019 / Last updated : 12/02/2023 d.d Scenic Drive / Spots

Sakaiminato – Kitaro town　境港

Day 91, December 2016, Michi no eki Kaze no Ie It is a cold, foggy morning with ice not just on the windscreen but the whole vehicle is encased in a thin layer. The wooden decking, attractively fronting the toilet area, is treacherous. Kaze no Ie michi no eki is noted for its large vegetable market. A few people are arriving to shop, but it is closed. It shut for the winter on the 1st of December. We drive to Sakaiminato and the temperature rises by 10 degrees as we descend to sea level. The area around Mt. Daisen is very pleasant. There are steep valleys, wide river beds and […]

05/05/2019 / Last updated : 11/02/2023 d.d Temple / Shrine

Kyoto Miyama-Hanase-Kurama　美山、花背、鞍馬

Day 85, December 2016, We leave michi-no-eki Galleria Kameoka and follow Route 9, heading away from Kyoto. There is a solid line of traffic in both directions. Kameoka, seen from this perspective, consists of a line of Pachinko parlours, used car lots, fast food joints and petrol stations. This is lucky, as we fill up with relatively cheap fuel and head off towards Obama and Miyama. Miyama This area of Kyoto prefecture is unfamiliar to me with its pretty streams, in the wide valley bottoms, and the picturesque villages, hugging the hills that rise out of them. We discover our intended onsen of the night before – a very long […]

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 […]

13/02/2019 / Last updated : 10/02/2023 d.d Hiking / Walking

Takayama, old scenic town　高山

Day 73, November 2016, Super Hotel Wake in our Super Hotel at Takayama, D. says the only super thing is the price, to a very dismal morning. After grabbing the chance of a morning shower, down to a disappointing breakfast. D. says that at this price I have no grounds to complain but, I point out that the first time we stayed with this chain it was much better. After breakfast we ask about the car – it is perfectly fine to leave the car where it is until 2 pm. but at an extra cost of 300 yen. This is cheaper than a city car park so, we agree. […]

13/02/2019 / Last updated : 10/02/2023 d.d Scenic Drive / Spots

Nanao, Noto Hanto and Takayama 七尾

Day 72, November 2016, Tateyama view Wake later than usual, about 8am at michi no eki Himi, so we are well rested. We walk to the sea front, basically across the road, to see the view that was one reason for coming here. Namely, the snow capped mountains rising straight out of the sea. That is, appearing to rise out of the sea, if you get closer there is the city of Toyama and a lot of industry to destroy the illusion. From Noto Peninsula it really seems that the snowy peaks rise out of the sea. We can see the mountains and get the idea but, it is a […]

07/02/2019 / Last updated : 29/01/2023 d.d Scenic Drive / Spots

Mt.Shirane Yugama and Manza Onsen　白根山湯釜

Summer 2018, Route 292 Our plan for the day was to walk around Mt.Shirane Yugama, a crater lake above Kusatsu. On arrival, we find this is not possible, as the area is still closed after the sudden eruption of last January. Consequently, we decide to drive around and approach from the other side via route 292. We take the toll road (Manza highway) to Manza onsen where we pick up R.292 again and drive to the highest point on a national road – 2,172 meters. This is, of course, pointless but the views are magnificent. On this route, the toll road bit, I was surprised to see two serow; presumably […]