15/07/2023 / Last updated : 15/07/2023 d.d Temple / Shrine

Nara/ Kyoto border Kasagidera and Dragon Shrines　笠置寺、龍穴神社

April18th. 2023 Kasagidera Temple From the michi no eki Minami Yamashina we drive to Kasagidera. A large temple not on the usual tourist itinerary, outside autumn leaves season anyway. The access to Kasagidera is up a somewhat daunting lane that ends in a car park for perhaps 20 cars. No one is collecting parking fees earlyish on a Tuesday morning in Spring. From the car park, there is a walk of perhaps 200 metres, past an unlikely ryokan to the first temple building. Here a gentleman accepts 300-yen temple entrance fee and another 300 for D.’s Goshuin. We are then free to wander the mountaintop circuit (about 800m) of temple […]

02/07/2023 / Last updated : 04/07/2023 d.d Temple / Shrine

Haruna Jinja and Mitsumine Jinja　榛名神社、三峯神社

April 13th. 2023 Michi no eki Green Flower Bokujo Oogo Green Flower Bokujo Oogo proves to be an excellent choice for an overnight stay. The parking area behind the buildings is away from the main road, quiet, flat and spacious. As the facilities can be accessed from either side of the building this is the obvious choice. The facilities themselves are excellent and well maintained though, from a personal perspective, the choice of music I found detrimental to the overall experience. There is also a spacious park next door with tulips and a replica windmill. This park has an observation platform to view the expanse of the Kanto Heiya (plain) […]

26/06/2023 / Last updated : 02/07/2023 d.d Scenic Drive / Spots

Fukuroda Waterfall and Furumine Shrine　袋田の滝、古峯神社

April 12th. 2023 Michi no eki Mashiko gave us an unexpectedly quiet night. The toilet was a problem as expected. The morning rush was complicated by the shortage of paper as well as space as the facilities were much in demand. Fukuroda no Taki (Waterfall) Though not a huge fan of waterfalls, we opt to visit Fukuroda no Taki, as it ranks as one of the top 3 falls in Japan. We are visiting clearly out of season as the numerous car parks are empty and unattended. Autumn is the optimum time to visit as the maple trees are evident everywhere. Now they are a sheen of fresh, delicate green. […]

24/06/2023 / Last updated : 27/06/2023 d.d Hiking / Walking

Climbing Mount Tsukuba　筑波山

April 11th. 2023 Michi no eki Hakko no Sato Kozaki Hakko no Sato Kozaki is a reasonable place to stay. It is large with a lot of overnight visitors, but the facilities are large enough to cope and the rubbish bins are emptied regularly. Very busy and rather noisy in the morning due to the convenience store. There is a vegetable stall with exceptionally cheap produce sadly of no use to us. There is also a shop selling all manner of fermented things. Heavy on the miso. Climbing Mt. Tsukuba On leaving we drive to Mt. Tsukuba (877m) where from the shrine, we opt to take the Shirakumobashi course. There […]

13/06/2023 / Last updated : 13/06/2023 d.d Scenic Drive / Spots

Motohakone, Lake, Old Trail and Mt.Fuji 　　元箱根

April 3rd. 2023 The Tokaido (The Old Hakone Highway)　東海道 Today we must drive into Tokyo, but first we make for Motohakone. Once there we walk some of the Tokaido, the old road to Edo. This is the route that all the south and western Daimyo (feudal lord) and their families were forced to travel every 3 years to pay homage to the Shogun. This system consumed their resources rendering them less able to develop too much independent strength. From Lake Ashi(Ashinoko), we walk as far as a famous tough stretch of the Tokaido and understand why it would have been so. The road plunging relentlessly down, we realize if we […]

30/05/2023 / Last updated : 18/06/2023 d.d Temple / Shrine

Nihondaira and Kunozan Toshogu　日本平、久能山

April 1st. 2023 Akabane Loko Park When we went to sleep at Akabane Loko Park we were far from the michi no eki, out along the sea front. We were also alone. In the morning there are 20 or 30 vehicles stretched out along the beach. These are surfers who have arrived during a Friday night. Before breakfast, we move to the michi no eki Akabane Loko Station itself for the facilities and availability of coffee. Our eventual departure sets us up for a day of driving as we head for Nihondaira. First, along a lengthy stretch of Route 42 following the beach to Hamanako. This an inlet from the […]

18/03/2023 / Last updated : 18/03/2023 d.d Temple / Shrine

Zenigata Sunae and Takaya Jinja, Torii in the sky　銭形砂絵、高屋神社

Oct. 30th. 2022, In the event, Genpei no Sato Mure was no problem but has little to recommend it. On a weekday it is probably reasonable enough but it’s busy at weekends. Zenigata Sunae On leaving, we take a long drive to Kannonji to see Zenigata Sunae. From Kotohiki Park the final stretch is up a steep narrow road that is thankfully one-way traffic. At the top, is a small car park and a viewing point of a sand sculpture. This is large and can be seen clearly from the top of the hill. Back from the strip of sand beach, in a clearing in the pine trees, is a […]

12/03/2023 / Last updated : 06/05/2023 d.d Arts / Places of interest

Kanka-kei and Kasaneiwa　　寒霞渓、重岩

Oct. 27th. 2022, Michi no eki Osakajo Zanseki Kinenkoen Michi no eki Osakajo Zanseki Kinenkoen (Osaka Castle Memorial Stones Commemorative Plaza) turns out to be an excellent place to stay. It is flat, quiet and with clean, modern facilities. The staff were also friendly. It has a small museum with explanations concerning the stone quarries in this area that provided stone for the repair of Osaka Castle. The michi no eki is decorated with unused stones from the project. Known as the unlucky stones. There is a display of local festival figures – lucky gods, dragons that sort of thing. Left over from a previous Triennial art festival, there is […]