17/10/2025 / Last updated : 17/10/2025 d.d Hiking / Walking

Gandate Gorge, Hida Kosaka　　飛騨小坂巌立峡

May 31, 2025 A quiet, uneventful night at Hida Ahashi Mura. The morning is overcast with occasional very fine drizzle. We set off, heading west stopping at various michi no eki but our aim is Gandate Gorge in Hida Osaka. Gandate Gorge　　巌立峡 This area boasts 200 odd waterfalls and we plan to walk part of the gorge to view a few. We park at Gandate Koen. The parking is free here but there is a 300 yen charge to walk this section of the gorge. This is to cover maintenance and it is easy to see why. The gorge is precipitous and the rocky torrent in its base unpredictable so […]

09/10/2025 / Last updated : 09/10/2025 d.d Hiking / Walking

Teppogi no Atama, view of Mt. Fuji 鉄砲木の頭

May 24th. & 27th. 2025 Doryu Waterfall　　　吐龍の滝 On the way to Kiyosato, we pay a visit to Doryu waterfall. This is reached by a short walk through delightful, deciduous woods resplendent in fresh foliage. Only the beware of bears sign put a damper on the stroll. The falls themselves are not spectacular but pretty enough with the odd patch of azalea adding colour. Michi no eki Tabayama　　道の駅たばやま Then a fine, mountain drive to our michi no eki for the night. Michi no eki Tabayama appears to be deep in the forest but we find unexpectedly that it has an onsen. As it is still early and the rain finally arrives, […]

14/02/2025 / Last updated : 14/02/2025 d.d Scenic Drive / Spots

Ogawa Waterfall and Oosumi Peninsula　雄川の滝

November 23rd. 2024 Michi no eki Kuninomatsubara Oosaki Kuninomatsubara Oosaki is a recommended place to stay. The onsen is spacious and friendly though really too hot. The toilets are over designed but if you ignore the bells and whistles they are extremely clean and modern. No rubbish bins is the only real downside, well that and the massive silver kabutomushi (stag beetle). Uchinoura, JAXA launch site　内之浦 We set off for the JAXA rocket launch site at Uchinoura. Not that we are particularly into rocket science but hope it may prove interesting. On arrival at what is certainly a remote location, we are issued with a pass and allowed to enter […]

29/01/2025 / Last updated : 29/01/2025 d.d Scenic Drive / Spots

Mizonokuchi Cave and Miike Lake　溝口洞穴、御池

November 21st. 2024 Miike Lake　御池 Michi no eki Ebino provided a good night and we set off for Mizonokuchi Doketsu. On the way to this large cave, we are sidetracked by a sign to Miike, a small lake that we passed yesterday. The sign has a picture of a Fairy Pitta. I have never seen this bird so we make for the lake. The lake presents a splendid view of placid water with Mt Takachiho (maybe) looming in the background. Here you can rent paddle boats and canoes but the rental place is closed as is the path around the lake edge due to a rockfall. We note that there […]

23/01/2025 / Last updated : 23/01/2025 d.d Temple / Shrine

Harajiri waterfall to Amanoiwato shrine　原尻の滝から天岩戸神社

November 18th. 2024 Harajiri waterfall　原尻の滝 Left Taketa and made for Takachiho. On the way we stopped at Harajiri waterfall. We have been here before but it is a pleasant spot. The waterfall is unusual in that it is set in the middle of rice fields. There is a large torii gate in the water just above the falls. During a local festival, a Mikoshi or portable shrine is carried through the gate at night by scantily clad young men. This event had taken place just the night before and large fires were still smouldering. This is a popular place, many of the surrounding fields are given over to the cultivation […]

19/01/2025 / Last updated : 19/01/2025 d.d Scenic Drive / Spots

Ameushi Waterfall and Bamboo Lantern Festival　黄牛の滝、竹楽

November 17th. 2024 Michi no eki Kugino Wake in michi no eki Kugino. The morning reveals an unbelievable number of overnight stay vehicles. The car park here can accommodate 230 to 250 cars and it must be almost full. Camping cars seem to have taken over from the Hi-ace van as the vehicle of choice. The number of dogs is also astounding till we discover the the michi no eki is the venue for a dog festival. We spend a lot of time absorbed in the dog run. The interactions between the various individuals is very interesting. Lots of dogs from the odd mutt and Shiba to Old English Sheepdogs, […]

17/01/2025 / Last updated : 18/01/2025 d.d Hiking / Walking

Shimojo Ginko tree and Aso Oguni　下城の大銀杏と阿蘇小国

November 16th. 2024 Michi no eki Oguni　道の駅小国 Wake early in michi no eki Oguni. Very damp and misty morning, very warm too. We were too hot during the night. Michi no eki Oguni we have visited many times but this was the first time to overnight. The parking adjacent to the toilets is limited for such a popular spot. Most of it given over to spaces for large vehicles. However we note an increase in the number of camper vans, especially the oversized ones. The toilets are modern and clean, though rather too small for the amount of traffic. No rubbish bins are provided except for cans and pet bottles. […]

14/08/2024 / Last updated : 14/08/2024 d.d Hiking / Walking

Akame 48 Waterfalls　赤目48滝

April 6th. 2024 Yoshinoyama mistake Michi no eki Kudoyama gave us an unexpectedly restful night being much less busy than anticipated. We rise earlier than usual and are soon on the way to Yoshinoyama to visit the temple and view its abundance of cherry blossom. We leave early as we expect it to be very busy, Sakura season, Saturday, and the last weekend of spring break. As we get closer still well before 9am. We hit significant traffic. This gets worse and worse, but we persevere as we were expecting the place to be busy. In the end, sitting in almost motionless traffic, on a steep incline watching the hoards […]