Blog

Spot report – Kakubu-en and Sankyo-soko (2024-11-09)

After visiting Juroku-rakan-iwa, Webmaster took train from Fukura Station to Sakata Station for about 20 minutes, and visited Kakubu-en Japanese Garden and Sankyo-soko Storeouses in Sakata.   Access from Tokyo to Sakata: Haneda AP, Tokyo (plane 0:55) Shonai AP (bus 0:30) Sakata @ Tokyo (shinkansen 2:15) Niigata (express train 2:15) Sakata @   Sakata Station   Kakubu-en is a five-minute… Read more →

Spot report – Juroku-rakan-wa (2024-11-02)

Last week, Webmaster visited Juroku-rakan-wa – the relief of sixteen Buddhist saints on a rock face in Yamagata Prefecture.   Access to Juroku-rakan-wa: Tokyo (shinkansen 2:15) Niigata (express train 2:25) Yuza (local train 0:06) Fukura (walk 0:15) @ Haneda AP, Tokyo (plane 0:55) Shonai AP (bus 0:30) Sakata (local train 0:21) Fukura (walk 0:15) @   I took a train… Read more →

Spot report – Night view of Hakodate (2024-10-21)

Webmaster had a business trip to Hakodate in Hokkaido Prefecture, and visited Hakodate-yama Hill by ropeway for enjoying the night view of the city in the free time.   Access to the ropeway: Haneda AP, Tokyo (plane 1:20) Hakodate AP (bus 0:20) Hakodate-ekimae (tram 0:07) Jujigai (walk 0:10) @ Tokyo (shinkansen 4:15) Shin-hakodate-hokuto (local train 0:23) Hakodate (walk 0:05) Hakodate-ekimae… Read more →

Spot report – Nikko-shirane Ropeway (2024-10-14)

Webmaster had a short trip to Gunma Prefecture and took Nikko-shirane Ropeway in the trip. Access: Tokyo (shinkansen 1:15) Jomokogen (bus 1:30) Kamata (bus 0:25) Nikko-shiranesan-ropeway @   The lower station of the ropeway   During the ride of the ropeway   Finally, I arrived at the upper station with an altitude of 2,000m.   There is a garden with… Read more →

Spot report – Gongendo Park (2024-07-22)

Webmaster visited Gongendo Park of Saitama Prefecture last week.   Access: Tokyo (local train 1:00) Satte (bus 0:08) Gongendo (walk 0:01) @ This park is famous for cherry blossom in spring. (Source: https://gongendo.jp/)   Although cherry blossom had finished already, the park offers the visitors comfortable walking trail under the tree shade of cherry.       And now, the… Read more →

Spot report – Ryogami Mountain (2024-06-07)

Webmaster had a mountain hike at Mt. Ryogami in Saitama Prefecture last week. Although it was cloudy, I enjoyed a pleasant walk in nature.   The mountain path is laid along a gorge in the first part.     A waterfall in the gorge     Some Azalea flowers pleased the hikers.     Huge beech trees aside the path… Read more →

Season’s topic – Cherry blossoms finally have come (2024-04-07)

Cherry blossoms have finally come! Due to the low temperature in March, they have come about two weeks later than last year.   Today, Webmaster had a walk to a park nearby to appreciate the flowers.   As this park is locally famous for cherry blossom, it was not crowded. In fact there are many other such local places in… Read more →

Spot report – Miyajima Island (2024-03-19)

After Itsukushima-jinja Shrine, Webmaster visited some other interesting spots.   Firstly, I visited Miyajima Aquarium which is only a 5-minute walk from the shrine.   Some photos in the aquarium     After the aquarium, I took lunch at a restaurant nearby. It was anago-meshi which was a charcoal-broiled conger eel on steamed rice in box. It tasted good, but… Read more →

Spot report – Itsukushima-jinja Shrine (2024-03-18)

Webmaster visited Miyajima Island last month where world-famous Itsukushima-jinja Shrine is located.   Access: Osaka Shin-osaka (shinkansen 1:30) Hiroshima (local train 0:26) Miyajima-guchi (walk 0:05) Miyajima-guchi Port (ferry 0:10) Miyajima-ko (walk 0:10) @   After getting of the train, we need to take ferry to go to Miyajima Island.   Rafts of oyster farm can be seen on the way.… Read more →

Spot report – Yoshimi-hyakuana (2024-03-17)

Webmaster visited Yoshimi-hyakuana meaning hundred caves of Yoshimi. These caves are collective tombs in the late 6th to 7th Century designated as Nationally Designated Historical Site.   Access: Tokyo (local train 0:24) Ikebukuro (local train 0:55) Higashi-matsuyama (bus 0:05) Hyakuana-iriguchi (walk 0:08) @   This is the entrance to the caves. We need to pay for \300 yen to enter.… Read more →