Tohoku Road Trip

After taking a bus south to Fukuyama to rent a small mini-van specially converted to make camping easy from the wonderful couple who own Hero Travel, my Australian friend, Alex; former Skyview exchange student, Daisuke; and Daisuke's fellow Okinawan, Maki, and I drove over 4200km of Honshu, the main island of Japan.

Starting Out (Daisuke is eating beef jerkey--not what you think he's doing!)

Nyuuto Onsen: a very old hot springs resort in Akita

"Kappa no Yuu": a free hot springs along a mountain stream in the Yagen Valley of the Shimokita  Peninsula in Aomori.

Osorezan in Aomori is said to look like the Buddhist version of Hell.

A river valley in Hiraizumi, Iwate.

Ouchijuku, an original post town along a mountain pass in Iwate.

Tsuruga Castle in Aizu-Wakamatsu

The temple atop Mount Haguro in Yamagata.

A bridge along the pilgrim's path to Mount Haguro in Yamagata

View from the top of Yama-dera, the mountain temple in Yamagata

Yama-dera, main building.

Statue at Yama-dera.

The bridge at Matsushima in Miyagi

View from the mountain road between Nikko and Nagano.

Matsumoto Castle in Nagano.

Nikko in Tochigi.

Nikko in Tochigi.

Hear No Evil. Speak No Evil. See No Evil.  (Nikko)

A brief glimps of Fuji at 5:00 am before the clouds covered it.

Narai, an old post town in Nagano.

Tsumago, 2nd post town in Nagano.

Magome, 3rd post town in Nagano.

A hyacinth in bloom.

Final Odometer Reading.

Cherry Blossoms

Spring is one of the most beautiful times in Japan, especially when the cherry blossoms, or sakura, come into full bloom and millions of Japanese fill the parks for cherry-blossom-viewing picnics called hanami. Cherry blossoms symbolize both the beauty and impermanence of life and their arrival is eagerly anticipated every spring. The school year also begins as the sakura start to bloom and, so, many Japanese feel both a sense of nostalgia for the past while simultaneously embracing hope for new beginnings. Unfortunately, I didn't get to any major temples or shrines this year, so the pictures I'm posting don't really do justice.

Okinawa

We had a refreshing trip to Okinawa, where we stayed at the Rizzan Sea Resort and visited the world class Chura-Umi Aquarium and beautiful Shuri Castle.  Our hotel room overlooked the beach and I enjoyed taking a morning bath in the communal onsen, soaking in nice hot water and gazing out over the ocean as the sea breeze awoke the senses.   It was nice to get away from the big city life and enjoy spending time with the kids.  If given the chance to go back when the kids are old enough to snorkel, I'd definitely do it.  Here are some pictures:

Kurashiki & Okayama

Canal in Kurashiki, Okayama

Traditional Streetscape in Kurashiki

Okayama Castle & Moat

Okayama Castle

Nagata Shrine in Kobe

Casks of Sake

A Very, Very Old Tree

Tori Gate = Entrance to Shrine

Nagata Shrine in Kobe, Japan 

 Bundles of 1,000 Origami Cranes.

Stone Lanterns are Common Decor.

After stuffing ourselves with over 30 plates of $1 sushi at a revolving sushi bar, we decided to take a stroll through Nagata Shrine in Kobe.  The pictures you see above are pretty typical of Japanese Shinto Shrines.  All Shrines have a Tori at their entrance, usually made of wood or stone in their natural colors, or painted a bright red, like this one.  It is also common to see stone lanterns, flags on bamboo poles, and casks of sake on the grounds of a shrine.  Bundles of 1,000 origami cranes are folded and offered to the gods by people who are serious about trying to make their wishes come true.  Finally, it is also not uncommon to see exceptionally old trees within a shrine's perimeter--quite often the trees themselves are worshiped as the manifestation of honored spirits. Notice the tremendous girth of this particular tree as it overshadows my two kids, standing in front of it.

A Day in Osaka

Osaka Castle

Japanese Spider Crab (2-3 feet in diameter)

January has been cold, but once we get through the first two weeks of February the worst of winter is over. I'm battling a sore throat and the flu has been going around, but so far we've avoided it.

I took the kids to Osaka (Japan's 2nd largest city) on Saturday.  First, we went to the aquarium where they saw thousands of different species of marine life, then we took a trip to Osaka Castle, which has an excellent museum inside.  Unfortunately, they were pretty much done with it once they'd climbed to the top and looked out over the ramparts.  They seemed a little tired, but I drug them to Osaka Kids Plaza where they managed to kill another two hours easily.  It's a three-story play area and kids' museum with all kinds of things for children to enjoy.  By the time we got back home, they were thoroughly exhausted, and so was I, but it was nice to enjoy a fun packed day together.