A news crew documents the first day of Maple Corridor Illumination. Summer took long this year so the leaves have still been getting enough sunshine and chlorophyll, staying green and delaying autumn. It is when the weather gets too cold, hours of sun are shorter, and the leaves are deprived of chlorophyll that they turn…
Category: Nature
Tenjo Yama Park Mt. Kachi Ropeway
For a Mt. Fuji Sighting Site, take the Lake Kawaguchi Mt. Tenjō Ropeway to get to the peak of Mount Tenjō, famous for being the place of the Kachi-kachi Story. If you have time to go to the Fujiya Cookie store before or after your ropeway ride, try the different flavours of Mt. Fuji-shaped cookies. (They…
“Spring of the Gods”: Oshino Hakkai Springs
Not-to-be-missed Mt. Fuji World Cultural Heritage Site and Japanese national monument, Oshino Hakkai Springs is situated in an idyllic, picturesque village in the Fuji Five Lakes region where you can explore nature, history, food, and culture while chasing Mt. Fuji. On a clear day, you might see her majesty, the elusive Fujisan. If you happen…
Planning Hakone Day Trip from Tokyo
Driver-san took us to the mountain top to see this: He said, “Kaba.” That was because the gorgeous scenery in front of us was on the cover (kaba) of the Hakone travel magazine!!!😍 What a lovely view to cap our Hakone visit! Not bad for an iPhone camera (my shot, not the magazine’s 🙂 [Thank…
Lake Ashi Cruise Hakone and Taxi Information
I’ve been on a Lake Ashi Cruise before but I’m so thankful that this time, the Hakone Sightseeing Cruise we took, takes a different route altogether. [I showed Driver-san the picture of the red pirate ship and I tried oh so hard to tell him that this is the lake cruise I want to take….
Owakudani, Hakone
Breathtaking not only for the full circle majestic nature views but also for the air’s sulphuric vapor [#cough]… around 3000 years ago, Hakone Volcano had an eruption which formed this valley called Owakudani (translated as “Boiling Valley” but sometimes referred to as “Hell Valley” by locals). It has active sulphur vents and hot springs. (Please…
Sengokuhara Pampas Grass Fields, Hakone
Lustrous silvery-gold heads of Pampas grass dance gracefully to the rhythm of the wind on the rolling fields of Mount Hakone. Perfect setting for a romantic movie scene 😍😄❤️🌈💐 . Sengokuhara Pampas (Susuki) Grass Field parts in the middle like the Red Sea allowing an exodus of men, women, and children to ascend the hills…
Venetian Glass Museum, Hakone
Twinkle, twinkle, little star! Er….. I mean glass! Thousands of them! In broad daylight! Little pieces of Venetian Glass gently sway to and fro to the blowin’ in the wind as they hang from trees and a towering bridge canopy . They reflect the light they catch, producing a majestic sparkling wonderland. Add stunning glass sculptures set…
Forest Bathing in Historical Village, Hokkaido
Forest-bathing, apparently… is a thing! The Japanese concept called Shinrin-yoku (森林浴) is a therapeutic leisure activity of being in a forest, taking in the fresh air while doing nature walks and is thought to 1. Relieve stress 2. Detoxify the mind and body from an electronically charged environment 3. Lower blood pressure 4. Decrease anxiety,…
Historical Village, Hokkaido
One of the most elaborate and relatable interactive museums on Japanese culture and history I’ve been to is Historical Village, Hokkaido. It is an expansive open-air museum that contains sixty typical buildings from the Meiji and Taisho periods from different parts of Hokkaido. Flowers from the trees had been falling to the train tracks which…
BUTTERFLY IN THE SPRING 