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…
Category: Travel
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…
The Little Prince Museum, Hakone
“What is essential is invisible to the eye.” -Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, The Little Prince The Little Prince has become a phenomenon: 200 million books sold worldwide translated into 290 languages; a successful movie with 23 million viewers; 80-episode television series broadcasted in 50 countries; a musical play; the first aerial park in the world located…
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…
Sweet Secrets at Shiroi Koibito Park, Hokkaido
Behind this wall, Cookie Disneyland! Langue de Chat [Lengua de Gato] sandwich with white chocolate filling. Maybe you’re familiar with the famous cookie! In the unlikely event that you are not, Langue de Chat means “cat’s tongue” to connote the oval shape and thinness of the delicate French cookie that “melts” easily in your mouth. Ishiya’s…
Otaru 2: Canal Cruise
Otaru’s iconic symbol, the Otaru Canal, was completed in 1923 when Western influence penetrated Japan and ships coming in to Hokkaido came through Otaru’s port. Large shipping vessels used to unload their goods to smaller ships which in turn brought the supplies to the warehouses that lined the canal. In the 1980’s, a private citizen…
Otaru 1: Market & Sakaimachi
Otaru is a charming little harbor city less than a half hour by train from Sapporo; in light of this, it has become a “bedroom community” or commuter town wherein people live here while working in the now more-crowded ( and more pricey) urban center of Sapporo. Preserved historical buildings throughout this city has given…
Sapporo City Trek
After watching the Filipino film Kita Kita, I got so excited to see Hokkaido which was filmed in this region! [Kita Kita Filming Locations] Hokkaido’s capital, Sapporo, is a convenient base for the region. Getting around (except for the Furano lavender area) is easy with trains, even from the New Chitose Airport. With a little…
Rest Area Hokkaido
You spend two hours on a highway. All you need is to stretch your legs or go to the Jane (or John). Then you come to a surprise! That’s what happened on this day… After our Hokkaido Tour, our guide, Rie-san (right) and driver, Seki-san (left) ended our Furano/ Biei tour to get back to…
BUTTERFLY IN THE SPRING 