take off!!

Hi all, it's been a while!

December of Japan, it's cold, dry, less rain, and busy.

things with me, I went to OKINAWA a few weeks ago!


Do you know where Okinawa is? check google map :D

so now you know.

I was so happy to see such a beautiful view frying over the Japan.

here is my rule, sit on the window seat when it's a short flight:)



Notice:
from 2014, 3,30, ANA, all  Nippon Airways start the flight from Haneda, Tokyo to Vancouver, Canada! it's easier access to center of Tokyo. No more Air Canada? maybe no :D I like it, as well.

kayak @lake ashino-ko, hakone

Hey, all!


One day, the end of summer, I enjoyed kayaking at Lake Ashinoko, Hakone,

It was windy so that kind of hard to paddle!

Kayak is what I really like doing :D How about you guys?

Even Japan, yes you can enjoy outdoor like kayak easily!

When is the next kayak in Canada....

Let me know if you know somewhere beautiful place to go kayak in Canada or somewhere else.

by now!

harvest moon

it's been a while, how have you been?

Here Japan, day by day is getting close to autumn.

This summer was very hot everyday and made me tired!

In august, we have a day of harvest moon which is a traditional day from ancient time.

This year of the day was full moon and beautiful evening so I could see beautiful full moon.

Can you see a rabbit in moon? It was said from long time ago that a rabbit is living there.

sulfur Mt IOU 硫黄山

Hi,

Have you ever smelled Sulfur?

Do you like it ?


Here is Mt IOU yama, Hokkaido and you'll see a lot of smoke around here.

feel earth, nature and smell :D

Lake KUSSYARO ko 屈斜路湖

Hola!

Kussie

Here is one of the lakes in Hokkaido named lake KUSSYARO-KO!

Someone said that KUSSIE are living in this lake like NESSIE :D Do you believe in this?

If you find it, let me know!

Japanese Confectionery 和菓子

 Hey,

Take a look at those pictures, please :) What do you think of this?

real hydrangea

with green tea

We Japanese eat chocolate, candy, cake, cookie, snack as well as Wagashi!

Wagashi suites usually hot Green tea!

The key to eat Wagashi, first look at Wagashi carefully and enjoy watching it and feel something such as seasons, meaning. color, shape, and so on and then taste it.

Wagashi professional confectioners have very difficult skills so that they can make those by their hands. They are same as artists, I think.

There are so many kinds of Wagashi here in Japan, so please try some when you are here with Green tea. Wagashi is sweet so that bitter green tea goes with it well. 

view from BIHORO pass 美幌峠からの景色

 R243, it is the beautiful driving road of Hokkaido.

Now you know that Japan is like concrete jungle :D

I hope you visit not only Tokyo but other country areas.

Country road and view 田舎道と風景

hey

Very Hokkaido view, I think!

Driving though Hokkaido is so much fun :D

Oshin-Koshin falls オシンコシンの滝

hydrangea 紫陽花

Hey

As I said before, Japanese feel each season from flowers. Like Cherry blossom are sing of Spring.

Now It's the middle of TSUYU, the rainy season before real summer. A sign of TSUYU is hydrangea here in Japan. I don't know other countries case.

Those days I can see so many kinds of hydrangea from all over the world.

I think the blue or pink ones in the pictures are hydrangea I used to see in Japan from child.

How about comparing with ones in your country. and then let me know the difference :D

Most flowers suit with sun very much, however hydrangea with rain is perfect match! Don't you think so too?

Here is Hakone, there are a lot of hydrangea along the railroad. So that the trains are called Ajisai densya, Hydrangea train! Sounds lovely, doesn't it?

dried herring にしんの干物

Herring is famous for Hokkaido! Usually we eat dried herring.

It very suits with beer :D

Try some when you are in Hokkaido!

deer 鹿

While driving a car near the Shiretoko pass, the deer was!

Shretoko cruising 知床遊覧船

elephant rock

tons of seabirds

falls

Hi there,

the Shiretoko Peninsula is long! Only some boats can go to around the tip, and then no road on the land. that's why the Shiretoko Peninsula has the untouched natural environment.

During cruising you can see a lot of beautiful nature and if you are lucky, you could see bears.
Not forget bringing a telescope!

By the way, in mid winter, drift ice are coming. I think every season of Shiretoko is beautiful to see it.

 

Lake Shiretoko Goko 知床五湖

Lake Shiretoko goko,  which means five lakes of Shiretoko


You may encounter some bears during walking around lakes!

Before start walking, you need to have a lecture about bears.

Around all lakes of the trail is  easy to walk and flat.

Enjoy hiking here :D

FOOD of Hokkaido 北海道の食べ物

dinner, all you can eat!

rahmen

breakfast all you can eat

Hi,

Speaking of Hokkaido...

FOOD is super. I'm sure many people go to Hokkaido to enjoy food.

I know everywhere Japan is basically high standard of delicious food, but Hokkaido is much better than other areas. I bet :D

You need to be ready to put on some weights during trip!!

all pictures are food at hotel we stayed

Shretoko-Kita kobushi, It is the one of best hotel of Shiretoko,

Enjoy food and hot springs!

sunset in Shretoko 知床の夕陽

Hey

Here is SHIRETOKO, HOKKAIDO

When we were driving down from Shiretoko pass, it was just sunset

Hokkaido, I think everything even sun seems to be bigger than Tokyo.

Trip to Hokkaido is always awesome!

Souunzan, Hakone 箱根 早雲山

Souunzan area, HAKONE, here is National Park of Japan


Convenient access from Tokyo and lots of beautiful nature

I really recommend that you choose here as one of the destinations in Japan.

Take time to see around all of Hakone for a few days, because Hakone has some areas you should see.

school uniform 制服

Hi,

Did you have some school uniform when you were a student?

I think many schools of Japan have still own uniform.

Everyone put on same things as other students.

Same as otheres is a kind of good thing here in Japan.

tea time at micuras atami ミクラス熱海

Hotel micuras, Atami

After a long walk, How about take five here?

Kitty, 猫

Hey

The cat I met in Hakone, Kanagawa.

you may see come cats when you walk down street in Japan.

Please be nice to them, but not to feed them.

Hayakawa,river 早川

Hey,

Here is Hayakawa river, Hakone Yumoto

Sitting by the river, feel summer and cool window from water.

It was nice afternoon.

Fujiyama and Shinkansen 富士山と新幹線

shinkansen

FUJIYAMA from shinkansen

Hey, all

Did you hear yet? FUJIYAMA is going to be world cultural heritage! Sounds awesome?

I think there are so many places where you can see Mt Fuji.

One of the way is taking SHINKANSEN! If you are planing to go down to Kyoto from Tokyo, try this way! tips are....better to take KODAMA-Shinkansen, because it's slower then Hikari and Nozomi. Also it stops Mishima Station where you can see Mt Fuji, so that you have a time to take some pictures, right? Don't ride KODAMA until Kyoto, because it takes time too much! How about changing to Hikari at Shizuoka or Hamamatsu. Another tip is that you'd better sit on seat E, window side. NOT A, ok? Seat E is always side of Fujiyama.

Climbing Mt Fuji is probably great, but just seeing from window is also beautiful.

In the last, everything is up to weather, which means up to your daily behavior :D