Category: An Epic Adventure

Exploring the World – 2017

May 11: Takayama to KiiTanabe

Getting from place to place in Japan is easy in that there are trains that go everywhere, but at the same time it can take awhile with transfers and navigating the sometimes very large and confusing stations. We had an early start in Takayama, and were able to get reserved seats on all three trains; I was worried about the…

May 10: Takayama

This is a lovely small town, and there’s so much to see nearby; it’s unfortunate when time is limited! We set off this morning for Hika No Sato, a folk village just to the south of the railway station. The hotel desk clerk sent us off beyond the turn, but that allowed us to see little streets and gardens and…

May 9: Nagano to Obuse and Takayama

Our train to Takayama, the next stop on what seems to be this whistle-stop tour of Japan, didn’t leave until 11:45, so we decided to get up early and visit Obuse, a small village just to the NE of Nagano. It is an adorable town, with several walking paths through chestnut groves and past a sake brewery. The view of…

May 8: Matsumoto

I’m not certain which was more visually arresting — the Matsumoto Castle or the Japan Alps. To have them both in one photo was almost overwhelming. After a 45 minute express train ride over some hills and through some tunnels we arrived in the valley framed by the snowy peaks. Matusmoto is a major crossroads at the heart of Chibu,…

May 4: Nikko

Another road trip outside of Tokyo — north to Nikko. We took several trains to get there, and upon leaving the next to last station, all the workers lined up and waved goodbye to our train. Interesting sight.The mountainous region of Nikko is so enchanting that as long ago as the 8th C it attracted the attention of influential priests.…