"Walk On A Trail" taigaa001's Profile

Yui 2012

Happy New Year 2012
I celebrated the second day of the new year with Utsunoya Hike. This time I tried older Tokaido Highway nicknamed as Tsuta-no-Hosomchi. The photo is taken at the divide for Tokaido and Tsutano Hosomichi. This place is one of the possible points where Hiroshige's Okabe might have been based on.

Utsunoya Pass Walk Pt.1

Photo Taken at Tokaido Utsunoya Trail, Shizuoka. December 25, 2011
One of the typical complaints about Tokaido Walk is that there are so much traffic on the Tokaido Road. If you choose the right place, however, you can enjoy a quiet walk. Utsunoya Pass Trail between Tokaido stop Mariko and Okabe is one of such exceptions. After Meiji Tunnel became popular there have been less and less people walking along the old Tokaido Road. Yet the road is well managed.

Rengejiike Park December 11, 2011

Photo Taken at Rengejiike Park, Fujieda.
I went up to the west hill part of Rengejiike Park, which I like best for walking, on a clear day in winter you can see Mt. Fuji from the hilltop. But I have never seen cloudless Mt. Fuji like this before.

Autumn Leaves in Tokyo
Photo Taken at Gotokuji Temple, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo

Visiting Okazaki

Japanese people endure long and congested road to get the view of maple leaves turned red as far as Korankei, more than one hour bus ride from Higashi Okazaki station. During peak season it will take twice as much time to get there. Rokusho Shrine in Okazaki is only five minutes walk from the Higashi Okazaki station and you can have a nice views of both the maples and excellently constructed buildings four of which are desgnated as Important Cultural Assets. Yes four buildings. Haiden(Oratory) and Honden(Main Building),Heiden are connected. These set of buildings were constructed during the Iyemitsu and Iyetsune days when Nikko Toshogu Shrine complex and Kunozan Toshogu buildings were built just like it is today.

Exploring Hamamatsu Suburbs

Momijiyama Garden, Shizuoka

Conical shaped mound is called "Tsukiyama" in Japanese garden term. This tsukiyama is modeled after Mt. Fuji. The most popular Mt. Fuji-styled tsukiyama is located in Suizenji Park in Kumamoto. Suizenji Park was created to show the scenic spots in Tokaido Highway in reduced size. Momijiyama Garden has similar concept. It was designed to show the beautiful spots of Shizuoka in reduced size. Just guess what part of the garden denotes which scenic spots in Shizuoka.

On 10th of October I went to the Shizuoka Prefectural Museum of Art, best known by its Rodin Wing. I love the gardens around the museum. Grassy park near the museum are full of people and it is also a start for the Nihondaira Hike.

After The Tropical Storm

Today I visited Toro Ruins in Shizuoka, known by one of the most popular Yayoi era ruins about 2,000 years ago. Some of the reconstructed ancient residencial huts suffered some minor damage due to the Tropical Storm Roke that passed Shizuoka three days before. A cedar tree near the parking lot fell because of the storm.

Viewing Banryu Tower From A Grassy Park

Kiyosu Castle and Tokugawaen Garden

Tokaido #42 Kuwana 2011

After visiting Miya-juku in Atsuta-ku, Nagoya I felt like visiting the next stop Kuwana. Kuwana is now one of the commuter towns for Nagoya and is connected by the two train lines, Kansai and Kintetsu Nagoya line. After getting off at Kuwana station I went to Jazzdream Nagashima, one of the biggest outlet malls in western Japan. After getting back from Nagashima Spa Resort area, I enjoyed the downtown area of Kuwana including Rokkaen garden, Shichiri-no-Watashi site and Kyuka park, a castle ruin.

History of Kuwana dates back at least late 7th century when the Prince Oh-amato and Prince Otomo fought each other for throne succession. Kuwana has some historical sites related to Prince Oh-Amato who later became Emperor Temmu and his wife who later became Empress Jito. Empress Jito is recently known by some of the Japanese anime fans who love Tenjo No Niji, the story about Empress Jito.
The above photo is what we call "sazareishi" or Calcareous Breccia in Kaizoji temple in Kuwana. We are familiar with Sazareishi because it is described in our national anthem Kimigayo as an auspicious symbol of longlasting prosperity of Imperial family.

Tokaido #41 Miya 2011

It's hard to locate Tokaido #41 lodging station, "Miya" . Former Tokaido lodging station had nearly been wiped out with the exception of the grand shrine, Atsuta Shrine, and Seven-ri-ferry port monument which survived the World War II air raids and typhoon attack in 1959. Atsuta Shrine and Shiratori Teien, however, are some of the places which make the visit to the former Miya-juku area worthwhile. The above photo is taken at one of the ponds at Shiratori Garden. I could finally identify the biological name of the dragonfly yesterday. Rhyothemis fuliginosa is a dragonfly with blue wings found in East Asia. Japanese name is CHOTOMBO, literally, "butterfly-like dragonfly".

Also see my Nagoya Page.
**Recent Trips
Ojima Jinya and Shimizu Forest Park
Chibasan Chimanji in Shimada
Webpages on Chimanji temple
Mount Chiba, Tripadvisor reviews

Tochiyamagawa Park

Shirafuji Fall

Shirafuji Fall is one of the seven falls of Shirafuji in Fujieda. It has the height of 33 meters. Even a hot and humid day like today, the waterfalls brings cool air. Also the waterfall areas are rich in wild plants and along the agri-road near the waterfall I found the foamy eggs of Forest Green Tree Frog. These tree-living frogs are heavily protected in Japan and in Shizuoka, they live in Izu, Abe midstream areas in Shizuoka, Mariko, Okabe and Northern parts of Fujieda.

Tokimeki Kaiyukan of Discovery Park, Yaizu

Japanese Iris Garden in Rengejiike Park, Fujieda
In Rengejiike Park in Fujieda, there is a Japanese Iris garden and mid June is the best season for the Japanese Iris we call SHOBU. Also hydrangeas of the park started to bloom. In July the park will be a nice place to watch lotus flowers.

Iwata and Hamamatsu

Walking Along Wadahama Coast, Yaizu
When I went to the Wadahama coast area Tsunami evacuation drill was going on and I went up to the top floor of Yaizu Discovery Park Main Building, Tokimeki Kaiyukan, about thirty meters above sea level.

May 14, Miho In Sea False Bindweed Season

On my way to Miho I got a photo of Abe river just as Hiroshige described in his Tokaido series #20 Fuchu. The mountain is also known as Abe castle ruins on top of the mountain 435 meters in elevation. After getting to Miho Pine Grove I enjoyed walking along Kamagasaki Path and a bike road that leads to Miho Lighthouse. Miho Lighthouse area is a nice place to watch the ships go by and view Mt. Fuji.
Hakone Hike From Mishima to Yamanaka Castle

I tried one of the toughest segments of Tokaido Highway. Tokaido Trail from Mishima to Yamanaka Castle is about 9 kilometers in length but not so many hikers ever try this and even so occasionally used as a downhill trail. The unpopularness of the trail may have come from the fact that it is very difficult to trace. Old trails and new turnpike join and seperate much too often and the hikers may miss the start of the older trail. Also elevation difference of more than 550 meters. No brainer for mountain climbers. But not so for casual highway hikers.

Also see my Mishima Page

Minaguchiya in 2011
What happened to Minaguchiya Inn in Okitsu which was covered by Life magazine back in 1960s? Like many inns of the Tokaido Minagushiya closed business as an inn in 1985. It is now a part of Verkehr Museum, a maritime museum in Shimizu. The large part of inn area is now used as a corporate training center. Also see my Okitsu page.

Hamamatsu In Cherry Viewing Season
I went to Hamamatsu on April 10, when it was in the best cherry-viewing season. Hamamatsu Castle Park was really crowded so I managed to take some photos of a castle and some photos of the gardens. Other places I went are Hirano Art Museum, Gosha and Suwa Shrines, and Zaza City.

Walking Along Yamanobe Trail, Okabe

First trip After 3-11 Disaster

On March 26 I went to Hamakita Forest Park again. This time I took a slow train Tenryu Hamanako line to get there. Riding a train and using no gas is the most energy-saving way to trip I guess. After enjoying the walks in the forest park I dropped by a day-trip spa facility, Aratamano Yu. There is a bus service to the station, so I took a bus to the station and took a train and got back to Kakegawa through Enshu Hamanako line.
Tokaido Hike From Kanaya To Kakegawa

Kanaya to Kakegawa is a five-hour hike, particularly, I enjoyed Sayo-no Nakayama and Nissaka part.

Okabe: Satoyama Trail
see my Okabe page
Fukuroi Walking Trail #8

There are 13 hiking trails in Fukuroi and I chose #8 because the trail visits castle ruins, a nice pond and two of the three major temples, Yusanji and Kasuisai. The trail is a bit too long so I only had twenty minutes for Kasuisai. I hope I can cover Hattasan for the next Fukuroi hike.

Tasting Green Tea(Macha) Ice Cream

I went on a hike in Kanaya. It was a fine day and Mt. Fuji view from the Makinohara Plateau was great. I tried Green Tea Ice Cream for the first time. It is a growing fad, and when I took my Chinese friends to Ocha No Sato, they also seemed to love it. Now I tried it at Ocha No Sato in Kanaya. Well, the taste is not bad. But it has the kind of strange feeling, a bit bitter, a bit bland but really light. Probably a low-sugar, healthful dessert.

Nihonzaka Pass Trail

On 14th of January I went to hike Nihonzaka Pass Trail joining two great areas Osaka in Shizuoka and Hanazawa in Yaizu both having good old Japanese rural landscape.

Yamanobe Trail

Yamanobe Trail is a 3-hour hiking trail passing the rustic part of Okabe.

It's an easy hike and view is very great and has some historical sites.

Villa Garden of Tanaka Castle, Fujieda

Visiting Gotoh Museum
See my Setagaya page in detail.

September, 2010

Futamata and Hamakita(September 18, 2010)

Toyohashi (September 11, 2010)

July 2010
Miho
kakegawa
Fujieda