Hodosan shrine, one of my top ten favorite shrines of all time, is one of those rare shrines that is well worth going out of your way to visit. Apart from its intriguing 1900 year history, the beauty and detail of the shrine and the grounds will captivate you inRead More →
I have been to several dams in Japan over the years. They are all very picturesque and the engineering admirable. I never really had a favorite… until earlier this month. I was instantly bewitched when I visited the Shimokubo Dam that straddles Fujioka City in Gunma and Kamikawa town inRead More →
Toryu bridge (also called Toryumon) is over the Ara River (Arakawa) in the Mitsumine area of the former Otaki Village in Chichibu, Saitama. Toryu Bridge Toryu Bridge is a footbridge at the start of the “omotesando”, the sacred trail, to the famous Mitsumine Shrine. The hike from the bridge toRead More →
Hatchoko Park is the park around the eponymous Lake Hatcho in Yoshimi town in the Hiki District of Saitama. Lake Hatcho is a man-made lake in a natural woody hillside in the Prefectural Hiki Nature Park. Hatchoko Park In my personal opinion there is nothing exceptional about Hatchoko park. Don’tRead More →
Sabo Dam with hydrangea and seasonal flowers in Tokigawa Town. Five year old really wanted to play in some water today. However, most of the water play areas in parks are closed on account of the Coronavirus. It was a blessing in disguise, because instead we went to a SuzumegawaRead More →
Sakuranoyama Park is located in Ogose Town, Saitama, Japan. It is a small park, but very picturesque in spring. As you can probably guess, it is thanks to the eponymous cherry blossoms (sakura) of the park. And as the name also suggests it is a mountainside (yama) park. The parkRead More →
Ogose town is full of surprises. This year we have visited the town several times and unearthed lots of hidden treasures. Such as the purple mountain, the crying dam, Cafe St Gallen (Kuroyama Kosenkan) to name but a few. Last year, when visiting Godaison, one of Ogose’s better known attractions,Read More →
Kuroyama is a beautiful, mystical, rugged area of Ogose town. It is best known for the three waterfalls of Kuroyama (Kuroyama Santaki), which were once ranked as the 9th most scenic waterfalls in Japan. They don’t enjoy as much fame these days and the area – while beautiful – doesRead More →
The crying dam and mannequin pis, Akasakazawa Dam, in the woods of the Kosugi area of Ogose hiking Town, Saitama Prefecture. The crying dam The Akasakazawa Dam is a dam of the Akasaka river, a tributary of the larger Mugihara river. It is nicknamed (and better known as) the cryingRead More →
Wintersweet Nagatoro / Minano, Chichibu at Hodosan Robaien. The festival information is toward the bottom of the post. In the hottest month of the year, I am nostalgic for the coldest month of the year. And judging by my blogs currently trending posts, it would seem I am not theRead More →