Volcanoes

The temples, shrines, fine cuisine are all highlights however part and parcel of the country is the urban jungle. Finding our way around Shinjuku station, one of the worlds busiest train stations the other day was a daunting task and our compass didn't help at all. So it came as no suprise that during our holiday around the South of Japan, the National Parks held the greatest interest for us.




In particular the Aso caldera and Krishima Yaku National Park in Kyushu; the Aso caldera measures 20km across, one of the largest in the world. Rising from the centre of the caldera are several volcanoes. Aso san is still active. It has erupted more than 150 times making it the most active in the world. It constantly spews sulphur dioxide gas which required a little thought before heading off up the mountain.

Jo in Japan

We have had a couple of weeks having a good look around the South with Japanese rail passes that allowed us to get on and off the train as much as we liked: great value. (They need to be purchased before arriving in Japan.) Jo loved being whisked around by the famous Shinkansen bullet train at cool speeds of up to 270km/h.

Eating sushi he is in his element. Raw fish, seafood or vegetables top of vinegared rice with wasabi, dipped in soy sauce, you're supposed to eat each piece in one bite (quite a mouthful, even for us) or else it falls to bits. Our favourite sushi reataurants are where small plates of sushi circulate on a conveyer belt on the counter. We reach for the dishes we want and pay for the number taken. As you can see Jo has a sizeable stack in front of him.

We met this guy at the Korakuen Garden at Okayama, considered one of the three most beautifully landscaped gardens in Japan. (The Japanese love to rate everything!) Completed in 1700 after 14 years of work. Pond, running streams, pine trees, plum and cherry trees, azaleas and hydrangas, bamboo groves, tea houses and tea plantations. He was a volunteer guide who had his work cut out trying hard to speak English from his notes as it thundered and poured with rain. We ended up drinking coffee instead.

Jo pats a stone turtles head for good luck at this grave established in 1664. It is famous for midnight strolls that terrorised residents.

We stayed at a business hotel; miniscule rooms fitted with everything you need. This guest delighter was lollies and chips to dip in chocolate in the reception, mmm.

Great food at this family restaurant that has been running for 40 years, the girls and mum were delightful. The menu: yakizakana (grilled fish) vegetable, tofu, soup, rice and tea, $12 for both of us.

Last weekends walk - Mitake

What more could I want from a walk up a sacred mountain...a cable car for the first steep part, an attractive temple and great views of Fuji-san. By now it's getting humid so up in the mountains there is some relief.

Visiting Tsukiji Fish Market

Frozen tuna

One of the largest wholesale fish markets in the world, this market begins at about 3 am (one of my goals is to get there early...)

Theres so much happening, wheelbarrows and carts flying, hawkers shouting, knives chopping.

Anything thats edible from the sea can be found as it is all actioned off. Fish come from Africa, America and as we know NZ waters....

I have never tasted fish so fresh as I have here, the sushi breakfast at the market was out of this world. Raw fish is delicious it melts in my mouth.

Forests in Japan

Forests of beech. silver fir, broad leaf ever greens and mangroves once carpeted Japan. However with postwar economic boom and construction these forests have mainly been decimated. Now we have cedar and cypress untended with the flood of imported timber.

Around 67% of Japan is forested, 40% is commercial plantations and the country has come close to losing its most spectacular natural forests.

There were 206 endangered species (listed in 1991) due to hunting, habitat destruction and environmental pollution. This includes the Iriomote wild cat, the shorttailed albatross and the Japanese otter.


I saw this sign propped up outside a school.
No tree huggers please, you arent allowed to touch them.

Mum in Japan

Mum had a wonderful time here. It's not possible to see everything Japan has to offer in one trip but we had a go at it while she was here.

Most all she enjoyed the people. As I am always getting hopelessly lost we had to endlessly stop and ask the way. People went way out of their way to help. The Japanese are kind and thoughtful with an eye for beauty in their architecture, gardens and bonzai as well as the food. She got the royal treatment at my school where she was given a sushi lunch and courted by the staff and children.

First visit to Tokyo

Miss Chiara and I (an Italian who is a teacher at our school) went to town yesterday. I haven't been in a hurry to get there but I just can't wait to get back now. Having based the trip round food, I was not disappointed. It was a wonderful experience. Rivers of people endlessly stream into the maze of streets, buildings, bars and "businesses affecting public morals" i.e. sex shops.

The first restaurant (it took some finding) everyone shouted 'irasshaimase!' (welcome!) We sat at a low table on the mat to eat soba, buckwheat and wheat noodles served in a light broth. It's very healthy and not altogether exciting but the setting was great and the waitress looked more like a nursing sister from years ago.

We took a ride up many many floors of a 243 m tall Tokyo City Hall -impressive architecture. This was the scene that greeted us, great views. This is a good website for more photos from the City Hall

By then I had built up a mighty appetitite and found Sri Lankan specialities with flatbreads and fantastic curries, quite different to the normal Indian curries with distinctive flavours of their own.

By then I had had it with the crowds. Great to know that I can come back again and try to pick off a different place - it's massive aye.

Kumotori-san, Tokyos highest mountain in the Chichibu-Tama National Park

Was I ever going to get there? Four trains later and an hour and a half bus ride I was finally deposited at 1090m at a mountain temple. Hard to believe it but I was still in Tokyo.

I started off alone but in Japan in the weekends you never stay lonely for too long and I was grateful to catch up with other hikers.

Soon the sun disappeared and it began snowing, thick heavy flakes soon covering the ground. After a good climb I reached a log hut that was full that night, I shared a bedroom with 12 other women laid out like sardines sleeping on a very thin mattress. Going to the toilet was quite something at midnight.

Foreigners are suprisingly rare in the mountains, I've seen only one or two. I had plenty of locals keen to try out their English on me that night in the mountain hut. They are truly impressed that I come from New Zealand and many know about the Milford Track.

The next morning I was on the path to the top (2018m) to fantastic clear skies at 4.30am. This is what greeted me and made the experience almost life changing until a large number of people arrived in my footsteps.

The Japanese Alps look very much like our Southern Alps in the this photo. Theres too much snow to go there at this time, thats the next adventure.

Traditional Japan

It has suprised me that there are still women wearing kimonos everyday. They aren't young and sadly it will go in the next generation.
However riding a bike in a kimono...well maybe not.
I found this shop that rents out kimonos and think that this young lady will be having a fitting for her wedding.
I also had the opportunity to see these sumptuous kimonos on display at the ceremony. Learning how to dress a lady in kimono is an art and takes many years of learning to master. The ladies told me in Japanese.

Enoshima - the beach

I love the surfies answer to saving the planet, get down to the beach with your surf board strapped to your bike: that is cool.

The Tsunami warning notices show us where we should head in the event.

I live about 5 kms from the beach, a peaceful bike ride off the main route following the river. Fujisan is in the photo to the right hidden a little by the hot day haze.

There are always many surfers waiting for an elusive wave, wind surfers, beach volleyball, small sailing boats and fishing boats. Fishing from the wharf is popular too though the water looks none too wholesome to me.

Mountainous Japan

In the weekends I feel immense relief that I have managed to escape the urban jungle and I live 50kms from Tokyo! The teachers I work with consider where I live and work 'the country' to which I thought was funny and sort of sad that they hadn't experienced country as we know it.
By now on my hikes I see that the efficient transport can whisk anyone out and there are plenty of trekkers about which is just as well as I need them to show me the way with Japanese script on the signs or in this photo the directions have faded off altogether.



76% of Japan is mountainous. That means of course that ¾ of the population live in the urban areas. (that is 127 mill pop) Every little space being used up by buildings or veggie plots: land is apparently as expensive as the house is to build.

Fuji san is a feature of all of my walks as so far I am confined to the Tokyo region with only weekend getaways. A perfect volcanic shape, the symbol of Japan you can see from very near where I live but only on a clear day, the rest of the time it is in haze or clouds.

Out trekking and even where I live it is very rare to see tourists. Tokyo is different of course. On the mountains people are a bit suprised to see me and like to practise their English on me which is great because by then I am ready to have a chat, being all alone as I am.