Wasabi Guiding Service

06/10/2023

The first snow on top of Mt. Fuji this year, on October 5, 2023

12/09/2023

12/09/2023

Kurumayama Highland in Nagano, accessible by cars and ski lifts.
Mt Fuji was not visible, but this is a gorgeous belvedere.

10/09/2023

Yashimagahara Marsh in Kirigamine Highland, Nagano, was full of wild flowers. It was cloudy. Nice way to escape the heat in summer!
Walking around the marsh is about 1.5 hour.

08/09/2023

Enjoying museum on a stormy day

06/09/2023

Summer special soba noodles with sudachi citrus
美味しかった❗️

06/09/2023

Fujisan shrouded in clouds

04/09/2023

Are you ready for a hike on a historical road in Japan?  Old small towns of Magome and Tsumago are located in central Japan, along one of the historical roads, Nakasendo.  It is nice to stroll just these post towns (places that provided lodging, courier and other services to travelers), but walking a stone paved road in the woods makes you feel like you are a traveler 400 years ago during samurai period.

It was a hot sweaty day in early September.  We parked our car in Magome around noon, started walking, had lunch, visited a museum, and peaked in here and there along the way.  I think we walked relatively slowly, and we were able to arrive at the goal point of Tsumago around 3:40.  The Odaki Falls was refreshing, letting out cool wind and a splash of water.  There is a part you have to detour near it, due to landslides a few years ago.  Check the sing boards.

We stayed at a hotel nearby on the night, with great quality hot spring (onsen) baths.  Rubbing down your legs in the bath tub surely healed my muscle fatigue!

06/08/2023

It's crazy hot this year in Japan, but there are many fine museums like this. Air conditioned, so beautiful, and so much to learn!
The current exhibition is over today.

28/06/2023

A beautiful treat during rainy season in Japan is hydrangea...maybe moss garden, too?

A day hike in Kamakura
Meigetsuin Temple
Jochiji Temple
Zeniarai Benten Shrine
Sasuke Inari Shrine

11/05/2023

I saw on tv there is a geoglyph by a French artist named SAYPE in Fuji Central Park. It is time for roses, which the park is famous for. I had a quick lunch and went to Fuji City.

I actually couldn't see the drawing on the ground very well. It may be visible from top floors of a hotel next to the park, or from a drone. There was a bird's eye photo exhibited. I hope the message of the artist, bonds of people around the world, will be real. It was a cloudy day. Mt Fuji was shrouded in the clouds, but the flowers were beautiful and fragrant.

On the way back, I stopped at a crazy popular local restaurant serving great hamburg steaks. The place, Sawayaka, always has a loooooong line, but at 4pm it wasn't bad. Yum-yum.

04/03/2023

Kawazu sakura (cherry blossom) festival is held in February, ahead of most other sakuras in April. This year, the festival is extended to March 5th because it was a bit cold.
Kawazu sakuras keep blooming for a month, unlike someiyoshino (the most common and popular sakura) for a week or so. Easier to plan your trip!

10/02/2023

Preliminary visit for tours coming up in the spring in Shizuoka. Wasabi fields, Mt Fuji (briefly), Sumpu castle, a history museum and a strawberry farm!

**un

07/02/2023

28/01/2023

The view from my hotel room was just so magnificent.
Asahidaki waterfalls was frozen. Izu has relatively mild climate, I suppose?

26/01/2023

It's cold, but the air is clear. Winter may be the best season to travel in Izu.

22/01/2023

I had a chance to stop by Fukagawa Fudoson Temple in eastern Tokyo. It was in the mood of new year and setsubun (the day bt winter & spring--we throw beans to drive away the evil) at the same time. A large rake with decoration is believed to garner wealth😆

16/01/2023

I attended an emergency treatment lessons at the local fire department. The main feature was learning heart compression and the usage of AED. I am thankful to the rescue crew for providing us such informative lessons, and always working to save people.

08/01/2023

Central Izu was a base of samurais who later established the first samurai government in Kamakura in the late 12th century.  The statues of the 1st sh**un and his consort overlook Mt. Fuji (whoops not visible!) in the rice field in Nirayama.  In the seemingly middle of nowhere, on a sidewalk, there is a nice roofed bench.  No wonder, if you sit on it, you can see the sacred mountain!

A year-long history drama has just come to an end last month, and I went to an information center of this drama series at the last minute.  In a photo, I look very happy with good-looking guys (life-sized posters of actors) on both my sides.

I stopped at a cozy and comfy cafe for lunch.  I always forget taking photos before eating (sorry), but the food was great.  They put western antique tables and chairs in an old house.  You need to take off shoes to enter.  In the bathroom, they have goldfish!

#

07/01/2023

My favorite place, Egawa's house with new year decoration. Mt. Fuji was not visible yesterday. Egawa Tan'an was good even at drawing pictures.

03/01/2023

Happy new year!
Mt. Fuji was too bashful to come out, but very nice view. Climbing 400 steps paid off.

11/12/2022

I visited Tozanso, a beautiful country villa, built originally in 1934 and designated as registered tangible properties.

Water sprinkled on the ground at entrance means we are welcomed by the hosts.
Views from windows are so carefully planned. Walk on stepping stones by a brook between trees in the front garden. Go inside the main building and enjoy the grand view of the ocean from the windows.

03/12/2022

A quick visit of Koishikawa Korakuen Park in central Tokyo, located next to a domed baseball park.
The garden was made by a branch family of the sh**unate in the 17th century. Autumnal foliage was colorful. Gardeners were busy applying "yukitsuri," or protection from snow.

27/11/2022

Madam Atsuko at Restaurant Rakan takes only one group of customers per day. No wonder. I can't fully imagine how much of preparation time and care she has taken to have us at her place.
The place is a renovated old farm house. Most of the plates were made by her husband. So beautiful! So delicius!
We spent almost 4 hours there. An experience like this on your trip may open your eyes to a different culture.

exploreshizuoka

26/11/2022

On a beautiful day like this, we felt like taking a stroll at Shuzenji Town. A small town centering around Shuzenji Temple has abundant hot spring water. A legend says a renowned monk Kukai (founder of Koyasan) placed a stick on the ground, and suddenly hot water came out (believe it?).

25/11/2022

The view of Mt. Fuji was so superb in the morning from our hotel in Shuzenji, we decided to go to Izu Panorama Park. The gondola ride downward was a little scary but fun.

A staff lady made an anouncement to people around the big water basins (for nice photos... not for swimming), "The weather is so nice today. It is very likely you focus too much on takig photos, and fall into the basins. I see around 5 people getting wet per day on such a day, so please be careful." There was a nice laugh comig everywhere.

21/11/2022

Very special winter delicacy

19/11/2022

An old drugstore turned into a comfy hotel at Mikuni, Fukui
The town of Mikuni had a prosperous port.

18/11/2022

Ichijoutani Asakura Ruins in Fukui Prefecture is sometimes called Pompeii of Japan.

A warlord Asakura Yoshikage was defeated by Oda Nobunaga in 1573. The castle town was burned, and the area was left untouched, beneath rice paddies for 400 years. It was excavated in 1968 after attempts of rezoning the rice fields.

31/10/2022

Mt. Fuji today from Jukkoku Pass. The last photo is Manazuru Peninsula and Yokohama in the distance.

30/10/2022

Mt. Fuji in everyday plain clothing

30/10/2022

The gardens of Hakone Museum were beautiful as always.  Leaves have started turning into autumnal colors. 

There were staff working, sitting on the ground. I asked one lady what exactly she was doing and she said she was removing weeds using tweezers. It takes tremendous work of such people to maintain such a beautiful garden!

I had cutlet sandwiches for lunch. Forgot to take a photo before having a few bites.

30/10/2022

Owakudani Valley now offers a guided walking-tour in the fumeroles. Volcanos in Hakone had minor eruptions in 2015.  Hiking trails had been closed since then, but this spring the area became open for the official tour.  I strongly recommend it, but be careful. You need reservations!

23/10/2022

Europeans drawn by a Japanese painter using Japanese materials on folding screens.
Views from windows look like paintings.

13/10/2022

Very special autumnal delicacy, matsutake mushrooms. Like porchini, no one has been successful in growing them.
They cae as a part of this beautifully cooked course menu.

08/10/2022

Found Mt. Fuji?

07/10/2022

Fan of Keith Haring?
A museum solely dedicated to him in Kobuchizawa, Yamanashi

26/09/2022

https://tezukuriten.jimdofree.com
A charity event at Kiunkaku, Atami.
Beautiful craft pieces of work will be displayed for sale. A part of the income will be donated for charity to the people who suffered at Tohoku (earthquakes) and Atami (landslide).

9月29日から10月1日まで、熱海市起雲閣でチャリティイベントが開催されます。手作り作品の展示販売をして、売上の一部が東北の震災や熱海の土石流の被災者支援活動に寄付されます。

手づくり展は、熱海の起雲閣 (Kiunkaku) でクラフト、雑貨、陶器、漆器などを展示販売し、売上の一部を寄付するチャリティ・イベントです。出展作家は相原貞子、石川満、梶原由美子、川端由紀子、鈴木隆、須藤裕子、瀬戸...

17/09/2022

A small souvenir for myself from my last trip to Nagano

You fill the bear cone (tasted like the one that comes with ice cream) with chestnut cream. So cute. Hard to eat it, but I did, without hesitating. Yummy.