This is our second visit to the pottery village of Mashiko in the Tochigi prefecture. We have such fond memories of our first visit several years ago that we wanted to come back again. Continue reading “Mashiko Pottery Village”
Our second time in Gyoza Capital. A city with a total of 350 gyoza dumplings restaurants. I have long dreamed of coming back to this town and of doing a proper “gyoza crawl”. Continue reading “Gyoza Town Utsunomiya”
Kaniyu Onsen (1320m) to Kinu-numa (2030m) // 8 km, 5 hours, 715 m altitude up and down
After a complete, typical Japanese Ryokan breakfast with fish, natto and pickles (a bit too much for Philippe) and a quick morning dip in one of the hotel’s many hot tubs, we headed for a hike to the Kinu Marshland at 2000m altitude. Continue reading “Hiking up to the Kinunuma Marshland”
This morning, before taking the train and bus to the next onsen destination, we decided to go up Mt. Hangetsu. On the way we met a fellow tourist, a Colombian working in Abu Dhabi, and we went up to the viewpoint together. Continue reading “Mt. Hangetsu Panorama”
We had a pleasant, short afternoon walk along the shore of Lake Chuzenji to the Tachiki Kannon Shrine Continue reading “Chūzenji Lake Morning Walk”
Yugawa onsen to Senjyogahara marshland to Ryuzu waterfall
10km, 3h30min
Hunting for a lunch spot, we found a queue in front of a non-descriptive shop. It was a butcher turned into Tonkatsu restaurant, rated as No.1 lunch place in Chuzenji Lake. Continue reading “Chūzenji Lake Afternoon Hike”
We spent one night at the famous and traditional Kanaya Hotel in Nikko. Continue reading “Kanaya Hotel (and their stolloing path)”
Nikko‘s temples and shrines are gold and red, shiny and extravagant – too gaudy for my taste. It reminds me of a cathedral in Florence, with every inch richly decorated and rather overwhelming. Continue reading “Extravagant Nikko”
Japan is a tofu paradise. There are more tofu varieties than one can count. Continue reading “Yuba, Yuba, Yuba”