Hozugawa – Arashiyama

posted in: +++, Class 1, Class 3, Rivers, Temples, Wildlife | 0

This trip is in the Kyoto area and can take a variety of forms and each one is certainly worth the trip.

Take the JR to Kyoto and change for the train going to Kameoka.

Trip A – get off at Saga station, take the “Romantic Train”; tickets can be bought next to the station. This open air train will follow the river and lets you off a few JR stops upriver and you can return to Saga by non-romantic train.
Class 1
+++

Trip B – Get off at Kameoka, about three stops past Saga. After leaving the station turn left and after a short walk there are boats that go down the river. It takes about two hours to get to Arashiyama.
Class 1
+++

Trip C – Get off one stop past Saga (Hozukyo??). This station is on a bridge across the river. After leaving the station follow the river (right, uphill). Stay on this road and after you pass a red bridge there will be a turn off on a trail down to a stream. Take this trail and follow the stream – an interesting walk. After about an hour you come to what looks like a village (hotels). Make a sharp turn uphill on a road and eventually through a tunnel. After the tunnel just keep going down hill and you will reach Arashiyama. There are many ways to go. Try to stay right toward the river.
Class 3
+++

If you end up in Arashiyama, there is much to see and do; monkeys, row boats to rent, people watching, food and nearby temples, bike rentals at the Hankyu station and the Saga JR station. Return trip can be by the JR Saga station or by Hankyu Arashiyama station. The Hankyu station is across the river to the left. Change at Katsura to the Express train going to Umeda (Osaka), change at Juso or Umeda to the Limited Express back to Kobe.

photo by Tomomarusan

Awaji Shima

posted in: +++, Class 3, Islands, Shrines, Temples | 0

Awaji is a very large island with many things to see. Once you get away from the coast road it is a rural place. One possible walk will take about two hours once you are on the island. Take the JR to Akashi. Walk toward the harbour away from park-castle towers. There are two feries to Awaji, one for cars and the other for people. The people ferry is on the first big street to the right as you leave the station. It is not a very big place. About a 25 minute ferry ride.

On Awaji, turn right on the road outside the ferry terminal; continue for a short distance and you will come to a shopping street on the left. Follow the shopping street until you come to a stream (encased in concrete). Turn left, following the stream uphill. You will pass a cemetery on the right and then after a little more walking there will be a small bridge on the right. Cross the bridge onto a paved path. Woods, rice fields, an old shrine. Easy walking but uphill. Eventually you will come to an open area of rice fields and roads. There is a temple on a rise to the right that doesn’t look like a temple. Take a left until you reach a T and turn right following the signs to “Awaji Accommodation”. Eventually you will see a sign to a spring; go that way. You will pass some ponds and maybe a cow or two, a swimming pool and not many people. There is a sign to “Eight Mat Rock” – don’t go that way, but go downhill and eventually you will come to another ferry. That ferry (much larger than the Akashi Ferry) will take you to Suma.

Class 3
+++

photo by 663highland

Sumaura Park

posted in: +++, Class 3, Mountains, Shores | 0

Near the school, good for sakura. Good views of the Inland Sea. About a 20 minute walk from Suma JR station, you will come to the beginning of the rope way. The rope way is in three stages with small parks at each stage. If you want to walk up: walk towards Shioya along the main road till you reach a stream and an overhead conveyor belt for earth moving. Just past the stream is a trail leading up steps to the top of the mountain. When you reach the top you can go left to the rope way, or right towards Kobe. The trail to the right will follow the ridge until it comes to a long set of steps leading down to a highway. At the bottom, turn right and you will come to Suma. A good afternoon walk.

Class 3
+++

photo by Tak1701d

Koya-san

posted in: +++, Class 3, Mountains, Temples, Woods | 0

If all the temples and shrines in Kyoto are too much for you, here is a smaller version up in the mountains south of Osaka. There are good mountain views both on the train and once you get there.

Take the JR to Umeda (or your favourite alternative!). From there take the Midosuji line to Namba. Change to the Nankai-Koya line to the last stop. At the ticket machine for the Nankai-Koya line there is a button for the Koya-san which gives you a ticket for both the train and the cable car up the mountain. The trip from Kobe is about 2 hours.

Once you get to the last stop the cable care is right there at the end of the platform. At the top there are buses, but the walk is a good one. You can go right or left. If you go right, the walk is along a “highway” with some good views of the valley below. A fairly long walk until you reach the gate to the “town”. I am not sure where the buses go. Once you get to the centre there are many temples to visit. Probably the most interesting place is the ancient cemetery with gigantic cedar trees; a very interesting place.

Class 3
+++

photo by 663highland

Hikone

posted in: +++, Castles, Class 3, Lakes, Mountains, Shores, Shrines, Temples | 0

This is a long trip with a little bit of walking and little or no train changing. Hikone is a castle town on Lake Biwa, there is a beach on the lake, mountains with a shrine and Zen temple above the town and a castle in the middle of the town. There is a lot to see in a small area.

Take the JR towards Kyoto. There is a train that goes to Maibara which is the stop after Hikone. If you don’t catch that one you will probably have to change in Kyoto, but stay on the same line (Tokaido main line). From the station if you walk straight ahead you will come to the castle. From the castle you can make your way to the beach or in the other direction to the mountains. It may be difficult to find a way to cross the railroad tracks – there are not many crossings. There is a good climb up the hills to the shrine and temple with great views of the city and castle below, and Lake Biwa.

Class 3
+++

Hiroshima

posted in: Class 3 | 0

There is enough information in guide books about Hiroshima, so there is no need to say anything more.

Class 3 (depending on the amount of walking you want to do)

photo by Jakubhal

Nii

posted in: ++, Class 3, Lakes, Mountains | 0

There is no reason to go to Nii, unless you want a nice walk in mountains and countryside. There is also a very pretty lake up in the mountains. Not a tourist attraction.

Take the JR to Himeji and change to the Bantan Line. Nii is an express stop. From the train station turn right and cross the tracks when you can. That is probably the main road. Once you cross the tracks you will come to a river; cross that as well. Then walk uphill. There is a main road going that way but next to it is a country road going the same way. After about 30 minutes you will come to a park-like area and a dam. You can walk around the lake above the dam.

Class 3
++

photo by 663highland

Lake Chuzenji

posted in: ++++, Class 3, Lakes, Mountains, Onsen, Rivers, Waterfalls, Woods | 0

While you are at Nikko keep on going. A short bus ride up a very winding road is the town of Chuzenjiko Onsen. A real Japanese tourist spot in season. If you go there out of season it is empty, so stay away from Japanese holidays. This is a really beautiful spot for nature lovers. Lakes, riverse, waterfalls, lots of trails in the woods. Most hotels will have hot spring baths.

From Nikko, take a bus going to Chuzenji or to Yumoto Spa. Get off at Chuzenjiko Onsen. Right there will be Kegon Falls and a rope way to a good view of the mountains and lake. The falls are wonderful. From the bus stop you can go right or left around the lake. If you go left you will pass hotels and restaurants and eventually come to a shrine. Keep following the shore of the lake and pass summer houses of various countries. If you go to the right you will pass hotels and restaurants but once out of town you can walk forever. Pick up the “Salamander Trail” (I actually saw one!). This will take you right along the shore of the lake until you come to a ferry boat landing. From there follow the highway and on the right you will come to another waterfall. Follow the river upstream along a very delightful trail. You will come to an area that opens up into a mountain meadow. Beautiful views of the surrounding mountains. Flowers everywhere, in season. Eventually there will be another waterfall with some shops at the base. Walk up the right side of the waterfall and you will come to another lake. Stay to the right and you will come to Yumoto, just a collection of hot spring hotels. Look for the temple and you will find a swamp with hot springs. This is a long walk but very easy going. Give yourself about five hours, including many stops to eat and take photos. Then take the bus back to Chuzenji or Nikko.

Class 3
++++

photo by Uraomote Yamaneko

Iya Onsen

posted in: ++++, Class 3, Mountains, Onsen, Rivers | 0

If you want to get away from it all, this is it. Not far, but certainly out of the way. This trip is to Shikoku. Take the Shinkansen to Okayama and change to the train going to Awa-Ikeda, described elsewhere. At Awa-Ikeda station take a bus to Iya Onsen. The bus stop is across the street right next to a big map. (¥ 1000). You will be on the bus for about an hour. It will stop at Iya Onsen which consists of a hotel (expensive) and a rope way down to the river and onsen proper. Even if you are not a lover of hot springs this is worth the trip. At the bottom there are the baths, outside right next to the river in a deep gorge. The water is not super hot and very silky, a great place to sit. There are places to walk, bridges to cross and places to have a picnic.

From the onsen you can continue on by bus (they are not too frequent) or you can walk. After a very pleasant walk (all slightly downhill) of about 3 hours you will come to Kazurabashi which is a bridge made of vines. No big thing, and there is a nice concrete one next to it. There are some inns and this is a good place to spend the night.The next morning you can reverse the trip or continue on to Oboke. To get to Oboke, take a bus (be careful – there are only three a day and the first leaves at 7.30 am). Don’t worry about getting up on time because there is a very loud air raid warning at 6.00 am. The bus will take you up into the mountains and back down again; about an hour. At Oboke there is a boat ride to Koboke and back which is worth it. At Oboke you can get a train back to Awa-Ikeda. They run about every 2 hours.

Class 3
++++

photo by CES