My time in Japan

[samurai007]

Originally Posted by Kanji_The_Wanderer

Interesting! Very interesting! I've never heard of Hashimoto City.

That's too bad you didn't get to visit Mount Fuji. I would have loved to see some photos taken by that great resolution camera you got there. ^_^

Since you don't have any photos from Hokkaido, do you have any pictures of shrines/forests/ temples in the snow?

I hope you got some snow-covered photos, if you were living at that city for two years, I'm sure you got something.

=]

Actually, it never really snowed in Hashimoto. We had a bit of slushy hail/snow/rain 1 or 2 days, but it melted quickly and wasn't very impressive at all. The north of Japan and the Japan Sea side (facing Korea) get most of the snow because the arctic winds come down out of Siberia, pick up moisture over the Japan Sea, and drop it there before coming over the Japan Alps. The Pacific side of Japan doesn't get much snow, though the higher elevations do get some (it snowed a bit on Koya-san, I heard). It was still very cold there during winter (compared to California, where I'm from), but it wasn't wet enough to really snow much after crossing the Alps. Similarly, Tokyo and Osaka tend not to get much if any snow either, while Kanazawa and other cities north of the Japan Alps get a lot more snow.

[Commix]

Originally Posted by CarleyGee

These pictures are absolutely beautiful! ^_^
This only increases my want to go to Japan even more! Ha.

same ere

[xYinniex]

i heard Haji's a nice traditional historical place to visit.

[samurai007]

Originally Posted by xYinniex

i heard Haji's a nice traditional historical place to visit.

Haji? Where is that?

[xYinniex]

well i heard its quite a famous historical town in yamguchi, Japan.

Like i think hagi castle castle is one of the major landmarks.
Its a branch castle in the medievil times apparently.

[samurai007]

Originally Posted by xYinniex

well i heard its quite a famous historical town in yamguchi, Japan.

Like i think hagi castle castle is one of the major landmarks.
Its a branch castle in the medievil times apparently.

Ah, ok, now a search turned up Hagi. I'd never heard of it before, but it sounds interesting. There are several similar places in Japan where you can see traditional style houses and shops. Takayama's old town has many such buildings, as you can see here:

Takayama Travel: Old Town





And just outside Takayama is the Hida Folk Village with even older style buildings. I walked all through Takayama's old town, and it was very nice.

[samokan]

nice photo collection you have there mr. samurai , hope i can visit those places too ..

[samokan]

Originally Posted by samurai007

Ah, ok, now a search turned up Hagi. I'd never heard of it before, but it sounds interesting. There are several similar places in Japan where you can see traditional style houses and shops. Takayama's old town has many such buildings, as you can see here:

Takayama Travel: Old Town

http://www.japan-guide.com/g5/5903_21.jpg

http://www.japan-guide.com/g5/5903_23.jpg

And just outside Takayama is the Hida Folk Village with even older style buildings. I walked all through Takayama's old town, and it was very nice.

darn, this was my plan last winter vacation... but got sooooo sick i spent the whole time in bed

[samurai007]

Originally Posted by samokan

nice photo collection you have there mr. samurai , hope i can visit those places too ..

Thanks! If I can help or offer advice in any way, don't hesitate to ask! And I have tons of other places and pictures yet to post, some of which I've forgotten the exact name and location of after being back for 10 years...

I took a look at your blog and see that you had tonkotsu / Hakata-style ramen in Osaka the other day... I'm so jealous!

[samurai007]

Originally Posted by samokan

darn, this was my plan last winter vacation... but got sooooo sick i spent the whole time in bed

That's too bad. Maybe you can go during spring break? Are you a JET?

I've mentioned it before, but my eastern Japan trip went like this:

Lake Biwa - Kanazawa -Takayama - Japan Alps - Matsumoto - Tokyo - Nikko - home. I actually had been planning to spend another day or 2 seeing Hakone, Nagoya, and other sights as I looped back toward Wakayama-ken along the Pacific Ocean, but I wasn't feeling well myself, so I just went straight home in 1 looong trip.

And on my trip through western Japan, I started out feeling fine as well, but I caught a cold hiking to the top of the mountain in the middle of Miyajima Island. (The picture of the trail on the sign showed a nice path with deer alongside it, meadows, etc. No, it was a STEEP climb that took over 1 1/2 hours, and it rained partway up!) So I was sick from the next day, all through my time on Kyushu, until I soaked in the hot waters of Dogo Onsen. The legends say it has healing properties, and it really worked for me! When I woke the next morning, I was at least 90% better!

Anyway, good luck on getting there someday!