Hanami time in Himeji Temple, Kinki:

Here’s a geisha performance in Pontocho, Kyoto. Add that into your list of things to see when you visit Kyoto.

The Shimokita Peninsula (下北半島 Shimokita-hantō) is the remote northeastern cape of the Japanese island of Honshu, stretching out towards Hokkaido.Shaped like an axe pointing west, the peninsula has a thin “axe handle” connecting the mountainous “axe blade” to mainland. The coasts maintain a thin scattering of population but the interior is as remote a region as you can find in Japan. The largest population center is the drab town of Mutsu.

No matter how you look at it, Shimokita is a long way from anywhere.
By air

The closest airports are in Misawa and Aomori; from there you’ll have to take a train or bus. Misawa has direct service to Tokyo and Osaka; Aomori also has direct service to Nagoya and Fukuoka.
By ferry

Higashi-Nihon Ferry offers service from Hakodate on Hokkaido to Oma at the northwestern tip of the peninsula. There are between two and four services per day, depending on the season. Drivers and bikers are encouraged to make reservations in advance, especially in high season.

Shimokita Kisen offers service from Wakinosawa to Kanita, crossing Mutsu Bay.
[edit] By train

The JR Ominato Line from Noheji (on the Tohoku main line) travels up the axe handle to Mutsu. Direct Shimokita rapid service trains are available from Aomori and Hachinohe (the latter being the northern terminus of the Tohoku Shinkansen line from Tokyo). The private Shimokita Kotsu Railway stopped running in 2001.
By bus

Direct buses run from Tokyo to Mutsu, taking over 10 hours in the process.

A little video downtown Shimokita:

Niseko (ニセコ町, Niseko-chō?) is a town located in Abuta District, Shiribeshi, Hokkaidō, Japan. Although in Japanese, Niseko principally refers to a municipal area, overseas, the name has come to refer to a wider area of ski resorts encompassing Hokkiado’s Mount Yōtei and Annupuri ranges. It is one of the most famous ski resorts in Japan known for it’s powder light snow and spectacular mountainous outback.

Niseko is comprised of seven ski areas, in order of size:

* Niseko Mt. Resort Grand Hirafu, centered around the village of Hirafu is perhaps the best known field but is actually part of the neighbouring Kutchan township.
* Niseko Higashiyama is the less popular neighbor of Hirafu but has the best front valley skiing.
* Niseko Annupuri is hit with the strongest winds and worst weather in the area, causing occasional closures.
* Niseko Hanazono
* Niseko Moiwa
* Niseko Weiss

Niseko also has back-country ski-courses that are unofficially on the maps. To the furthest right of Annupuri lies Sannozaka, an area prone to avalanche but with high quality snow. To the far right of Hirafu lies Higashi One, also prone to avalanche but with a challenging back-country terrain. Near the lower half of Hirafu is a forest route called Strawbery Fields, which is perhaps the most famous run in Hirafu. Climbing Mount Yōtei also provides back country skiing.

Hirafu is the perhaps the most foreigner-friendly resort thanks to the many Australian skiers and snowboarders who have been frequenting their slopes. The town is like a western town within Japan where all menus are in English and imported food items are in abundance.

Because of its northern location, Niseko is fed by weather streams that come from Siberia rather than from Eastern Japan. The resort experiences a consistently high and light snowfall. The snow is not as dry as other areas in Hokkaidō, but the volume is high, with the average snow depth in March reaching 351cm.

Niseko was named as the world’s second snowiest resort in December 2007 with annual average snow fall of 595 inches (15.11 metres)/ First place went to the Mt Baker Ski Area in Washington State with 641 inches.

Niseko resort

My favorite time of the year, Cherry Blossoms viewing! It’s the only time when the whole world feels like a fairytale and you don’t even need to shovel it :P

I found some viewing times and forecasts for Hanami, so refer to it and get ready for a nice picnic with family and friends at your favorite Cherry Blossom location. I got the forecast from here:

Location Opening Estimated Best Viewing
Tokyo March 23 March 29 to April 7
Kyoto March 26 April 1 to 10
Aomori April 23 April 29 to May 6
Sendai April 8 April 14 to 21
Niigata April 7 April 13 to 20
Nagano April 12 April 18 to 25
Kanazawa April 2 April 8 to 16
Nagoya March 23 March 29 to April 7
Osaka March 26 April 1 to 10
Nara March 28 April 3 to 12
Hiroshima March 27 April 2 to 11
Fukuoka March 26 April 1 to 10
Kagoshima March 29 April 4 to 12

Facts about Mount Misen you should know about:

Mount Misen (弥山, Misen?) is the holy mountain on the holy island Itsukushima in Hatsukaichi, Hiroshima, Japan.

Mount Misen is within the World Heritage Area of Itsukushima Shrine.

Mount Misen, around the island (Seto Inland Sea) and all of the island are within Setonaikai National Park.

There is the primeval forest in the foothills on the north side of the mountain.

There are many buildings and gates of the temple of Daishō-in in the foothills on the north side of the mountain.

There is Momijidani-Kōen (紅葉谷公園, Maple Valley Park?) behind Itsukushima Shrine.

Mount Misen is famous for the place that was visited by Kūkai in the year 806, the 1st year of the Daidō era.

From the ancient times, a lot of people visit this mountain because of their religious piety.

View from the top of Mount Misen:

Useful links on Mount Misen
Japan Guide
Miyajima Ropeway
Setonaikai National Park

Omicho Market has a history that dates back to the Edo Period. This open space market sells excellent fresh fish that is a must visit for anyone who is traveling to Kanazawa.

Kanazawa is well-known throughout Japan for its traditional cooking, which is called Kaga Cuisine. The seafood is a specialty, the jumbo shrimp in particular. Sushi and sashimi are also excellent. The Japanese sake produced in this region is of high quality, smooth and sweet. The quality of the local sake derives from the excellence of the rice grown in Ishikawa Prefecture as well as the considerable precipitation of the Hokuriku region, allowing for an ample supply of clean, fresh water. This is why in Omicho, most of the shops there sell seafood. The market is a favorite place to purchase the best that Kanazawa has to offer.

Yumoto is a town that have developed as a stage town, and the name means “hot is gushing”. Iwaki Yumoto onsen is one of the oldest onsens in Japan. There are many ryokans, Japanese traditional hotels, and Spa resort Hawaiians near the station. Yumoto is situated in Iwaki, a designated “core city”. Iwaki is also one of the growing number of hiragana cities in Japan. Iwaki is well-known as one of the most comfortable areas in Japan because it is situated in a temperate climate zone and has a moderate climate.

The hot spring in Yumoto is a tourist attraction that is known for their natural surroundings and nature induced hot springs. This is why every Ryokan in that area comes with a hot spring facility - accommodation in Yumoto is not a problem at all. The lake is a picturesque view out of a water painting. Up on the northern tip of the lake, the water is naturally warm. And as the lake flows, it falls down a steep cliff of 70 meters high called the Yudaki waterfall. Yudaki means hot waterfall but neither the waterfall or lake near it is warm. I suppose it’s just a name.

But Yumoto is easily one of the nicest place to visit in Japan.

More info: Japan Guide

I can’t wait till the sakura flowers bloom :)

It is one of the things I would like to do before I die, do a full hanami viewing with my loved ones. SIGH, Hirosaki is my #1 choice for Hanami spot btw.

Through much of Japan’s history, the Kiso Valley was used to connect the former Mino and Shinano provinces. However, it came to be known as a difficult route because of its steep climbs. The Shoku Nihongi recorded that the Kiso no Yamamichi (岐蘇山道) was opened in 702. The same route was again mentioned in a 713 article, but it was then called the Kisoji no Michi (吉蘇路). The Kisoji (木曽路) would eventually follow the same path. However the official Tōsandō did not run through the Kiso Valley; instead, it ran from Mino Province towards the Kamisaka Pass and into the Ina Valley. During Japan’s middle ages, the Nakasendō, an old trade route, ran through the valley, which led to the creation of eleven post stations along the route. Since the Meiji period, the Chūō Main Line (for trains) and Route 19 (for vehicles) have been cutting through the valley.

Today, Kiso Valley is a historical site where a beautifully preserved post town lies.