We awoke in our old shukuba to another warm summer morning, with a few hours until the proprieter would arrive to clean the place. We had a lot to sort out, as well as get food ready for the day but before we left we wanted to wander up and down this old post town. … Continue reading Japan 2024 Day 6: Gorges and Post Towns along the Nakasendo
We awoke to a misty and drizzly morning in our 150+ year old shukuba, it had been a good nights sleep and I was excited to be hiking on the Nakasendo in a few short hours. Although we were staying closer to Tsumago I wanted to start the hike from Magome-juku so most of the … Continue reading Japan 2024 Day 5: Hiking the Nakasendo from Magome-Juku to Tsumago-juku
We had a few hikes planned for this summer trip, the reason for coming back to Japan in summer again, including two two-day hikes so we felt like we needed a warm-up hike. We wanted to go back to Gunma and I had learned of the hyakumeizan (one hundred famous mountains of Japan) and I … Continue reading Japan 2024 Day 3: Climbing Tanigawadake aka Death Mountain
I left the last post on a bit of a cliff hanger about this night being a bit of a nightmare, and it truly was. Chojo Fujikan is the weirdest, dirtiest place I have ever stayed. After we checked in we were shown to our futon for the night, and were able to take off … Continue reading Japan 2023 Summer day 12: Descending Mount Fuji on the Subashiri trail with altitude sickness
History of Asama Jinja Mount Fuji has been worshipped in Japan for hundreds of years, initially by the Ainu, then Shinto, and finally Buddhism. Fuji is worshipped as a Goddess, giving fertile soils and clear water. To keep her happy eight Shinto shrines were erected around the base of Mount Fuji, with numerous smaller shrines … Continue reading Tenku no torii; Mount Fuji and the torii in the sky
I was committed to doing some sunrise photography on our 19th day, so we were awake and getting ready at 4am. We had decided to revisit one of our spots from the previous day, Tenka Chaya, as it has such a beautiful view. We managed to get there by 5:30, as it is a 30 … Continue reading Japan 2019 Day 19: climbing Mount Kurodake for stunning views of Mount Fuji
My Nihon 