Xmas Time in North Japan – Hokkaido <6.12.2008>

What would be the weeks before Christmas (we called it “Advent”) without Xmas markets selling typical sweets and most important “Gluehwein” (Hot red wine with spices)!!!

Unfortunately they yearly Xmas market at Roppongi Hills was canceled this year so I had to find an other spot for it. And I found it – in the upper north of Japan in Sapporo!



Sapporo ("important river flowing through a plain" in Ainu language) the capital of Hokkaido is Japan's fifth largest city and also one of the nation's youngest major cities. Can you imagine that in 1857, the city's population stood at just seven people ;-) Now it is about 1.8 mio.

And exactly at this weekend the yearly German Xmas–Market was held with many goodies from Munich and on top a heart warming Xmas Light-up in the Odori park.

Sapporo became world famous in 1972 when the Olympic Winter Games were held there. Still you can enjoy a breathtaking view over Sapporo city which is today well known for its ramen, beer, and the annual snow festival which is held in February.

The other days were dedicated to the closer highlights around Sapporo, which you can reach within few hours drive:

Otaru is a harbor city, half an hour northwest of Sapporo by train. Its beautiful canal area and famous for its beautiful glas handcrafts!

Close to Otaru you can find the NIKKA WHISKY which was rewarded recently as world best single malt whiskey - first time not from UK!

You can visit the destillery and get a tasting for free - worth a stop on the way for all whisky lovers.

Lake Toya (Toyako) belongs to the Shikotsu-Toya National Park. In addition to the lake itself, the Toyako area features hot springs and an active volcano, Mount Usu, which last erupted in the year 2000. The beautiful lake was chosen as the location of the G8 summit which Japan hosted from July 7 to 9, 2008.

Mount Usu (Usuzan) is an still active volcano which has erupted four times in the past 100 years. It's most recent eruption occurred just in the year 2000.

The Usuzan Ropeway brings you up to the volcano's summit. The upper station's observation deck offers panoramic views of Lake Toya and neighboring mountain Showa Shinzan. From a second observation deck and a short walk away, there are views of the ocean and Mount Usu's largest crater, which was formed in an eruption in 1977.

Lake Shikotsu and Lake Toya are the two most prominent geographical highlights of Shikotsu-Toya National Park. Both lakes are caldera lakes, which were formed from collapses in the earth after volcanic activity.

From here you can visit one of the lake side Onsen were you can enjoy a great sunset view during you are soaking in the hot water:

Wish you “Frohen Advent”

Kyushu – the southern Tip <22.11.2008>

Kyushu is Japan's third largest island, located southwest of the main island Honshu. An early center of Japanese civilization, Kyushu offers you many historic treasures, modern cities and especially natural beauty.



And beside the natural treasure it also keeps one of the most valuable secret for Austrians in Japan: The only one and original Austrian bakery run by Adolf Sailer since many many years.
Adi provides the full span of Austrian bakery in its preserved original way and taste – a wonderland for us who left our home and search for the full taste of Austria ;-)



For those who get interested in please check his homepage and he also delivers most things throughout Japan:
http://www.sailer.jp/en/index.html

… he is the best pick in Japan looking for real black bread and Austrian goodies!



My trip lead me from the capital Fukuoka in the north, over the largest crater in the world – Aso until the very south Ibuski famous for the sand onsen where you feel like enjoying you last moment in life – buried alive ;-)

Mount Aso ( Aso-san) is an active volcano in the center of Kyushu. Its ancient caldera ranks among the world's largest, with a diameter of up to 26 kilometers and a circumference of more than 100 kilometers

The huge caldera contains the entire town of Aso and several volcanic peaks, including Nakadake, whose spectacular, active crater is easily accessible to tourists by toll road or ropeway.

Heading south the Kagoshima you can visit the Kirishima Shinto Shrine
A gorgeous red shrine deifies "Ninigi-no-mikoto", called the leader in the legend. Chinese infuenced shrine with red lacqar and relief on the decoration. The shrine was originally built on the top of Mt. Takachiho around the 6 century . The gate of the shrine which was built in 1988 is the biggest shrine gate in the Western Japan.

Nagasakibana Cape (Yamagawa Town)
is the most Southern cape in Satsuma peninsula. From the cape, there are great view of Mt. Kaimon, Sata cape of other side of peninsula.

The trip concluded with a visit to the famous IBUSKI sand bath
which is very unusual throughout the entire world. Bury yourself in the sand comfortably, and have some snooze with a sound of the sea.... After burried in the sand, you can take a bath in big bathhouse, wash off the sand and refresh like... a baby!

A new life is born!

Koyo – Japanese Autumn in Kyoto <13.11.2008>

After Cherry Blossom season in April, the Japanese Autumn with its breathtaking colorful leaf changes is the second highlight of the year for passionate photographers.
It was always my dream to visit Kyoto during this season as it is a very special place to celebrate the Koyo (“Red Leaves”).
So I made this dream come true and spend a weekend in Kyoto at its peak of the Koyo-season.

Here you can see why it is a real famous place to go during this time – picture tells more than 1000words:




Walk of Philosophy

Koyo @ Night

Arashiyama (West Kyoto)

Seeing Red

Over the Top of Japan – Tateyama <1.11.2008>

If you think about Japan you might imagine a huge island with endless cities, stuffed trains, crowds everywhere and everything dominated by the latest electrical gizmos… But do you know that there are more mountains in Japan than in Austria & Swiss?

One of the highest ones and easiest accessible is Tateyama in Kurobe located north of Tokyo:

The Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route is a spectacular route through the Northern Japan Alps, which can be easily followed by using various means of transportation, including cablecars, trolley buses and a ropeway – if you in transportation stuff … that’s the place to go ;-)

Here you find the highlights of the trip

Kurobe Dam is with a height of 186 meters Japan's tallest dam

Tateyama Ropeway
Japan's longest one-span ropeway (1.7 kilometer long ropeway operates without any support towers between the lower and top stations)

Murodo offers fantastic views of the Tateyama Mountain Range

The Murodo Station complex includes Hotel Tateyama, Japan's highest located and great for the night views and spectacular sunsets.

Within a short walk over the snow plateau you can also reach Japans highest Onsen – don’t miss the homemade blueberry cake there ;-p)

Tateyama Snow Corridor
In case you would go there between April to May, the road from Bijodaira to Murodo runs between up to 20 meter high snow walls. The snow corridor is most spectacular around Murodo

Shomyodaki Falls
The highest waterfall in Japan, the Shomyodaki Falls collect water from the Tateyama mountains and erode the Midagahara plateau to form a V shape before cascading down 350 meters. The falls have four stages: the first 70 m, the second 58 m, the third 96 m and the last 126 m. The bottom of the waterfall is 60 m in diameter and 6 m in depth

The whole trip can be easily done within 3 days and doesn’t require any alpine experience or special equipment for mountaineering.
So it is a perfect escape for overworked city slickers as I am :-)

I love Japanese Signs