Cycled the Hakusan-Tedori River Route, a rail trail near Kanazawa where I’m staying. In this photo I’d been cycling towards the Northern Japan Alps for a couple hours; rice paddies flank the trail. I hadn’t realized there was a gradual incline most of the way, so the return trip was faster.
Category: Japan
A Walk Around Kanazawa
Today I was a full-throttle tourist. There’s so much to see in Kanazawa, so many stories. It’s amazing that this major city escaped WW2 bombings. As a result, Edo-period (pre-1868) streets like this one still stand, making them national treasures.
Kanazawa for the Weekend
I’m now in Kanazawa (blue dot) which will be my base for the next three days. Authorities are begging tourists to return after the January 1, 2024 earthquake devastated areas in the peninsula north of Kanazawa. Today I traveled 144 miles from Osaka via two bullet trains and four local trains. Along the way, I paused for a hike.
Riding a New Bullet Train Route
Rode on a new section of the Hokuriku Shinkansen line that opened two weeks ago between Tsuruga and Kanazawa. When completed, this line will offer an alternative bullet train route between Tokyo and Osaka.
Himeji Castle: Before the Bloom
“But it will be so much prettier when the cherry blossoms bloom any day now.” That’s the thinking I was planning on when I caught a bullet train to Himeji. This early 1600’s structure has escaped widespread destruction of castles in the 1870’s, WW2 bombing, and earthquakes. Despite being Japan’s most visited castle, there were no lines early this morning.
The Road to Osaka
I’m now in Osaka, about 400 miles from Hakata (Fukuoka) where I was this morning. Along the way I broke the journey in Mihara where I put my backpack in a locker and walked five minutes to a ferry terminal on the Seto Inland Sea. I spent much of the day hiking on Ikuchijima and Takaneshima Islands (connected by a bridge).
Being in a Magical Place
Making the most of a sunny day, I hopped on a ferry to Ikuchijima, an island in the Seto Inland Sea, planning to rent a bike. However, the only option available was an electric one, so I opted for a hike instead. The sight of submerged rails, likely for a boat launch, evoked the wonderful train scene from the anime Spirited Away.
Finding Ramen
Google Maps helped me escape a grey drippy day via a steaming bowl of Hakata Ramen. Posted When Google Maps Knows Ramen.
When Google Maps Knows Ramen
A craving for ramen hit me as I stood outside Hakata Station in Fukuoka. The drippy, gray weather just amplified my desire for a steaming bowl of Hakata ramen—perfect for a day like this. Now the challenge was to find a decent ramen restaurant. Google Maps came to the rescue.
Hiroshima National Peace Memorial for the Atomic Bomb Victims
Encircling the room, on the upper part of the wall, a grim cityscape frieze consists of 140,000 tiles to represent each individual who died. A water basin in the center commemorates those who died begging for water.