Okutama Umisawa Keikoku Gorge - Tokyo

[Point of View]
- Mitsugama no Taki Waterfall
- Nejire no Taki Waterfall
- Oh Taki Waterfall

[Getting there]
By public transportation:
Approximately 90 minutes by JR Chuo Line from Tokyo Station to Ohme Station and 35 minutes by JR Ohme Line to Okutama Station. Get a taxi to Umezawa Gorge Entrance(10minutes)

[Personal Recommendation]
Access：★★★★☆
Refreshment：★★★★★

The entrance is located at the end of the street in front of American Camping Village. You can see three waterfalls on compassable way taht takes 90 minutes by walk. As It has some steep slant, It's not for the experienced climber though.
Each waterfall has each view and different atmosphere. The Nejire no Taki Waterfall is srounded by rocky hillside and make an echoing sound of water's falling.You can feel some sprit.

The entrance.

Trees are beautiful in deep autumn: greens, yellows, reds, oranges, every shade between.


The interlocked roots make stairs.

The Mitsugama no Taki Waterfall.

The Nejire no Taki Waterfall.

Beautiful mosses and greens.

The Ohtaki Waterfall. The blue jacket is ours.




[Information]
Okutama Visitor Center
0428-83-2037
0428-83-2152

Mount Akagi - Gunma

[Point of View]
- Fureai no Mori

[Getting There]
By car:
Approximately 3 hours from Tokyo Station taking Kanetsu Highway to Maebashi InterChange and 30 minutes taking Route Route 4 to.

[Personal Recommendation]
Access：★★★☆☆
Refreshment：★★★☆☆

Mount Akagi is one of the 100 famous mountains in Japan. Fureai no Mori's natural trails are easy to walk for families.
You can enjoy the gentle descent sliding way that length is 380 meters.

A walking trail

Trees are tinged with red

Play on a slide!

A tiny stream

Pine cones

Both adults and children can enjoy the slide.



[Information]
Maebashi Kanko convention center
Phone:027-235-2211

Kuroyama Santaki Water Falls - Saitama

[Point of View]
- Tengu taki
- Otaki & Metaki

[Getting there]
By car：
Approximately 2 hours from Tokyo Station taking Kanetsu Highway to Tsurugashima InterChange and 20 minutes taking Route Route 407 to.
By public transportation：
Tokyo Station -> 17 minutes(Tikyo Metro Marunouchi Line) -> Ikebukuro Station-> 44 minutes(Tobu Tojo Express Line) ->Sakado Station -> 18 minutes(Tobu Ogoko Line) -> Ogoko Station -> 25 minutes(Kawagoe Kanko Bus) -> Kuroyama Bus Station -> 15 minutes(by walk) -> Kuroyama Santaki Water falls

[Personal Recommendation]
Access：★★★☆☆
Refreshment：★★★☆☆

Kuroyama Santaki ("The Three Waterfalls of Black Mountain") is a small tourist attraction situated in the hills. The waterfalls are selected as one of Japan’s 100 Fine Waterfalls.The largest is the Tengu waterfall with the height of 20 meters. Being a little away from the other two waterfalls, it flushes down gallantly in a straight form. The name “Tengu” derives from the legend that a tengu used to lived in this holy mountain.
The Otaki and Metaki waterfalls compose one staircase waterfall in a zigzag flow. The Otaki has 10 meters in height and the Metaki 5 meters. Each has the plunge pool and flows down in unity. The Otaki Waterfall has a firm appearance while the Metaki Waterfall looks elegant.


The Otaki and Metaki waterfalls

Metaki waterfall

Tengu waterfall


Reddened berries

Grilled trout



[Information]
【Ogose cho Visitor Center】
049-292-6783

Miyama cho - Kyoto

[Point of View]
- thatched roof houses
- Miyamacho Visitor Center
- Kitamura Restaurant(Soba)

[Getting there]
By car：
Approximately 90 minutes taking Route 162 from Kyoto Station.

[Personal Recommendation]
Access：★★★☆☆
Refreshment：★★★☆☆

Miyama cho, the traditional farming village at which 50% of people live in thatched roof houses ,is located at south of Kyoto city.




Panicum miliaceum

You can see lots of flower.


[Information]
【Miyama cho Visitor Center】　
〒601-0722
TEL 0771-75-1906
http://www.miyamanavi.net/

Nishizawa Keikoku Gorge - Yamanashi

[Point of View]
- Nanatsugama Godan no Taki Water Fall
- the other 7 water falls
- Konjac Store

[Getting there]
By car：
Approximately 90 minutes to Katsunuma Interchange Exit from Tokyo Station and 60 minutes the parking lot located in front of the entrance of Nishizawa Keikoku Gorge.
By public transportation：
Approximately 90 minutes by JR Kaiji Express, bound for Kofu, to Shioyama Station from Tokyo Station and 60 minutes by Yamanashi Sangaku Kotsu Bus to the entrance of Nishizawa Keikoku Gorge.

[Personal Recommendation]
Access：★★★☆☆
Refreshment：★★★★☆

Nishizawa Keikoku Gorge is the representative valley at which Nanatsugama Godan no Taki Water Fall, one of the Japan's 100 selected water falls, is located in Yamanashi Prefecture.
The water fall and the other 7 water falls are do

The granite rocks are erode by the stream through the ages and shaped into interesting formation. The color of the water is very beautiful as emerald.
Walking on the trail for 3 to 4 hours, you can find many scenic points as water walls, unique rocks, etc.

The entrance -> Nishizawa Sanso（Paved road) - 20minutes
-> Mie no Taki Water Fall -10分
-> Jinmen Cave -10分
-> Ryujin no Taki Water Fall -10分
-> Koiito no Taki Water Fall -5分
-> Teisen no Taki Water Fall -5分
-> Botai Buchi Chasm -25分
-> Nanatsugama Godan no Taki Water Fall -25分
-> Back to the entrance(gentle descendent) -100分

The water's color is beautifully blue-green。



Nanatsugama Godan no Taki Water Fall ,a beautiful five tiered waterfall.

There are many fruit farms surrounded Katsunuma Interchange.


[Information]
【Yamanashi City Mitomi Hall Tourism Building】　
TEL：0553-39-2121
Visitor's Guid：
http://www.city.yamanashi.yamanashi.jp/kanko/image/seeing/nishizawa.pdf

Mini Shirakami - Aomori

[Point of View]
- native bushs of beech trees
- nature trails(45 minutes trail and 90 minutes trail)

[Getting there]
By Airplane
Approximately 1 hours by airplane from Haneda to Akita Airport and get a car and drive to Mini Shirakami (It takes 120 minutes)

Or at Aomori Airport transfer to JR Tohoku Bus to Aomori Station(40 minutes) and secound transfer to JR resort shirakami to Ajigasawa Station(180 minutes), then get a taxi to Mini Shirakami(20 minutes)

[Personal Recommendation]
Access：★☆☆☆☆
Refreshment：★★★★★

You can enjoy one of the world heritage, Shirakami Sanchi.
The trails are not hard to walk and you can see many kinds of berries(Tochino-Mi, Bunano-Mi, etc..), trees and birds.

Even though the day we visited there was rain, the forest are very beautiful.

Shirakami Sanchi Brief description:
Situated in the mountains of northern Honshu, this trackless site includes the last virgin remains of the cool-temperate forest of Siebold's beech treesthat once covered the hills and mountain slopes of northern Japan. The black bear, the serow and 87 species of birds can be found in this forest.

It was very mysterious like god of mountain may live there.




Beautiful berries


We have enjoyed with rain.

A frog

Many kinds of mashroom grow freely.


[Information]
Mini Shirakami Kuromori Museam
TEL:0173-79-2009（closed from December to April）

Juniko Ponds - Aomori

[Point of View]
- Ao ike Pond
- Wakitsubo no ike Pond
- Japan Canyon

[Getting there]
By Shinkansen Super Express:
Approximately 4 hours by JR Tohoku Super Express Line from Tokyo Station to Akita Station and 120 minutes by JR Resort Shirakami Line to Juniko Station.Then catch a taxi or a bus to Aoike Bus Stop.
By Airplane
Approximately 1 hours by airplane from Haneda to Akita Airport and 40 minutes by Akita Kosoku Bus(Express bus) to Akita Station. Then transfer to JR Resort Shirakami Line to Juniko Station and catch a taxi or a bus to Aoike Bus Stop.
By Airplane(Odatenoshiro Airport) Most Recommended!!!
Approximately 1 hours by airplane from Haneda to Odatenoshiro Airport and 90 minutes by car to Ao Ike Pond.

[Personal Recommendation]
Access：★☆☆☆☆
Refreshment：★★★★☆

Juniko Ponds (12 ponds) is located west side of Shirakamisanchi mountain district, that is one of the world heritages in Japan, and near the Japan Ocean.
Among those ponds, Ao Ike Pond is most famous and beautiful pond, so many people had seen it once on TV or posters.

The pond 9 meter deep is mystic blue and everybody have been watching it for a long time.
The water is very clear, so you can see fallen beech trees at the bottom.

Although September was not best season to see because of many fallen leaves on its surface, the pond took our heart.
(Best season is Spring. Particulary April is less fallen leaves and you can see the pond very deep blue.)

Ao Ike Pond


Wakitsubo no ike Pond（Its color was light green.）

Native bushs of beech tree

A berry? I have no idea what it is, but it was beautiful.


Japan Canyon


[Information]
Juniko Visitor Center
TEL：0173-77-2138

Oirase Keiryu - Aomori

Oirase Keiryu Stream - Aomori
[Point of View]
- Ashura no nagare Stream
- Choshi no Otaki Water Fall

[Getting there]
By Shinkansen Super Express:
Approximately 3 hours by JR Tohiku Super Express Line from Tokyo Station to Hachinohe Station and 90 minutes by JR Tohoku Bus to Oirase Keiryu Stream.
By Airplane
Approximately 70 minutes by Haneda Airport to Aomori Airport and 40 minutes by Airport Connection Bus to Aomori Station. It takes 2 hours by JR Tohoku Bus "Mizuumi Go" to Oirase Keiryu Stream.

[Personal Recommendation]
Access：★★★☆☆
Refreshments：★★★★★

Oirase Keiryu Stream ,located at Towada city in Aomori prefecture, 14 length of Strem from Towada Lake to Yakeyama Mountain, is one of "the 100 selected scenery of beutiful sounds" in Japan.
It shows a various types of stream:
dalles that rocks conduct, quieter part of a stream, and water falls.
These are all beautiful sceneies that appeals to us.
And the flows are surrounded by beech trees that makes different colors of view at every season.

Visitors could enjoy the great views from both board walks that are just beside the flows and road next to the side walk.
Also it is available to rent bicycles at Oirase Keiryu Kanko Center.







[Information]
Oirase Keiryu Kanko Center　
TEL：0176-74-1121

Fukuroda no Taki Water Fall

[Point of View]
- Fukuroda no Taki Waterfall
- Grape Picking Farms

[Getting there]
Approximately 7 minutes by JR Yamanote Line or Keihin-Tohoku Line from Tokyo Station to Ueno Station and 70 minutes by JR Super Hitachi or Fresh Hitachi to Mito and 70 minutes by Suigun Line to Fukuroda. It takes about 15 minutes to Fukuroda no Taki Stop by Bus bound for Takimoto and another 5 minutes on foot to "Fukuroda no Taki Waterfall."

[Personal Recommendation]
Access：★★★☆☆
Refreshments：★★★★☆
Meal：★★★★☆(Soba)

"Fukuroda no Taki Waterfall" is one of the 3 Japanese highest waterfalls in Ibaragi Prefecture.
The 73-meter-wide and 120-meter-high waterfall will be completely frozen in winter and many ice climbers will visit.

The basin of the waterfall is not accessible to go except in the frozen season.
But, you can see it very close from the viewing platform.

Accross the bridge where gives you its great view costs 300 yen.



Kuji River. I found many sweetfishes located near "Fukuroda no Taki".

The Soba and Udon Restaurant serves delicious Soba.(Its name is "Futaba".)


[Information]
Daigo cho Kanko Syohkoh Ka
TEL：0295-72-1111　FAX：0295-72-1167