Finally arrived at the top of the mountain. At nearly 600m, there is a beautiful view, even though the air is not entirely clear. Unfortunately, the center of Tokyo, which is 50 km away, couldn't be seen in the distance.

On the way, there were many temples and shrines located on the mountain.

I particularly enjoyed the descent on Route 6. This was a proper mountain forest hiking trail that constantly followed a stream downhill. There were also small shrines and monuments along the way. Overall, it was very nice and highly recommended.

After nearly 90 minutes of train travel, I have arrived at the entrance to Takaosan (Takaosanguchi). Today, I'm heading up the mountain, where there are various routes to take. I chose the chairlift for a more relaxed start, and it was very pleasant. A funicular railway also operates alongside it. That already covers about half of the path.
How things continue on the mountain will be shown in the next post.

Once back down, I tried some typical sweets. Sakemanju, Sobadango, and Mitsufukudango, all very delicious and made from a type of rice dough.

To finish, I visited the onsen there. There were various pools with water temperatures of up to around 41°C. After the hike, it was very nice for relaxation.

There was a lot going on in the city when I walked home from bouldering. I stumbled upon a nice summer festival at Kanda Myoujin Shrine. There, I treated myself to a cucumber on a stick, the vegan version of kebab, which was salted and marinated in ice.
A little further, I also visited Yushima Tenman Shrine, where there was a funny statue. I also spotted a cute DHL truck here.

At Ochanomizu, several train lines intersect. On the surface, you can see three: the Marunoichi Line (in red), Chūō Line, and Sōbu Line. Beneath them runs the Chiyoda Line.

Die Geschichte von Amanohashidate, einer rund 3,6 Kilometer langen, mit Kiefern bewachsenen Sandbank im Norden der Präfektur Kyoto, ist eine faszinierende Mischung aus uralter Mythologie, geologischer Naturgeschichte und jahrhundertelanger Verehrung als kulturelles und spirituelles Wahrzeichen Japans.

Die göttliche Schöpfung

Der Name Amanohashidate bedeutet übersetzt "Brücke zum Himmel". Dem Mythos nach baute der Schöpfergott Izanagi eine Leiter, um vom Himmel auf die Erde zu gelangen und seine Geliebte, die Göttin Izanami, zu besuchen.

Eines Tages, als der Gott schlief, stürzte die Leiter um und fiel in die Miyazu-Bucht. Daraus entstand die markante Sandbank, die bis heute symbolisch Himmel und Erde miteinander verbindet.

Geologische Entstehung

Abseits der Mythen ist die „Himmelsbrücke“ das Ergebnis jahrtausendelanger geologischer Prozesse. 

Meeresströmungen schwemmten über Jahrhunderte Sand in die Miyazu-Bucht. Gleichzeitig transportierte der Noda-Fluss Sedimente in die dahinterliegende Lagune (die Aso-See). Durch das Zusammentreffen dieser Kräfte entstand die schmale Landenge, auf der heute rund 7.000 Kiefern wachsen. Dieses Zusammenspiel aus weißem Sand und grünen Bäumen gilt in Japan als ästhetisches Ideal (Hakusha Seisho).

Im 17. Jahrhundert erlangte der Ort nationale Berühmtheit, die bis heute anhält.

Hayashi Gahou der konfuzianische Gelehrte reiste durch das Land und kürte im Jahr 1643 in seinem Werk Nihonkoku Jisekiko die drei schönsten Landschaften Japans (Nihon Sankei).

Amanohashidate wurde dabei auf eine Stufe mit den Inseln von Matsushima und dem schwimmenden Torii von Miyajima gestellt.

Seit Jahrhunderten praktizieren Besucher eine ganz bestimmte Tradition, um die Geschichte der Himmelsleiter visuell nachzuvollziehen.

Man stellt sich auf den Aussichtsplattformen der umliegenden Berge mit dem Rücken zur Bucht auf eine Bank, beugt sich nach vorne und blickt umgekehrt durch die eigenen Beine.

Durch diese umgedrehte Perspektive verschwimmt der Horizont: Das Meer wirkt wie der Himmel und die grüne Sandbank sieht aus wie eine Brücke oder ein Drache, der in den Himmel aufsteigt.

(aus Wikipedia)

Start in Otsu am Südende des Sees.

Erster Tag bis Notogawa.

Zweiter Tag bis Nagahama.

1 Biwako desu (das ist der Biwasee). 

2 Shiga Kunstmuseum (leider war mal wieder Montag! 😉). 

3 Sonnemblumenfeld

4 Treppen zu einem Shinto-Schrein.  

5 Blick auf den See in der Sommerhitze. 

6 Mittagspause mit Seeblick. 

7 Reisfelder am Nachmittag. 

8 Mein Herbergsvater Yasumadasan (Reisbauer). 

9 Häschenbaustelle

10 Eine Schildkröte auf dem Fahrradweg!? 🤔 

11 Vögel, Vögel, Vögel. 

12-14 Hikonyan nach dem Vorfahr Ii Naomasa. 

15 Burg Hikone mit... 

16 Blick auf Hikone. 

17 Hikone ist die Onigawara-Stadt. 

18 Was wird so alles gebaut...!?

19 ...auch coole Hallen. Von innen war sie nochmal so cool! 🤩 

20 Burg von Nagahama. 

In small worlds, there was also a special exhibition dedicated to the anime 'Neon Genesis Evangelion.' This anime is older than I am and is very well-known in Japan. In this story, the world is plagued by unknown creatures that have destroyed many cities. Tokyo III was constructed as a movable fortress with many futuristic technologies. The Evangelions (Evas) were created to combat the hostile creatures. They are controlled from within by a human, similar to a Gundam. There are many other aspects that make this anime special.

Today I visited the miniature worlds small worlds in Tokyo. There are various exhibitions of futuristic rocket bases, Swiss Alps, Italy, Hong Kong, and small recreations of kitchens and other facilities, all the way to the famous Shibuya Crossing and Haneda Airport. (Unfortunately, I can't share the videos of takeoff and landing here)

In the next post, it continues. (Since I can't upload all the pictures at once, I have separated the Neon Genesis Evangelion theme into an extra post.)

One travels expecting a certain standard. Regrettably, the modern hospitality industry seems entirely bereft of it. My recent expedition to the supposedly exclusive Isla de la Corona resort in the Mediterranean was a tedious exercise in enduring mediocrity.

Here is my unvarnished assessment of the establishment.

The Accommodations

The resort’s architecture attempts a classical revival but utterly fails in its execution.

• The "Royal" Suite: A misnomer of epic proportions. While the linens were of an acceptable thread count, the bathroom fixtures were brazenly faux-brass. I expect solid, authentic materials for the price, not cost-cutting measures masquerading as bespoke design.

• The Vistas: Marketed as an "unobstructed ocean panorama." Management conveniently neglected to mention the monolithic, brutalist concrete parking structure dominating the lower left quadrant of the balcony's sightline.

The tasting menu at their flagship restaurant, L'Horizon, was an absolute farce. It was an exercise in style over substance, and the style itself was thoroughly derivative.

• Execution: The amuse-bouche lacked any structural integrity. Furthermore, the primary venison dish was egregiously overcooked. When one requests rare, one expects it served accordingly, not presented with the texture of a brogue.

• The Cellar: The sommelier’s pairings were entirely unimaginative, leaning far too heavily on aggressively oaked, rather pedestrian Chardonnays rather than selecting vintages with actual character.

The Verdict

If your idea of a holiday involves being profoundly irritated by incompetent service and paying exorbitant sums for the privilege, Isla de la Corona will serve adequately. For anyone with a modicum of taste or spatial awareness, I strongly advise looking elsewhere. Save your time and your capital.

Yesterday, I attended the Sumida River Fireworks Festival (in Sumida). This event takes place annually and features a fireworks show that lasts for about 1 hour at various locations. Pictures can’t capture the spectacle quite as well.
What’s interesting are the preparations for it. Certain areas are closed off, and streets are made accessible only to pedestrians. Order officials are everywhere, loudly giving organizational instructions. Also, afterwards, when everyone wants to go home, many train stations are heavily monitored to manage the crowds as efficiently as possible.

On other days, I also visited Ojima Park and checked out various things, including a fire truck. In Japan, everything is a bit smaller, especially garbage trucks. Unfortunately, I can’t always take pictures of everything, but interested people can feel free to experience it in person :).

In chronological order, I went out to eat at several restaurants last week. The first picture already shows my favorite. There is a version where instead of the travel Udon-like noodles you get a different type. That one is super delicious as well. After that, I had a nice Tonkatsu, which is almost like a schnitzel, along with some nice curry.
Then I also had something special with other people. At a Yakiniku restaurant, you grill the meat yourself; you have a large selection of different cuts of meat and also offal. Accordingly, you need to spend a bit more money.

The following week, I went to Odaiba. Technically, Odaiba is just a part of the artificially created islands in front of Tokyo. But there are many modern and special facilities and a large Gundam there. This is a human-driven combat robot, very common in Japan and often seen in various series and anime.

I also passed by the expedition ship Sooya, which has a special history. Many such places are closed on Mondays :/.

Then I also went to a large famous fish market, which at that time was already out of operation. If you want to attend the auctions for large bluefin tunas, you need to be there by 5 AM.

Lastly, here’s a little seek and find picture. You may only see a small part of the mentioned objects. 

Onigawara gibt es seit 1400 Jahren in Japan. Sie werden vor allem an buddhistischen Tempeln eingesetzt um Böses und Unheil abzuwehren. 

Am bekanntesten sind sie unglasiert in dunkelgrau. Seltener und später in der Geschichte sind glasiert in blau oder grün.

Wir haben heute eine onigawara im Yuzukake-Style gefertigt. Charakteristisch sind u.a. die kreisrunden Verzierungen an den Seiten.

Unsere ist außerdem einiges kleiner als in realer Anwendung. Sie wird bei ca 1200° geschrüht. 

Onigawara Experience by Kawarakoubou

The next day, we briefly rode the steepest and tallest roller coaster for relaxation 😅

...and let’s not forget: relaxing in the onsen of our Fuji Resort to recover from the whole-body muscle soreness 😉

Today I visited Shinjuku and ventured up to the Metropolitan Government Building. There's an observatory that can be accessed for free. The view was good, even though the air was a bit hazy.

After that, I went to the Meiji Jingu Shrine. It is situated on a large forested area, right in the middle of the city. Then I walked on to Shibuya, where there is a famous crossing, as it is used by many pedestrians every day. 

For my special day, I visited a pastry shop and a bakery nearby in the morning. These are small shops with a selected range of products. A piece of chocolate cake and a slice of currant cake, along with some small treats from the bakery. The dark fruit bun was very delicious. Crispy on the outside, soft on the inside, fruity, nutty, and chocolaty.

After the rain had cleared, I went out for a stroll to the Nezu Shrine. The Nezu Shrine is located in a nice, quiet, and relatively untouched natural spot. It is always impressive to find such places. On the way home, I had a bowl of ramen.

Soon after, I went to the Tokyo National Museum. There is a lot to see, but I couldn't take much away; most of it was outdated. It was definitely a nice detour into Japanese/Asian culture.

After that, I went to a small bookstore in Sumida. There, I participated in an interesting quiz and spent the evening in pleasant company. After that, I craved a delicious curry...

After visiting teamLab Borderless, we went to the nearby Tokyo Tower. It is actually a few meters taller than the Eiffel Tower. However, I didn't go to the top; it already looked spectacular enough from the bottom.

Nearby was also Shiba Park with the Zojo-ji temple. This creates an interesting picture in contrast to the big city. There were many other interesting things to explore and see all around.

Today I visited teamLab borderless, a type of art gallery that works with light effects/projections. I was able to take many pictures for you, which I hope will leave an impression. It was quite nice, and some rooms had a truly special effect that you could watch for a long time.

The Gion Matsuri originated in 869 as a religious purification ritual (goryo-e) to stop a devastating plague. Kyoto's citizens erected 66 halberds—one for each province of old Japan—at Shinsen-en garden to appease the spirits causing the epidemic. Today, it has evolved into a month-long celebration of Kyoto's enduring cultural heritage, merchant history, and traditional craftsmanship.

The massive Hoko floats are designated as UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage. They are decorated with historic, multi-million-dollar global textiles, earning them the nickname "moving museums."Built Without Nails: The towering wooden floats, some weighing up to 12 tons and reaching 25 meters high, are completely assembled and tied together using only complex rope-weaving techniques (nawa-garami), allowing the wood to flex without breaking during the rough ride. 

The 150-Year Revival: The Ato-Matsuri (latter festival parade on July 24) was actually discontinued in 1966 to accommodate modern traffic. However, to preserve authentic cultural traditions, local organizers successfully revived it in 2014.

Hidden Family Treasures: During the Yoiyama evenings (July 14–16), local residents and historic merchant families in the old kimono district open their private home entrances (machiya) to display priceless family heirlooms, painted screens, and kimonos to the public.

The Magical Chimaki: Festival-goers do not eat the chimaki sold here. Unlike the food item, these are sacred, hand-woven bamboo leaf amulets hung above front doors to ward off illness and bad luck for the upcoming year.

Stage 1/5: The loud metropolis and the world's largest city, Tokyo

Today, we have something homemade on the table. Spaghetti feels almost like home cooking in Japan. You can definitely tell by the prices that ingredients like tomatoes and peppers are not commonly used in Japanese cuisine. However, it's especially the fruits that are surprisingly expensive here.

And yes, the critics among you will say that tomato sauce is missing. Unfortunately, I bought too few canned tomatoes....

We see faces überall in Japan 🥰 

Danke Carola für deinen Besuch, die vielen wunderbaren Gesichter und die tolle Zeit ! 

Today I tried a place that offers good and affordable food. At Matsuya near Ueno Park, I treated myself to a small menu for 650¥ (~3.50€). It included a small miso soup and a bowl of rice with meat and some vegetables. The portion is more than enough to satisfy my hunger. There’s nothing to complain about taste-wise either.

This morning I went to B-Pump in Akihabara and checked out the 4-story bouldering gym. There's always activity and a wide selection of challenging routes.

In the evening, I went into the city and grabbed some yakisoba with octopus at the summer festival. It's edible. Afterwards, I strolled through the bustling streets of the night. In a candy store, there was an entire shelf filled with different varieties of KitKat. There's also a shrine occasionally found among the many shops.

Today, I spontaneously took the train to Chofu to visit the Jindaiji Temple. It is currently hot and humid in Tokyo, which makes everything a bit sweaty. Below the temple, there are some nice restaurants and shops alongside a stream. Above is the botanical garden that you can stroll through comfortably to admire all kinds of plants. At this time of year, the large bloom is of course already over, but in the 'greenhouse' there are also many plants.

After a long walk around, I found myself in one of the mentioned restaurants to eat cold Soba. It also came with free cold tea. The green tea tasted a bit too much like coffee for me. So if someone is looking for a coffee substitute, they might want to try using (probably a bit special) green tea.

In the last few days, I did some organizational work. I had to go to the city hall and register my residence, which is not so trivial in Japanese.

Besides that, I also wandered around Akihabara and checked out the big electronics stores. Today, I was offered some sushi for dinner that was even discounted near closing time.

Today again in Ueno Park, there was music and entertainment from dancing women in beautiful dresses.

There was also some food that couldn't be missed.

Today, we experienced quite a lot on the streets, a wonderful festival with many stalls and a beautiful view of the Tokyo Skytree.

In the evening, we also stopped by Asakusa, where the shrine looks even more impressive.

Today we went to Ueno Park, where there are many things to see, as you can see. Especially the many aquatic plants right in the city. And all around are small food stalls and entertainment programs.

Onagawa area/zur Insel Izushima (8,8km). 

Und anschließend gebadet im ofuro in Onagawa City. 

1 unsere Route. 

2-12 auf dem Wasser. 

13 Yuki unser Guide und Eierproduzent. 

14 Tanuki Kacke. 

15 Blick vom Onsen über Onagawa.

16 das Onsendach. 

17 was es in Onagawa und seinen Gewässern so alles gibt.

Current Design Gulfstream Seekajak. 

Länge: 5,13m

Breite: 60,3cm

Volumen: 348,3l

Cockpit: 41,9cm x 84,5cm

Glasfaser-Komposite: 23,6 kg