 Image search results - "mountains" |
From Tokyo, Gala Yuzawa is the most convenient place to ski. The Joetsu shinkansen can take you there in little over an hour and the train station has the ski gondola. An easy day trip.
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The line gets very long during the morning, so I usually go later in the day and ski until night when it is much less crowded. I catch the last shinkansen back to Tokyo.
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It's not a large or long run, but better than nothing.
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The quality of the snow is not as good as in Hokkaido, but better than nothing.
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View from the top.
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Skis left outside as their owners have lunch. It's nice that no one steals your skis.
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Hira mountains
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It's worth visiting Kamikochi, very scenic for Japan.
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Kamikochi is accessible by bus from the Matsumoto Bus Terminal near JR Matsumoto Station.
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Lots of forest.
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Kappabashi Bridge and the Hotaka mountains at Kamikochi, Nagano. 河童橋と穂高連峰
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Kappabashi Bridge is the focal point of Kamikochi.
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View from Kappabashi Bridge over Azusa River. 梓川
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Kappabashi Bridge
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Kamikochi, Nagano
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Lake Toya is a caldera lake, or crater lake. The mountain blew its top forming a huge crater. Later, volcanos erupted at the center to form smaller mountains which are now islands in the water-filled crater.
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The Nakajima islands in the center of Lake Toya. There are four islands. Most them have a conical shape.
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On this side of the lake, the waters are quite still.
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Nakajima islands as seen from Toyako Onsen.
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Lake Toya sign and the Nakajima islands.
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Swan boat and a real swan.
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Swan boats. You can pedal pretty far out in these things, but not to the Nakajima islands.
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On the shore of Lake Toya is binoculars through which you can see the Summit venue, the Windsor Hotel.
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Lake Toya and cherry blossoms blooming in early May.
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Nakajima islands, Lake Toya
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Nakajima islands, Lake Toya
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Cherry blossoms and the Nakajima islands, Lake Toya. Early May 2008.
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Another major sight in Lake Toya is the Ukimido pagoda in northern Lake Toya.
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Ukimido pagoda juts out into the lake on a narrow islet connected by a stone bridge.
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Ukimido means "floating view temple."
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The Ukimido is the focal point of the lakeside Ukimido Park.
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Around 1912, a Buddhist priest traveling north reached Toya village and rested at the Matsuhashi home. He gave a statue of Prince Shotoku Taishi to the family and said that they and the village shall prosper by taking care of it.
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The Matsuhashi family later moved away from Toya village and entrusted the statue to a local temple.
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