Junko's Travel Blogs

I went to a famous festival at Asakusa, Tokyo. The local carrys mikoshi(float)and bunch of people come to see it every year.

I went to Mt. Haguro in Yamagata-ken, a northern part of Japan as well as a very local onsen nearby my family's hometown in Fukushima-ken, a countryside between Yamagata-ken and Tokyo. I enjoyed a locan train trip for 11hours/one way. I had no choice due to a lack of money, but really enjoyed a countryside scinery from train's window. Also cherry blossoms!

It is my first cycling trip! A friend told me Japan is a right size to have a trip by bike, exactly! We cycled one of the main lslands of Japan called Shikoku for 8days. Our plan was cycling along a cost clockwise. We did not have time to cycle the whole island so that we decided to did half of it, plus cut off a bit by train. I was looking forward to see sea and other several little islands between the main island!

This year I decided to travel inside my country contrary to the strength of yen, which atempts me to travel abroad. As you can see from a map, Japan is islands. But I've seen sea only few times entire my life. The idea, living in islands, never occurred to me and I thought it was funny. Japan is consists of several big and small islands. In March I traveled one of the main islands, Kyushu to see sea, mountains, and local foods which I found out key components of Japan.

I went to see a friend in Sweden for new year. I only had one week vacation and it was a hectic trip covering Sweden and Norway. I enjoyed a short day time and freezing cold winter! It was short and sweet!

I went to do a workshop to make a pair of coaster made of textile and see a local sake brewing maker at Yuki, Ibraraki-ken(prefecture).

Just posted so that I remember I have to write about it on this weekend. I will post pics later when I get time more-

I did Mt. Fuji two weekends ago, which was very painful... well, scinery from summit was nice but the paths were terrible I am afraid. Once is enough, and never is also fine! I will write about the detail later. I will not complain so much and try to put some nice pics more later!

Just entered the title here so that it reminds me to finish it. I wrote some of it when I was in Ohio some weeks ago, for my vacation at the countryside was sometimes nothing to do with so needed to kill time by something..

I had an excursion trip from Tokyo to Kawagoe. It is 30mins away from Tokyo area by train. I have heard that this place is famous for its Kurazukuri, a symble of Edo culture, and the big summer festival held every year. I got a friend who attended a high there and he showed us around the place with his local information such as good biting place and historical buildings. It was so much fun!

I've been to Gujarat before to learn how the local run Non governmental organization. At that time I did not travel to other cities at all. So this time I really would like to visit major toulistic places such as Tarji Mahal. We started from Khajuraho, then followed Varanasi, Agra and New delhi.

I've been to Taipei, first time to Taiwan, with girls in my family for a weekend. Simply couple of days are enough to explore there. We've walked a lot, eat a lot, drink a lot, shopping a lot(well one person did a lot, not me), and massage a lot!! We had a blast!!

There are two nice traditional japanese gardens in Komagome. They are Rikugien and Kyu- fukukawa teien. I used to enjoy walking around the area for my spare time when I was a university studnet in Tokyo. I like Komagome. Once I get off a train, it is always quiet enough to make me forget that I am in a middle of Tokyo. Even though it was a bit early for flowers, but we enjoyed walking gardens.

I happened to find the most famous shrine in Japan when I went to get a tourist visa of India last day. The gate was massive! I was surprised at so many trees with flowers out there(most of them are supposedly Ume- plum tree and sakura- cherry blossoms).

I think Japan is famouse for its cherry blossoms in all over the world. But here is another beautiful tree which blooms a bit earlier than cherry clossoms. It is Ume, a plum tree. I went Ume viewing at Kairakuen in Ibaraki, the first time in my life! It was very nice!

I've wanted to visit O-yaishi museum in Utsunomiya city where is about three hours away from Tokyo by train. O-yaishi is a stone's name. There is a place called O-yaishi where this special stone is mined. I visited the museum and wandered around the area. It was quite interesting place to see.

I've been to England to see my friends whom I met while traveling in Siberia last year. It was not as adventurous as traveling in developing countries, but very nice to see friends again, and visit one of my friend's hometown Bristol and London!

I had a short trip by a local train to deeper countryside from my place. Ashikaga is a place where used to prosper as shogunate home territory. I wished I could have driven a car to walk around there because places to visit were scattered. We visited some of them on foot. I didn't imagine to see autumn colurs again after Kyoto because Ashikaga should be very cold and leaves should have been fallen off already. Lucky me!

I went to Kyoto, old city in Japan, to see autumn leaves. It was their best time! So beautiful!! First I visited temples and shrines but only to find that there packed with many people. So I changed my mind to climb up mountains. I did one for each day, so at last I finished three big mountains surrounded Kyoto in a trip! I am not a mountain person, never thought I would do it all the way from home! Higher I climb up, prettier autumn colours there appeared.

I visited a friend who are from Hiroshima. I have longed to visit Hiroshima which is famous all over the world for being dropped the first atomic bomb. Also there is Miyajima which people say one of the most beautiful sites in Japan. This is the first travelblog of an inside of my home country. I found that my home country was so beautiful! I am thinking to enjoy traveling inside for a while.

I got a tour which covers the whole sightseeing spots. Uzbeki people are very lovely. I cannot forget the beautiful blue Mosques and cotten fields!

I went to Kyushu for four days. It was a crazy trip with buddies and actualy I did not have so many things to put up here caz we just talked and ate:) I just realized I haven't been to all islands of Japan. I mean, as you can see it from a map, Japan consists of quite a size several islands, main island, Hokkaido, Kyushu, Shikoku, Okinawa, and some small others. As I grew up here, I just did not think of them as "island" but just prefectures. So I decided to do all main islands this year!