Japan – Page 11

Autumn 2014: Tenjindaira & Ichinokurasawa Hike

Visit Date: 10/25/2014 (Best viewing Time: mid October to mid November)

Minakami (みなかみ町 Minakami-machi) is the largest and northernmost town in Gunma Prefecture and is popular for its beautiful mountains and hot springs. The area has also become prominent for its adventurous outdoor activities including white water rafting, bungee jumping, canyoning, mountain biking, and snow sports among others. It is also an outstanding destination during the autumn season as the area offers wonderful vistas of fall colors as the leaves change in the surrounding valleys.

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Autumn 2014: Cosmos & Kochia at Hitachi Seaside Park

Visit Date: 10/19/2014 (Best viewing Time: mid September to mid October)

Hitachi Seaside Park (国営ひたち海浜公園 Kokuei Hitachi Kaihinkouen) located in Hitachinaka, Ibaraki, Japan is a 190-hectare national park and is one of the best places to visit during the autumn season. The colorful cosmoses and blazing red kochia bushes or commonly known as burning bush, ragweed, summer cypress, or Mexican fireweed covering the Miharashi hill (みはらしの丘), located at the northwestern garden, allow the visitors to experience a unique fall colors.

The Miharashi no Oka hill with the colorful kochia bushes.

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Beating the Summer Heat in Hayama Isshiki Beach

There’s no better way to enjoy a hot summer’s day than going to the beach and having fun in the water or just lying back and relaxing in the sandy shores while enjoying the cool sea breeze, listening to the waves lapping the shore, and watching beautiful people pass by.

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Hiking Mt. Jinba 陣馬山

Traveling and exploring outdoors with your child is a perfect tonic for parenting stress. But with the crowded summer destinations, fully-booked hotels, expensive Shinkansen and plane fares, there seems to be nowhere else to go. Instead, we decided to go on a hike on a lesser visited but no less impressive mountain near Tokyo.

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花火 Hanabi 2014 – Summer Fireworks Festival

Summer in Japan means it is the season of fireworks. Firework festivals are held all over Japan during the summer season as the wind is gentler and the sky is clearer. Attending a hanabi event had been a fundamental part in Japanese culture. Visitors come in their traditional yukata or jinbei and enjoy the fireworks display while having a picnic or buying from the food stalls and participating in the game booths.

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