The Kind of Japan You don’t often See or Hear About

Hello people! Hope you’re all enjoying your summer (or winter, depending on where you are) because I sure am! 8) Too bad it’s almost over…

This month I went on a trip to Kamikouchi, which is an inland area of Japan surrounded by beautiful mountains.
Now, when most foreigners think of Japan, I’m sure that the things that come to their minds first are stuff like the glittering cityscape, advanced technology, anime, … and of course our high quality cars (right?). Not many would think of mountains and valleys covered in lush forests or of rivers that flow through them. Which is why I’d like to share with you today some of the photos I took in Kamikouchi.

A little info about this place: it is a piece of land about 1500m above sea level, surrounded by a mountain range. One has to travel many miles through winding mountain roads and narrow tunnels to reach it. What makes the trip even harder is the fact that regular cars are not allowed into the destination; you have to park at a certain point, and take a bus or taxicab the rest of the way. I don’t really recommend taking the bus (which I did) because the rough ride will make you carsick.
But let me say this: it is definitely worth the trouble! The scenery is so utterlessly gorgeous that you forget all about the bumps and discomforts of the journey on the bus… that is, until it’s time to go home, and you are forced to endure the ride all over again.
But, enough about this.. I will shut up now and post the photos. Enjoy!

River among trees.

River again…

Stumps of trees destroyed by a volcano eruption protrude from a pond.

I suppose you’ve got it by now that there’s a LOT of water in this area. 🙂

…and that’s it for now folks! Hope you liked the pics.
Mahalo for reading!

Maki