Japan Sea viewed from trains

These pictures were taken from local trains running in Niigata along japan sea. Train ride can be this fun.

Zenko-ji will be one of your destinations on Nagano

Of course, this temple should be one of your destinations in Nagano; easy access from Nagano station where Shinkansen super express stops. The premises are very embracing and welcoming. The temple started that way any way. That's the tradition of this temple. 

Ukiyoe woodblock prints by HOKUSAI in Obuse, Nagano

A visit to Hokusai-kan makes another good day tour when you are staying at a ski resort near it in addition to seeing snow monkeys. It will be good for a change from skiing. A few hundred years ago, Ukiyoe master Hokusai came to Obuse around four times and he left his pieces of both prints and paintings to wealthy families in the village. The town and people of Obuse were wise enough to recognize what they had and built a Hokusai museum. The collection of the museum is quite impressive and the museum building is well done too.

Obuse is also known as their good chestnuts and the sweets with these chestnuts. The town also started the open garden stroll about three decades ago. The town is  the pioneer of this system. They also introduced passing through the gardens and stores. This way, interesting walkways were made in spite of the limited area of the town. Kids are also allowed to do the same and they pass through these places to come back home from school. Some people wanted to see these kids to be convinced that they really were passing. 

Nagano is now another popular destination for tourists.

And of course snow monkeys

Both bunnies and monkeys attract people. This year particularly is the year of the monkey. Many people wanted the pics of the bathing monkeys for their new year's card. Certainly the photos made the good new yest's cards. Happiness for everybody in this year of the monkey!

Bathing in onsen

A cell phone accidentally taken by a monkey. 

Kids and bunnies

The popularity of okunoshima bunny island is here to stay. Whenever I go, I see travelers from abroad in addition to the travelers I took to the island. This time, we managed to hike up to the summit and visit the poison gas museum in addition to feeding the bunnies in two hours on the island. We didn't see all but talked about the war-related history during the tour. AND bunnies are always cute and just melt you. 

This photo is from a different occasion.

Entitled a bunny and a baby

At the summit, the table is ready for the bunnies.

Taking an early ferry from Miyanoura Port

Beautiful morning in the Seto Inland Sea area.

Teshima Island has more to show than modern art

Teshima has been evolving with art and architecture but the island has more to show; rather, you should know what happened to the island in modern times to fully appreciate the artistic transformation happening in Teshima in addition to Naoshima, Inujima, and other neighboring islands in the Seto Inland Sea.

The Sea has light and shadow as any other thing in the world does. So enchanting but once polluted by haste modernization and industrialization. Many islands either suffered from pollution or depopulation. One approach to make them healthier again is the Benesse evolution. 

But you should know first how the islands had to struggle and are still tackling with modern times.
Teshima once suffered a major case of illegal dumping of industrial waste. It was also burned in the open air to erase the evidence of the disposed. For many years, the aged islanders fought, racking their brains to save their once untainted island and its heritage for the sake of future generations.    

Settlement was reached with the Kagawa Prefectural Government who admitted their ignorance of monitoring and instructing the business which was doing extraordinary bad things without any consideration to natural environment and islanders. But the very business and the man who was totally wrong were not punished severely because no such law existed at that time. Now because of this grave case, the law was made strict but the tax money has to be used for cleaning up and making the waste harmless. It was supposed to be over in ten years but more waste was found on the way. Now the first ten years passed and still a few years at least are required for totally closing the case.   

LET US KNOW WHAT HAPPENED.

The prices of the dishes are very reasonable. It's an old eatery and cafe near Ieura Port in Teshima for which an aged woman cooks. The fried noodle was tastier than the fashionable dish at a restaurant which commands a good view of the ocean. 

This is a model of the Ship Taiyo (the Sun) which exclusively carries the waste from Teshima to Naoshima.
On the premises of Mitsubishi Material stands an industrial waste treatment center. 

Part of the site where industrial waste was dumped.
Now removing and making them safe have been going on.

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