Last month, Japan overtook China in this little contest, as I head, once again, to the Land of the Rising Sun, which is a bit of good news for the country since China has been hogging the limelight in recent years for any records worth breaking.
We have seen Nihon in her winter glory and autumn colours, and so this time, I returned with the extended family in tow to soak in the green of summer. Nai Nai and Yeh Yeh gamely took up the challenge of a 5-day hike to trace the footsteps of Matsuo Basho, the haiku master, in the northern region of Tohoku. In the late 17th century, Basho set off from Edo (modern day Tokyo) to make the epic (and often times, dangerous) journey on foot that lasted 156 days. He penned his observations and recorded poems he composed along the way in the travel diary, Oku no Hosomichi 奥の細道 (The Narrow Road to the Deep North). Though his journey covered 2,400 km, our little troupe only trekked a fraction of that, completing a little less than 50 km over the 5 days.
After our hike, we shedded our grubby hiking gear and traded our boots for a set of wheels to travel in comfort and style. The rain that we had been expecting in the past few days finally made its appearance, and did not cease its visit for the remainder of our stay in Japan. That made for some pretty dramatic encounters, as I will share more in future posts.
For now, let's enjoy some of the highlights captured by YL.
Hydrangeas (ajisai) are the symbol of summer in Japan
The famous pine-laden scenery at Matsushima (松島) Bay
River outside our ryokan in Hijiori Onsen (肘折温泉）
Kokeshi doll craftsman at work in Naruko Onsen 鳴子温泉
Hiking in the woods surrounded by green
5 yen coins, tokens of hope and prayers, at the steep cliffs of Jizogura near Hijiori Onsen 肘折温泉
The iconic sight of the Risshakuji 立石寺, aka Yamadera 山寺
Cherry season in Yamagata!
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