Tuesday 8th July 2025
What an epic day!

The day started at 5.30am when we were up getting ready for our big hike. Today we climbed to the summit of Mt Rishiri, starting at 7am. It was an arduous climb up 1721m over 6.2km which took 4.5 hours to get to the top. It was a constant uphill climb all the way except about 200m that went down. I just took my time and climbed continuously for 4.5 hours except for a short break at about the 9th station. We missed the memo that told us you have to reach the top by 11am to avoid the continuous stream of people descending the mountain. Many people start the hike at 4am. We spent more time in the last half hour of the ascent waiting for people to come down. Oh well, we enjoyed some chit chat and a little rest each time we stopped. There were some really interesting washouts and landslide sections. We finally made it to the top at 11.30am and luckily enjoyed the amazing views with only about 10 other people. The other 100 had just passed us in the last 30 mins going back down. The benefits of starting a bit after them. The view at the top was spectacular, 360° views of the most amazing mountain. From the ground it just looks like a cone with very few changes to its structure. In reality there are spires, huge rocks , cliffs, washouts, landslides and a view to the sea in all directions. We had the most amazing weather which enabled us to see Rebun Island, Hokkaido and even as far as the Russian islands. Such a magnificent view.

We enjoyed lunch, a chat with a 70 year old man from Tokyo and the amazing vistas for over an hour. Then it was time to start the difficult trek down. My legs were stiff and took a while to get going. The way down was just as hard as the way up. The terrain was rocky, steep and dry, making the rocky scree quite slippery. I couldn’t count the number of times we had “whoops-a-daisy” moments, where we slipped, stumbled or just were plain awkward. Thankfully, each time, we survived the moment. It took just under 4 hours to descend the mountain. By the end, I was done. I went to the car whilst David did the side trip of 165m return to what we thought was the Pond (the sign read Mt Pon 165m). It turned out it was up 165m to Mt Pon summit. David walked for ages uphill again and in the end, returned without reaching the Pond. When he read the sign on his return he laughed at our mistake. I am so glad I went back to the car 9 hours and 20 mins after we started at 4.20pm. EXHAUSTED!

Our next stop after a little rest in the car was to the Rishirifuji Hot Springs where we both enjoyed a long hot soak in the onsen. Wow! It was the best. Feeling refreshed and clean, we then headed to the convenience store for dinner. I am done and dusted for the day. What an epic day!

Hiking Mount Rishiri is a challenging but rewarding experience, offering stunning views from the summit. The most popular route is the Oshidomari Course, which includes a visit to the north peak with a shrine. The climb is roughly 1721 metres and can take around 9 hours round trip. It’s recommended to start early in the morning and ideally hike with a local guide.

Monday 7th July 2025
Yet again, we woke at the crack of dawn. That being 4am. I am so tired I just nod back off to sleep. We were on our way by 8 am heading to the coast at Rumoi. Unfortunately for us it was overcast and dreary. The view would have been spectacular with a bright sunny day. Oh well. We can hope it improves for our trip to the islands. Our plan is to get to Wakkanai which is about a 2.5 hours drive.  Only 243km. David loves to follow the coastline and hopefully we will get sunshine one day.  We enjoyed the beautiful scenery all the same. We stopped at aTorii gate and shrine in the sea and saw the beautiful coastline through the haze. Just before lunch I had my first drive for about 40 mins.  You would not believe it, but no more than 3 mins down the road, a big Bambi ran straight in front of me. Luckily we were only doing the speed limit of 50kmh. It was easy to slow down and avoid hitting the very beautiful animal. Once my heart found its way back to my chest, I enjoyed the slow and easy driving.

After lunch we continued up the coastline as the sun peeped its way out of the clouds and enhanced the view immensely.  We passed an amazing wind farm and Rishiri Island came into view.  It was like a volcano rising out of the water.  We arrived at Wakkanai at about 1pm and headed straight to the ferry terminal to purchase our trip across the Sea of Japan to Rishiri Island. We are hoping to do Wakkanai to Rishiri to Rebun and return to Wakkanai on Saturday. We had tried a few times to do it online but Japanese forms and characters became problematic. Worth a little help from Google transport worth a detailed request. It was done. Now a trip to the Tourist information to see if they can book our Campsite. We had success on Rebun but unfortunately only one campground allows auto camping on Rishiri and they are fully booked.  So we will have to find a carpark with a toilet and hope for the best. We then went to the ferry terminal to pay for our booking and board.  We had to go separately, the driver with the car and passenger through the terminal.  There were quite a number of passengers but very few vehicles. It was a big rush as usual for the economy seats, or should i say, carpet and a few back supports

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Rishiri Island (利尻島, Rishiritō) is a remote, small island about 20 kilometres off the northern tip of Hokkaido, with a circumference of about 60 kilometres and Mount Rishiri, a dormant volcano, at its centre. Together with neighboring Rebun Island, Rishiri belongs to the Rishiri-Rebun-Sarobetsu National Park. Many of the island’s 5000 inhabitants are making a living from tourism and fishing.

Rishiri Island offers various hiking and walking opportunities. The climb to the top of Mount Rishiri takes a full day and is quite challenging. There is also a cycling road along the island’s northern coast. A visit to Rishiri Island is most attractive from June to August when the island’s alpine flora is in bloom. Not many tourists visit the island during the long and harsh winters.

A beautiful spot for both nature-lovers and hikers alike. The central focus of the island is Mt. Rishiri, which is lovingly referred to as “Rishiri Fuji” due to its striking resemblance to the better-known Mt. Fuji. The months between June and August, when the alpine plants are in bloom, is an ideal time to visit and hike the trails. With a circumference of only 63km, visitors can view the mountain from just about any location on the island. For those intimidated by the prospect of an arduous hike, the Hime and Otadomari Marshes make for a beautiful natural landscape that frames the mountains with their primeval forests. After appreciating all of the natural beauty Rishiri Island has to offer, visitors can sample the island’s fresh uni (sea urchin), which can be enjoyed alone or over rice as an uni-don.

Rebun Island (礼文島, Rebuntō) is a longish island, about 10 kilometres north of Rishiri Island and 50 kilometres off the northern tip of Hokkaido. Together with Rishiri Island, Rebun belongs to the Rishiri-Rebun-Sarobetsu National Park.

Rebun Island is most famous for its rich flora, which features many alpine flowers, some of which cannot be found anywhere else in the world. The flowers are in bloom from around June to August, the best time to visit Rebun. Not many tourists come to the island during the long and harsh winters. The alpine flora, the beautiful natural scenery of Rebun and views of nearby Rishiri can be enjoyed from a network of pleasant walking and hiking trails.

Sunday 6th July 2025
Well today was pretty epic.

We started the day with a drive to Bougakudai Observation platform at the foot of Mt Tokachi where we started a hike to the evacuation hut on the Mt Tokachi trail. Mt Tokachi is an active volcano which we could see smoking in the distance the whole way up the mountain. Our unplanned plan was to hike up for an hour and turn around, as we had places to be in the next day or so. We started at 900m and walked up 450m in elevation over 5km. It was a tough climb over a rocky scree, volcanic rocks big and small, in very hot, sunny conditions. David was powering today and I was having a bit of a struggle. I chose not to take my poles which was probably a mistake. Anyway, we made it to the evacuation hut at 1350m in about 1.5 hours. The views were spectacular, north, south, east and west, up and down the mountain. It is always a hard call to not continue but the elevation of the summit of Mt Tokachi is 2077m, so we still had 730m to climb so it was not going to happen today. We enjoyed the walk back down the mountain with iconic views the whole way. We made it back down at about 11.30am. 2 hours and 9 mins after we started. So the downhill only took us about 40 mins.

Next stop, the Blue Pond where we had intended to have breakfast but instead went up the the observation platform instead. Big mistake, we really should know better. We should have done the Blue Pond first because being a Sunday the Japanese tourists were out in force by 11.30am. We arrived at the turnoff to the Blue Pond with a 1km line, that putt-putted slowly over about 30 mins to the carpark. There were so many people here and unfortunately the breeze had picked up and the sun went behind the clouds. It was still an amazing blue pond and by the time we left we had a few glimpses of sunshine which changed the colour of the pond.

After this we headed to the Shirahige Waterfalls to view the beautiful blue water at the base of the falls. This was a little hard to capture but I managed one really good photo.

Then we headed back to our michi no eki from last night for the most amazing reward for the day – a not so hot shower. Yeehah!

Then on the road at about 3.15pm for a quick stop at the patchwork farm fields along the way, then on to Biei for lunch, better late than never. We then headed on our way through the outskirts of Asahikawa (2nd largest city on Hokkaido) to Fukugawa for our stop tonight. This was only 59 km which took 1 hour 15 mins to drive. The usual beautiful scenery and slow, slow driving. Oh well, that is 59 km closer to Wakkanai than we were yesterday.

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Located about 5km from Shirogane Hot Spring in Biei Town, Bougakudai is a stunning viewpoint situated at an elevation of 930m. From here, visitors can enjoy a close-up view of Mt. Tokachi, an active volcano, with its smoking crater and rugged volcanic terrain unfolding right before their eyes—an awe-inspiring encounter with the wild nature of Hokkaido.

Mount Tokachi is the tallest volcano of the Tokachi Volcanic Group, with a height of 2,077 metres. It is one of the 100 famous mountains in Japan. Mt. Tokachi is a large and active volcano in Daisetsuzan National Park, it’s part of the Hyakumeizan and is often hiked as a loop trail that includes Mt. Biei. Mt. Biei is a neighbouring peak and a highly recommended inclusion for the Mt. Tokachi hike because this is where the most enjoyable terrain and the most stunning views are found. However, if you are short on time, you can do either mountain as an out-and-back day hike which will take about 6 hours. The terrain for Mt. Biei includes a lot of variety such as mellow forest sections, a river crossing, a ravine with ropes and ladders plus small icebergs, and a steep trail with rocks and tree roots. Mt. Tokachi is an impressive alien landscape of volcanic terrain, although the trail itself can be quite monotonous. The ridgeline between the two mountains is an enjoyable transition with gorgeous views. It’s worth noting that wind on these mountains can be very strong even on sunny days, and there are some sections where the volcanic gas can mildly affect your breathing. Mt. Tokachi is an active volcano, it may be closed if there is an increase in volcanic activity. It had major eruptions in 1926 and 1962, with a recent but somewhat mild eruption in 2004.

The sky mirror of Biei – The Blue Pond is a happy accident. Located near the town of Biei , the pond was created to stop damage from mudflows from Mt. Tokachi. The color of the pond ranges from a vibrant turquoise to emerald to cobalt blue, caused by impurities in the waters from the Shirahige Falls. The seasons and the wind, clouds, and rain can all change its aspect. This famous pond became an Apple Macintosh desktop wallpaper used all around the world. More important than that, though, it has become a spiritual place for many.

Shirahige Waterfalls is one of the most famous attractions in the Shirogane Hot Spring area of Biei. Underground water seeps out from between the rocks and powerfully cascades from a height of about 30 metres into the Biei River, which is commonly known as the “Blue River” for its stunning blue hue. The dynamic streams of white water resemble a “white beard,” which is how the waterfall got its name. Each season offers a unique view of Shirahige Waterfalls. In winter, the contrast between the white snow, the rock surfaces, and the flowing water becomes even more striking. The illuminated trees covered in rime ice create a magical, otherworldly atmosphere that captivates visitors.

Saturday 5th July 2025
Today started out lovely with a walk around the most amazing Michi no eki at Eniwa this morning. It had the most amazing garden. We had decided ona walk around Sapporo city this morning. Parking in the city was problematic due to most of it being in underground or multi-level carparks, which our high top camper won’t fit in. So after much deliberation and planning, we decided to catch a train into the city, parking at the 2nd last station on the blue metro line. Unfortunately, we didn’t know that the Sapporo Consadole Professional football side was playing at the Sapporo Dome at 2pm today, one station from where we had planned to park to catch the train. We only realised this when we saw fans walking down the street, parking traffic controllers and no available parking in any parking station nearby. After driving around forever (over an hour) we followed the train station to the station closer to the city and I miraculously managed to find a carpark right at Misono Metro station. Yeehah! By now though it was already midday and we were just starting an outing that should have almost been finished.

We headed into the city and had lunch before starting the Broady City Highlights Tour. This involved visiting the Red Brick Government Building, the Clock Tower, The Sapporo TV Tower, walking along the Odori Park, going to the street of lights and the shopping street. It was missing a little of the city vibe because I think everyone was at the soccer. Anyway, we enjoyed a walk around for a couple of hours and then headed back on the metro to the car.

It was now 3.30pm and we had what we hoped was a big drive this afternoon along with a visit to the Furano Lavender Farms. This was a 111km drive which took just under 3 hours. The joys of driving in Japan. Therefore we just managed to see the beauty of 2 lavender farms. Lucky for us their grounds were open to the public after close of business. The grounds were beautiful even though they still need a couple more weeks to be at their prime.

We then headed to our home tonight, and decided on the fact it had a shower. It was a little out of the way, but hopefully worth it if we get a shower in the morning. The joys of van life. One of the few pitfalls. We are slowly advancing towards Wakkanai for our next adventure.

Red Brick Government Building, The building was constructed using about 2.5 million red bricks manufactured in areas such as the former Shiroishi and Toyohira Villages (now part of Sapporo City). The Akarenga served as the main government office until February 1968, contributing to Hokkaido’s administration for nearly 80 years. In 1969, it was designated as an Important Cultural Property of Japan. Despite being located in the city center, the Akarenga Building is surrounded by a beautifully maintained garden that reflects the beauty of all four seasons. In spring, cherry blossoms and lilacs bloom; in summer, visitors enjoy lush greenery and beach roses; and in autumn, the vibrant foliage paints the landscape in vivid reds and golds. This makes it a beloved spot that locals and tourists alike return to throughout the year.

As of 2021, this tower is the oldest clock tower in Japan. The building is of American design and is one of the few surviving Western-style buildings in Sapporo, a city developed in the 1870s with assistance from the American government.

The Sapporo TV Tower (さっぽろテレビ塔, Sapporo Terebi-tō), built in 1957, is a 147.2-metre-high (483 ft) TV tower with an observation deck at a height of 90.38 metres. Located on the ground of Odori Park, you can view Sapporo and Odori Park.

Odori Park is an oasis with 92 types of trees including lilacs and elm stands located in the middle of a business district, it extends 1.5 km from east to west.

PLEASE CHECK OVER THE LAST FEW DAYS AS THEY WERE A BIT IUT OF ORDER AND I AM NOW UP TO DATE<

Friday 4th July 2025
The plans for today changed overnight. Just to be different and keep us on our toes. We have decided to drive hard towards the very top north west part of Hokkaido called Wakkanai (8:55 hours 537km) for our next little adventure before slowly making our way south through Hokkaido back to Tokyo over the next 19 days. A tall order but we will give it a good go. David had the next two days planned a little but within a blink, we were on the road with eyes destined for Sapporo today (221km 3:55 hours). As you will already know, David does prefer to detour to avoid the expensive tolls, to go via the coast road and stop at points of interest along the way, so we did. That is always my preferred option as well.

Firstly we did a partial drive beside the beautiful Lake Onuma through the National Park and then headed to the coast road overlooking Uchurio Bay and further to the North Pacific Ocean. It was a pretty drive although it could have been much prettier with some sunshine. Oh well, you can’t have everything.

We then headed east and stopped for lunch and a walk at the Mount Usu Eruption Memorial Park on Lake Toya. We gave a Singaporean couple a tour of our camper and just had a general chat. Then on to our next stop, Lake Shikotsu in the Shikotsu-Toya National Park with a campground on the lake. We followed the road around the lake, as we travelled through forest, gorges and farmland, the scenery once again was beautiful. We saw our first bear sign on Hokkaido this afternoon, along with squirrel, salmon and fox signs. David saw a couple of Bambi’s as we drove. Then on our way further north passed Chitose Airport, which increased the traffic tenfold to our new home tonight at Eniwa just south of Sapporo. On the way we did some groceries, enjoyed a beautiful ramen dinner. Mine tonight was a seafood ramen with a seafood broth ( the usual pork ramen with an egg, a few prawns, squid and mussels, with quite a few vegetables as well. David had a standard ramen and fried rice. The meals were so big we both left with big fat bellies.

Believe it or not, I am bathed and on the bed by 7.40pm. Hopefully an early night will follow.
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The Mount Usu Eruption Memorial park is a nice stretch of grassland on the south western coast of Lake Toya. It serves as an art park with some fantastic sculptures, plus it also has some information about the Mt Usu eruption, which still shows signs of a fault line that runs through the park. Mt. Usu, which lies a few kilometres to the south, is a stratovolcano that has erupted four times since 1900. The park is a wonderful spot to stroll around, look at the sculptures, take in the gorgeous views of the lake and get some photos. There are about half a dozen sculptures in the park, starting with the carvings of three lionesses, that mark the entrance and the parking area. At the western point of the park, there is a tiny forested outcrop called ‘Chinko Island’ which has a small path running through it. The water around this area is crystal clear.

Lake Toya (洞爺湖, Tōyako) is part of the Shikotsu-Toya National Park. In addition to the lake itself, the Toyako region features hot springs and an active volcano, Mount Usu, which last erupted in the year 2000. The area also offers many fishing, hiking, and camping opportunities. The picturesque lake was chosen as the location of the G8 summit which Japan hosted in July 2008. The leaders of the world’s eight major industrialized democracies met at the Windsor Hotel Toya Resort & Spa.

Nakajima is a group of four islands in Lake Toya. The largest island of the four, O-shima, measures 9.6 kilometres in circumference and has a pier to the pleasure boats and Lake Toya Forest Museum.

Lake Shikotsu (支笏湖) and nearby Lake Toya are the two most prominent features of the Shikotsu-Toya National Park. This is a beautiful lake with clear waters, created through intense volcanic activity about 40,000 years ago. Its waters are so clear that the lake has been ranked top in Japan for 11 consecutive years for the quality of its water. It is surrounded by magnificent nature, such as Mt. Eniwa, Mt. Fuppushi, and Mt. Tarumae. You can also enjoy the views from the lake along with the views underwater if you take the Lake Shikotsu Underwater Tour Boat

Thursday 3rd July 2025
Today we woke over the water at Cape Tachimachi, Hakodate where unfortunately the fog allowed no viewing of the water. Whilst the day unfolded we slowly got a slight view of the city from the lookout.

We then drove to the Hakodate Mountain lookout and fortunately by now we had a hazy view of the city across the isthmus, an hour ago we weould have seen nothing. There was a cable car that could bring you from the base to the lookout as well, it was a 3min trip and cost 1,800Y return per person. We could have done this last night to view the cuty but were too exhausted.

We then drove through through the historic Motomachi district and had a quick look at the European church and buildings.

Then on to the morning markets which luckily for us didn’t close until 2pm as it was about 12.30pm by the time we arrived. We had a seafood lunch as that was their specialty. It was very expensive to buy the fresh seafood, and the stalls and restaurants were also very expensive. We had a scallops and rice, and a Sockeye salmon, roe and rice dish and shared them. They were both very tasty. We met a Hungarian teacher in her 60’s at lunch who was travelling through Japan for 8 weeks, couch surfing. She said she will only need 10 days’ accommodation in that time and she stays in hostels when not couch surfing. This form of travel immerses you in the real Japan and she really loves it. She is braver than me. She was also a swimmer and had been to the local pool today, they have a 25m and 50m pool at 26°. We should go for a swim, but we didn’t. Then on to the Goryokaku Tower which had a lot of important history but too much reading for me. The tower was for viewing the star park which surrounded the important Magistrates Building. We enjoyed a pleasant walk around the star shaped park lined with cherry trees.

Since we arrived here we haven’t seen a bear warning yet. Where as on Honshu we were seeing them at least three times a day.

We then headed for our home for the night near the Onuma National Park. It was a quieter day than normal but pleasant all the same. Although the heat was the most humid and oppressive since we have been here. Hopefully we sleep well. Mind you I have already had a catnap between 8.30pm and 10.30pm!

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Located on a precipitous cliff 30 metres above sea level, Cape Tachimachimisaki offers a spectacular view of the Tsugaru Straits. Nearby are the monument to Akiko Yosano and the grave of Takuboku Ishikawa.

Motomachi district – The harbour of Hakodate was one of the first to be opened to foreign trade in 1854 when Japan’s era of isolation was coming to an end. As a result, many traders from Russia, China and Western countries moved to Hakodate. Motomachi, at the foot of Mount Hakodate, became a district favoured among the new foreign residents. Many foreign-looking buildings remain in the area today. Among the most famous are the Russian Orthodox Church, the Old British Consulate, the Chinese Memorial Hall, the prefectural government’s former branch office building and the old Hakodate Public Hall.

Hakodate Morning Market – Hakodate Asaichi is the most famous and largest market in Hakodate. There are about 250 shops offering a wide variety of fresh seafood and delicious local dishes. Each store in the market has its own unique features. For example, you can observe the process of making “Oboro Konbu” (a type of kelp made from GAGOME kelp), which is harvested from the sea off Hakodate, where artisan hand-shave the kelp. (for a limited time)．You can also see how they make hand-grilled squid. These unique products attract tourists from both Japan and abroad.

The first Goryokaku Tower (60 metres in height) was built in December 1964 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Goryokaku. Although the former tower was a popular attraction among the citizens and tourists for 41 years, it was demolished in June 2006 after entrusting its mission to the new tower.

The new tower opened in 2006, stands 107 metres tall (including the height of lightning rod). From the observation deck, you can see Mount Hakodate, the Tsugaru Straits, and the Yokotsu Mountain Range, as well as a superb view of the star-shaped moat shining on the grounds of the national historic site Goryokaku. The observation deck has the Goryokaku Historic Corridor with exhibitions for learning about the history of Goryokaku, the See-Through Floor, which is made of clear hardened glass to look down through the glass floor, gift shop, cafe stand, and more. The new tower itself is designed to express the special features of Goryokaku. The observation deck has a pentagon shape, and even the tower body is star-shaped in section to thoroughly feature the shape of the star fort.

The Site of Goryokaku Fort, designated as a national special historic site, is a park blessed with nature. You can enjoy walking around through beautiful scenery in four seasons: Cherry blossoms in spring, green trees in summer, autumn leaves in fall and snow in winter. The observation floors of adjacent Goryokaku Tower command a sweeping view of the huge star-shaped fort.

Wednesday 2nd July 2025
Well, the bath and dinner was fantastic but the pillow was atrocious. Not a great night sleep but I am very clean. Yeehah!

Well we had hoped to be on our way by 8am this morning to the ferry terminal to try and buy our ticket to Hokkaido but with a late arrival, bath time, dinner and laundry, the late night made for a slow morning. We left the hotel about 10am and headed to the terminal to annoyingly be told they won’t sell a ticket for the 2.20pm ferry until 11.30am. So we don’t have enough time to go to the museum before and depending on how much paperwork is required and time we need to arrive to board the ferry, we probably won’t have time to go to the museum after we get the ticket. Annoyed at ourselves for our slow morning, we need to decide whether to glo to Hokkaido today, tomorrow or drive to Oma tomorrow and catch the ferry from there on Friday. Decisions are definitely our strong suit. What to do!

After much deliberation, we bought our ticket at 11.30am which only took about 15 mins. Therefore, even though they suggest 2-3 hours for the museum, we will try to squeeze it in before the boarding time of 1.40pm. A bit of a squeeze, as we also have to get lunch and eat before boarding. Oh well, let’s do it!

We arrived at the Nebuta Museum WA-RASSE is a museum that displays the floats from the Aomori Nebuta Festival. These floats are 7m wide by 9m long and the artwork are made from wire, Japanese paper and timber to support the lights. The detail of the floats is incredible and we spent half an hour just walking around enjoying the artwork. We also saw some photos of previous years floats and a video displaying the excitement of the festival. It would be great to be here at the right time of the year to join in. We were fortunate with our timing to be able to join in the cymbal clashing and drumming performance. This was really fun, although it required concentration to stay in time with everyone to make a good sound. A bit of fun to end our time on Honshu.

We make a quick exit and head to the ferry, throw down our lunch and board the big ship. Once again, we drive into the hull of a very large ship to go to another island in another country. We head upstairs to our reserved reclining chairs to enjoy some quiet rest time (almost 3 hrs 40 mins) whilst we travel from Aomori, Honshu to Hakodate, Hokkaido. It was very smooth sailing on the very smooth waters of the Sea of Japan. Most of the time there was land in sight either east, west or north. We arrived at 6pm just in time to find somewhere for dinner. We went to a larger restaurant tonight which was very busy with locals and sat cross-legged for the first time at an elevated table. The ramen was delicious and we also shared a soy pork and rice dish, which was very nice too. We definitely felt a little out of place tonight, not that we were unwelcome, we just didn’t blend in.

We then drove to our new home for tonight, a beautiful spot in a lookout carpark with a view of the city lights. We made it at last to Hokkaido. We have been working our way here for just over 3 weeks. This means we have less than 3 weeks to explore Hokkaido and get the campervan back to Tokyo. Wish us luck as we are already exhausted and it doesn’t look like we will be slowing down any time soon.

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The Nebuta Museum WA-RASSE is a facility that introduces the history and charms of the Aomori Nebuta Festival. The Museum is an exhibition facility for the Aomori Nebuta Festival, one of the most famous summer festivals in Aomori Prefecture. You can learn about the production techniques and history of Nebuta. In the Nebuta Hall, large Nebuta that were actually used in the festival are displayed. There is also a corner where you can try your hand at matsuri-bayashi (festival music), beating a big drum and jumping around to the music.

The Aomori Nebuta Festival is a vibrant summer festival in Aomori City, Japan, held annually from August 2nd to 7th. It is renowned for its massive, illuminated lantern floats called nebuta, which are paraded through the city streets. These nebuta, often depicting figures from kabuki or mythology, are accompanied by energetic dancers, musicians, and taiko drummers, creating a lively and visually stunning spectacle. At the time of the festival 2 million people flock to the area to be part of the excitement of the parade.
Giant Nebuta Floats: The festival’s centrepiece is the parade of 20 large, elaborately decorated nebuta floats, which can be up to 9 metres wide, 7 metres deep, and 5 metres high.
Haneto Dancers: Energetic dancers called haneto participate in the parade, dressed in distinctive costumes and chanting “Rasse-rah!” in rhythm with the music.
Music and Dance: The parade is accompanied by traditional Japanese music, including the powerful sounds of taiko drums, flutes, and other instruments.
Grand Finale: The festival culminates in a spectacular fireworks display over Aomori Bay, with the nebuta floats being paraded on boats.
Community Involvement: The festival is a major community event, with many residents participating in the creation of the nebuta and the festivities.

Tuesday 1st July 2025
Well, today started this morning at 5am when I looked out the window and could see the view in the distance as opposed to thick fog and not being able to see right in front of your nose. So I thought, YEEHAH! We will get to hike to the top of Mt Iwaki today, but as we weren’t planning on starting the hike before 8.30am when we have some more bear food to go behind, I went back to sleep. When I next woke at 7am, the mountain was gone, covered in the clouds. Oh well, we still have a little time to make a decision as the gate at the bottom of the hairpins doesn’t open until 8am. So eat, dress and prepare, in case we can see the mountain at 8.30am. Around 8am the fog started to lift a little and by the time people arrived in the first bus, you could see almost to the top. So that said and done, we were hiking today. Next decision, we had already cheated by driving up to the 8th station. Do we take the chairlift to the 9th station (1200Y round trip each) or walk the 40 mins. I was after a walk, so walk we did, forgetting that I don’t really like walking straight uphill after a meal. Oh well, suck it up Fiona. David thought maybe we should do the lift for time purposes, in case the mountain disappeared again as there was still some cloud about. Don’t you hate it how often he is right. By the time we walked halfway to the 9th station, the world was in the clouds again. So we continued to the 9th station enjoying the little things we could see – crawly insects, flowers and lots of green overgrown foliage along the track. Thankfully though there were no bears in sight. We jingled and jangled the whole way though, just in case. The track started out straight up but not too rocky, as we neared the 9th station it got a little rocky and then a little bit of a scramble. From the 9th station to the top it was a rock scramble all the way, hands required at times. David is half mountain goat so he powered up. About 10 mins from the top I met a Japanese Ballerina from Tokyo who shared some photos of her dancing and I shared some of Ben. Unbeknown to us whilst we were talking the view arrived. It was a beautiful view. We had a lovely chat, so much so, her friend was telling David to go down to see that I was ok. Just in time we made it to the top. Wow! What an amazing 360° view although the view came and went continuously as the clouds and mist swirled around the mountaintop creating a very ethereal feel.1625m. We had climbed 390m elevation but only over a very short distance. There is a very little shrine at the mountaintop but it required crossing a rope barrier to get it in full view. Therefore no full picture. We enjoyed our time at the top for about an hour as the views came and went. I think I like that better than full sun, I think, as it gives it a special feel. Although a bit slower cloud movement than today would have helped with photography. David found another trail that continued along from the top and wanted to go across to a little mound down below. So off he went whilst I stayed at the top to get the photo. The trail was very untravelled and overgrown, very steep and eventually came to an impassable section of deep snow without the aid of some sort of stick to steady your progress. The snow was very icy and the grass above the trail was way too slippery to attempt to cross. David called me to let me know he would be a little while getting back. I am yet to see the photos but he said it wasn’t safe and thankfully refrained from the challenge.
Once he returned we headed back down the mountain. Along the way we met a couple from Utah, US who are living in Misawa on the airbase there until 2027. They love living here, the people and skiing. They have been here since last November and told us we need to experience every season here.The guy was a war air traffic controller. A very big job, determining which aircraft is shot down. Sounds a bit scary. His wife was 6 months pregnant. She will have the child on the airbase as doctors and pregnancy all come free with the gig. Her husband will also get 3 months paid paternity leave. David had heard some jets flying around last night and this is where they were from. Misawa is on the east coast from here. Out next chat was with a couple of 23 year old Japanese young men who play soccer for Blancdieu Hirosaki FC. Yoshi Take spoke very good English and seemed to enjoy talking to a couple of old Aussies for at least 20 mins. They wanted to know where we were going, what we had been doing and loved that we were enjoying Japan, the respect and the countryside. They are very proud people. Yoshi even asked to have a selfie with us. Anyway, as each conversation extends our hike, we finally continue down the hill. We decided once again to walk instead of the chairlift. Unfortunately, we had some rain on the return trip from the 9th to 8th station making the walking a little bit slippery but we had passed the worst section so it was safe. Once we reached the bottom we again had a chat with a couple from New your State who were envious of the annual leave time Australians get. They only get 2 weeks annual leave a year. They only have 14 days here in Japan which really restricts what you see. We are so lucky! Time to leave Mt Iwaki, the Mt Fuji of Tsurugu where we enjoyed epic views and four seasons in one day – sunshine, rain, wind and fog..
We left at 1.25pm, a lot later than we were expecting but we really enjoyed sharing the hike with other people from different places. We drove back down the 69 switchbacks and on to the Tsuru-no-Mai Bridge which took 38 mins to drive 23 kms. The driving here is so slow, maybe at the end David will be happy to pay the tolls. We are still weighing up advantage against cost. Although sometimes the toll roads cost lots and take longer. The Tsuru-no-Mai Bridge was quite magnificent. Each of its three arches are 100m in length. We enjoyed the walk across and back, then a yummy ice-cream.
Onwards we go towards Aomori, too late now to make it to the ticket office of the Tsurugu Kaikyo Ferry terminal to get our ticket to cross the Japan Sea to Hakodate, Hokkaido tomorrow. We need to go to their office as you can only buy tickets 2 days away online and we would like to go tomorrow. We are hoping that they have ticket sales at the terminal. Sometimes the disadvantage of flying by the seat of your pants, you have to hang around an extra day or two to get there. No problem really as DB will always find us somewhere to go. We stopped for some groceries and have decided to stay in a hotel tonight, the first one in 2 weeks, and only the 2nd one since we got the camper 3 weeks ago. Once we arrived at the Art Hotel in Aomori, at 6.50pm, we had a long awaited shower/bath (the last one 10 days ago). It was magical as that is so long for me to not wash my hair. Then off for some dinner at a little ramen restaurant. I love that they only have minimal choices – today’s choice was Ramen – Big or small – with extra egg, spring onions or pork – with or without 6 gyoza – and a drink. Takes away all my pain of making a decision. Then some housekeeping, washing our clothes which required sitting at one of the 3 machines and waiting the 25 mins until it was finished. Luckily I did as two other scame whilst I was waiting. It was already 9.15pm, so I wouldn’t have managed the washing at all if I went away and came back. David went to collect it when it was done at 10.15pm and I don’t remember anymore of that day. I was sound asleep by the time he got back. So sorry, I am a day late with the blog. Did anyone say, “We will slow down soon”, because I am still waiting!
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Tsuru-no-Mai Bridge passes over the Tsugaru Fujimi Lake with a reflection of Mt. Iwaki. The bridge, with a total length of 300 metres, is Japan’s longest triple arch wooden bridge. It was built using more than 700 Aomori Hiba, especially those over 150-year old, for bridge girders by Japan’s architectural technique from the old days. The bridge view looks as if a crane is flying with Mt Iwaki in the background. Also it is said that visitors who walk across the bridge will have a long life.
Aomori Hiba is a type of cypress tree native to Aomori Prefecture in Japan, known for its unique properties and use in traditional Japanese construction and aromatherapy. The wood contains hinokitiol, a compound with strong antibacterial, antifungal, and insect-repelling properties. It’s considered one of Japan’s “Three Precious Woods” and is used in building shrines, temples, and even everyday items like cutting boards and essential oils.

So what makes the tiger keelback venomous? In addition to the poison used for defence, it also has fangs at the back of the mouth that it uses for active hunting. The venom of this species affects blood coagulation, but bites on humans are rare and are not usually serious.

Apologies for the photo overload.

Monday 30th June 2025
We woke up this morning after a good sleep at the Inakadate Roadside Station. Our first stop for this morning is to go to two different Rice Paddy Art in Inakadate. We are a little early in the season as the best viewing time is the end of July. We were greeted at the door by an attendant and told that it won’t be as good as at the end of July and would we still want to go upstairs to view the art. Based on the pictures she showed us it was still worth looking at. We paid our 300Y each and proceeded up the lift. Here we viewed the art of a popular movie series, it features the lead actor in the movie, Hayato Ichihara, along with school lunches unique to Aomori and Iwate Prefectures. At this viewpoint the is also pebble art of Shiko Munakata, an artist. It was very detailed, colourful and still looked very good considering we are a month early. On the stairwell on the way down we were able to view large photos of previous years rice paddy art. They were amazing. Whilst here we met a couple of Hokkaido residents who we enjoyed a reasonable chat with in regards to our previous travel and then our future travel to their home. They were excited for us, I was able to ask about hiking with big brown bears and she said she always wears a bear bell. Her advice if we come across a Siberian bear is to back away very slowly whilst glaring into the eyes of the bear. A total contradiction to what we were told for the Asiatic Black bear. Oh well, we will find out more once we arrive.
Then we go to the 2nd viewing point. This one was viewed from an elaborate building, quite castle-like. Once again the artwork was amazing. The left side depicts two scenes from a movie and the right side depicts a village office modelled after Inakadate Castle and ‘Ichihime’, inspired by ‘Oichi’, the wife of Senton kamon Masatake, the last and fifth lord of Inakadate Castle. We spent more time here examining the detail of the colour and were amazed at how clever it is. They also had a gallery where you could view each years art since its inception. They were all very clever. On heading back down we walked along the road between the art and could see how elongated the head was to ensure the viewing from the top was realistic. It was quite interesting and as a lay person it was good to see what is required to keep the artwork in perspective.
Next stop the Hirosaki Castle where we walked around for a couple of hours, enjoying the beautiful, if not fully manicured grounds, an inspection of the three tier Main Keep and a walk through the Castle’s Botanical Garden. Here a wide variety of flowers, orchids, roses and many others were displayed. Also many or the garden beds were empty awaiting planting for springtime bloom.
Whilst at the castle, Mt Iwaki which is considered to be the Mt Fuji of this area, came to life out of the clouds. To climb or not to climb?
Mt Iwaki . A decision over lunch was made to at least drive up the road with 69 switchbacks to the 8th station and make a decision there whether to go further. Unfortunately the road closes at 5pm, it is already 2.30pm and we have an hour drive to get to the 8th station, plus a 2000Y cost to drive up the switchbacks. The chairlift stops taking people up the mountain to the 9th station at 2.45pm to ensure people are back by the last lift down at 4.20pm. So our choice is to walk all the way from 1247m to 1624m over 1.2km which apparently takes 1.5 hours to reach the summit of Mt Iwaki. We arrive at the 8th station at about 3.30pm but after yesterday’s walk at the ponds (not swamps, I had their name wrong) at bear o’clock and the warnings about the bears by the chair lift attendant today, we decided against the walk this afternoon. We are allowed to stay here at the 8th station overnight in the carpark and have been given access to the inside toilets for the night which is great. The chairlift man was very helpful, took emergency contact phone numbers from us in case he needed to contact someone and gave us the lift company’s phone number in case of emergency for us, as the gate at the bottom of the switchback road is locked at 5pm.
So this afternoon we have a forced rest time, had we known we would have squeezed one more attraction in before we made the drive up here. It has also delayed our departure tomorrow morning for Hokkaido. Hopefully, I don’t regret this decision and also that Mt Iwaki graces us with her presence tomorrow, as tonight before dark she was shrouded in clouds and you could barely see the chairlift at the end of the carpark.

Rice Paddy Art – Inakadate Village – Rice paddy art, or Tanbo Art, is the creation of pictures and letters made by planting different color types of rice. Inakadate Village was the first place to create rice paddy art and currently, there are two locations in the village dedicated for that purpose. It originally began as a way of promoting the local Tsugaru Otome rice brand. It started in 1993 when the staff at the village office came up with the idea that it would be interesting not only to experience rice cultivation, such as rice planting and rice harvesting but also to create pictures with three types of rice of different colors.
In the beginning, they used three different types of rice having three different colors. Today, however, they use 13 types of rice, having 7 different colors (green, purple, yellow, dark-green, white, red and orange, which create a more realistic representation of people, their expressions, their clothes, and other things.
The design changes every year with the art teacher in the village school lending a hand. It is drawn in perspective so that the picture is not distorted when viewed from an observation deck. Once a design has been decided, the varieties of rice to be planted are selected and a blueprint is made. The positions that will serve as marks for planting the seedlings are determined and then marked by stakes following the completed blueprint. Once that is done, the planting of the seedlings begins. Once the rice plants have matured the rice paddy art is completed. What is amazing is that all of this work is done manually by the villagers.
Anyone can participate in the harvest of the rice if they make a reservation in advance. The rice planting event is held every year from early to mid-May and the harvesting of it takes place from early to mid-September. The art is created by multiple generations including seniors and children working together to create art.
“Rice Paddy Artt made by hand is our pride as Inakadate villagers”
Hirosaki Castle – A fine far northern fortress known for major festivals and cherry blossoms.
The castle is widely considered to be one of Japan’s most beautiful castles. Constructed in the Hirayama style, the main tower was built on top of a hill for easier defense and surrounded by defensive walls, moats, and yagura towers. The park surrounding the castle is filled with cherry trees, making spring here a major event. Don’t miss the castle grounds—the moats, gates, and turrets, as well as about 2,600 cherry trees.
One of Japan’s iconic castles – The castle was originally built in 1611 by Nobuhira, lord of the Tsugaru clan. Lord Tsugaru sided with the great warlord Toyotomi Hideyoshi in the Battle of Odawara that reunited Japan and with Tokugawa Ieyasu in the Battle of Sekigahara, which ushered in Japan’s longest samurai government. The Hirosaki Castle “keep” was originally a five-story tower. In 1627, it was struck by lightning and burned down. The current structure was rebuilt in 1811 as a three-story tower.
Hirosaki Cherry Blossom Festival – With around 2,600 cherry trees, petal-filled moats, rowboats for rent, picnic areas, night lighting and thousands of revelers, as well as Hirosaki Castle as the backdrop, it’s easy to see why Hirosaki Park is considered one of Japan’s best cherry blossom spots.”
“Mount Iwaki is a compound volcano located in the southwest portion of the Tsugaru Plain. The mountain has a conical shape with three peaks. Standing 1,625 metres high, it is the highest mountain in the prefecture.
In 1975, it was designated as the 50th national park. Sometime in June or July, a variety of primrose (known as Michinoku or Iwaki) that only grows on Mt. Iwaki comes to full bloom at around the 9th station.
The summit offers a panoramic view stretching as far as Matsumaezaki in Hokkaido. It overlooks the Hakkoda mountains, Gongenzaki and Jusanko of Tsugaru Peninsula, the gentle arc of Shichirinagahama, Ajigasawa and Oodose. Located at the foot of beautiful Mt. Iwaki is “The World’s Longest Cherry Blossom-Lined Road.” There, about 6,500 cherry trees line a 20 km stretch of road and are in full bloom from late April to early May.

Sunday 29th June 2025
Good morning! Well it is my turn to take the reins on today’s activity as David was comatosed last night with exhaustion. I don’t handle this role very well and suffer a little angst on the day. I don’t know why I am so agitated but I worry about failure and it being a dud day, or getting the wrong bus, or one of a million other things. Wish me luck! Due to these anxieties I was awake at 5am, stressing about making the bus as there were only 3 before lunch today, 8.15, 9.15 and 10.15am and we still had an hour to drive to the bus stop. David was also exhausted and it felt like he was on a go slow morning for which we didn’t have time.
We finally got on our way about 7.45am, stopped to buy some lunch and arrived at the Nenokuchi parking lot at about 8.45am in time for the 9.15am bus. An hour later than I had hoped but still ok all the same.
The drive to Nenokuchi was beautiful but today we realised that we have been desensitised to beauty. We have been travelling Japan for almost four weeks and seen so many beautiful places and things that we do not even recognise their beauty on a moment by moment basis. We have started taking it all for granted. So it is time to take stock and smell the roses so to speak.
We are catching the bus to Yakeyama, which came with its own little drama. Once establishing the correct bus stop and helping a Japanese couple get on the right bus hehehe. We boarded the bus for a 30 min trip and used our IC Card for the first time since we got the camper. Unfortunately, David’s didn’t have enough credit for the bus trip, so we typed a message into google translate to show the bus driver so he could pay in cash for the trip. The beauty of modern day living in a foreign country when you have minimal language skills.
Once we alighted at Yakeyama, I thought I had given us a poor start to the day and gone 3 stops too far on the bus, even though the literature I read said to alight at the Oirase Field Museum. With a little help from my buddy (I was on my way to ask a question in the Visitor Centre But DB had worked it out).
We are walking 14 km from Yakeyama via the Oirase Gorge trail back to the car at Nenokuchi. A beautiful walk along the Oirase River through an amazing forest with beautiful trees, flowers and the occasional bird. It was an easy path, albeit a long one which took us about 4.5 hours. It was the first time we had seen any non-Japanese tourists for at least a week or two. A couple of buses from cruise boats around Japan came here for a day trip. Once again we were feeling a little desensitised to the beauty with the many other gorges, forests and lakes we had seen already, we had to remind ourselves that it was beautiful and not just an everyday experience. I would have to say, it wasn’t an extra special highlight but it was still a beautiful walk along a beautiful river.
We arrived back at the car at about 2.30pm a little weary and ready for an ice cream and a rest. We spent the next hour deciding where we were going tonight. I thought straight to our new home after an hour or two drive but I should know better.
We were off to some rice field art via the Tsuta Seven Swamps. I thought it was just a short walk to a viewing spot to look at a marshland but it turned out to be a 3.7 km, 1 hour 25 min walk at just after 4pm (bear o’clock). So with bear bells on, we head for what turned out to be a little underwhelming stroll. Unfortunately, the sun was in the wrong direction for any decent photos. We walked, clapping our hands and jingling along the trail for safety. Back in the car aat 5.30pm and the next 44km spectacular drive took 1 hr 15 mins to Inakadate to our roadside stop for the night. Unfortunately, too late for the rice field art, but we will put that on tomorrow’s agenda.
A quick trip to a little ramen house for a beautiful dinner, way too big but I ate it all as it is an insult to leave it. We enjoyed a chat of sorts with the minimal English of the owner and our minimal Japanese, but as always enjoy a laugh along the way. I was asleep by 8.30 from exhaustion. Awake again at 11.30pm to share my day with you.

Oirase Gorge is a river valley that stretches 14 kilometers from Nenokuchi on Lake Towada to the hot spring village of Yakeyama. Millennia of volcanic activity in this region shaped the area’s inspiring landscape, forming Lake Towada, a large caldera lake. The ever-changing flow of water from the lake, the source of Oirase Stream, winds through the deep, natural woods of the Oirase Gorge. A gentle forested trail runs parallel to the crystal clear Oirase Stream, with opportunities to take photographs and relax in the leafy surroundings. The area can be explored on foot, rental bike or via a bus service along the road parallel to the trail.
A meandering forest stream – The beautiful stream that winds through the forest is Oirase’s standout attraction. The sounds of wild birds and the burbling stream add an extra dimension of enjoyment to the walk. Along the way, enjoy views of waterfalls and rapids. The flow of the stream is particularly impressive at the Samidare-no-Nagare and Ashura-no-Nagare currents, which form attractive rapids.
A cool and refreshing path and tunnel of greenery – You will find many types of trees along Oirase Gorge, including Japanese beech, Japanese oak, katsura, Japanese horse chestnut and other broad-leaved species. The fresh, vivid greenery of spring and the multicolored foliage of autumn are particularly attractive, and ideal for forest bathing. In summer, the path resembles an alluring green tunnel. The various plants and flowers reflect the changing seasons and create a rewarding sensory experience year-round.

The Tsuta nana numa consist of Tsuta-numa, Kagami-numa, Tsuki-numa, Naga-numa, Hyotan-numa, Suga-numa, and Aka-numa, all swamps that were formed by volcanic eruptions.
A promenade connecting the swamps called Numa-meguri no Komichi (about 2.9 km, required time is about 1 hour) has been constructed, and you can walk around the primeval forest of beech trees in the area. The Asian skunk cabbage during the time of new greenery as well as the richly-coloured foliage in autumn are particularly splendid.
*Aka-numa swamp is a little further from the other swamps, at a distance of about 2 km to the northwest.
The swamps are also optimal for birdwatching because they are rich with wild birds. Bird fans should try walking on the Yacho no Komichi (Wild Bird Lane, about 2.1 km).
After your walk, you can go to the Tsuta Onsen hot springs nearby. It’s fine to use the hot springs as a day trip. Enjoy the secret hot spring where the water source gushes below you.