Springtime in Kyoto, Japan & Hanami

Spring anywhere is always a season for celebration. But especially in Japan, "Hanami" or the happy ritual of cherry blossom viewing is unique and Theresa was ecstatic from Day 1 when we started chasing the blossoms from the valleys of Kyoto and Nara to the mountain regions of Honshu; namely Yoshinoyama, Takayama and finally, the alpine lake region around Mt Fuji, basing ourselves at Kawaguchiko.

This year, tourists and locals alike were relieved to observe that the sakura blooming season was right on schedule, unlike 2013 when it started a fortnight too early (and blooms usually last only 10 days!).

Theresa chose Kyoto over Tokyo for the simple fact that the old capital has lots more history and old architecture. This was all the more poignant when she did her geisha make-over in the historic quarter of Gion district, and was able to stroll alongside the old canal and narrow streets of yore.

Nara and Osaka

 

Although most visitors to Nara take home memories of the cute and not-so-docile deer (they can head-butt & bite!), the city is most significant in keeping alive its past heritage , both in politics as well as religion.

The Todaiji Temple for example is reputedly the largest known wooden structure in Japan, housing the biggest bronze statue of the Buddha. Intrepid tourists of course will take up the challenge of crawling through a tiny hole in a temple support pillar, hoping to succeed & reach nirvana. Theresa just had to prove that she could squeeze through and have me document her achievement.

We only planned a daytrip to see Osaka Castle and chose to join the many Japanese families having their hanami parties on a cool, bright & sunny weekend. It was a day well spent as the somei yoshino cherry trees around the castle grounds were in full bloom.

Mt Yoshinoyama, in Nara prefecture

Imagine, a whole mountainside planted with more than 30,000 yamazakura cherry trees, blossoming in various stages. No wonder it has been voted the best cherry blossom viewing spot in all of Japan. Even so, you'd find very few tourists flocking here from overseas for the simple reason that it's relatively inaccessible.

Luckily for us, we managed to book accommodations in nearby Kashihara and travel on the Kintetsu rail system that mandates a train change at Kashiharajingumae Station for the dedicated Yoshino Line. Logistics aside, we had to prepare our gear beforehand as the fickle mountain weather tested our ability to dress in layers and read the hourly weather forecast in order to dodge the rain (mostly in the afternoons). We also visited the famous Kinpusenji Temple on Yoshinoyama, an UNESCO world heritage site. Dark pink cherry blossoms were on display, much to Theresa's delight.

Takayama, Northern Japanese Alps

They say that Takayama is famous for its sense of history, being timber-rich and known for its gastronomic specialty of Hida beef. We found it both to be true by wandering through its old town streets (thus called Little Kyoto) lined with quaint soot-blackened cedar wood shops, and restaurants selling delicious Hida beef in all its various presentations. Over 5 days and 5 nights, we tried grilled, hot-pot and dumpling styles, all heavenly in taste.

It was also easy to take daytrips by local bus to iconic places like the Shirakawa-go farmhouse region (UNESCO world heritage site). In the Ogimachi Village we entered historic Wada House which has been the residence of the Wada family for 300 years. These village houses are constructed in the architectural style known as Gasshō-zukuri, characterized by a thatched and steeply slanting roof resembling two hands joined in prayer, to withstand the heavy snowfalls in winter.

Another day was spent on the snowfields of Mt Hotaka. This entailed a 2-hour bus ride from Takayama Station to the base of the Shinhotaka Ropeway, Japan's only double-storey cable-car. We had enormous fun trekking through thick fresh snow under a startlingly blue sky.

Lake Kawaguchiko in the Mt Fuji five-lake region

This is the best-known lake amongst the five (Saiko, Motosuko, Shojiko, and Yamanakako making up the rest). By train, Kawaguchiko is easily reached by the local Fujikyu Rail system, as well as seasonal express bus services during sakura and "moss phlox" viewing.

We hired a car after hopping off the train at Kawaguchiko Station. This allowed us to change our driving plans according to the weather and compare / contrast all 5 lakes nestled at the foot of Mt Fuji. Each lake had a unique flavor, even as we visited on consecutive days, ever-changing with the mountain weather system.

Some area highlights include the scenic 400-step climb up to Chureito Pagoda with Mt Fuji in the background. Theresa was also enthralled by the late-blooming pink yaebeni weeping cherry blossoms along the lakeshore of Kawaguchiko.