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@ Kiso Mountains, Nagano, And Gifu, Japan
♰ Theory ♰ begins his journey through Honshu!
Kiso Mountains, Nagano, And Gifu, Japan
Clear starry skies and mountains covered in snow make a visually stunning picture. The Kiso mountains are located in the prefectures of Nagano and Gifu. This mountain range is also known as the Central Alps; they meet up with the Hida Mountains and the Akaishi Mountains to form a group collectively known as the Japanese Alps.
Mount Komogatake is the most prominent peek at 2,956 m. The famous summit is named in a song called “The Land of Shinano”, the official song of Nagano.

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@ Japanese Park in Autumn

White Daisy Egg
My pets are in awe of these beautiful eggs—they would love to try to paint their own one year. Easter and spring are times of joy as the earth awakens, plants are pushing forth from the soil, and the days are becoming warmer. Many baby animals are born in the spring, and life is burgeoning. May these eggs bring you joy and be a reminder of the earth renewing itself.

Japanese Park in Autumn
An autumnal scene at the Chubu Sangaku National Park.

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@ Thatched Roofs, Shirakawa-Go
The Aoi Festival celebrated in Kyoto is one of the festivals in Japan with the most elaborate parades. The parades consist of individuals in historical costumes and makeup because they relive the glory days of Kyoto when it was still the capital city of Japan. More than 500 people are included in the parades all dressed in noble and aristocratic style clothing. At the end of the parade, offerings are given to the deities of the Kamo Shrine – an offering by the Emperor to the gods. It is one of the three most popular festivals in Japan.

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@ Rice Terraces Lit at Night
"In Japan there is a custom to forecast the day when cherry blossoms start blooming," remarked Chessie.
"A bit like Groundhog Day?" asked ♰ Theory ♰.
"Perhaps!"

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@ Rustic Snow Houses, Shirakawa-Go
"When we get back I'm going to go to the library and see if Mrs Eucalyptus can recommend a book about Japan," said Audra. "I've realised how little I know about it."
♰ Theory ♰ thought about this. "Good scheme!" he said.
Rustic Snow Houses, Shirakawa-Go
Rustic houses in the snow in Shirakawa-Go.

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@ Japan's Alpine Treks
"Japan—the perfect choice for our travels this winter, ♰ Theory ♰!" enthused bluey.
"Yup. Karaoke, kimonos, karate and koi. I can't wait to go shopping"
"Oh! I was thinking more of world famous architecture, history, culture and technology. Japan has given the world so much!" said bluey.
♰ Theory ♰ unwrapped a Hello Kitty chocolate for himself, popped it in his mouth and offered the packet to bluey. "Sure! You know me, I love a bit of culture. As long as there's a nice gift shop at the end, I'm happy."
Japan's Alpine Treks
The Yatsugatake mountain range was formed from volcanic eruptions over thousands of years. Legend has it that Mt. Fuji was of inferior height but the goddess of Fuji tore down Yatsugatake leaving Fuji as the higher of the two.

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@ Cloudy Peaks in Honshu
Also known as USJ, the Universal Studios of Japan is found in the Kansai Prefecture. It is located in Konohana-Ku, Osaka. This tourist destination is closely based from its forefather, the Universal Studios of Florida. The main attractions include the Harry Potter themed area and the anime/manga themed areas of the theme park.
Cloudy Peaks in Honshu
A windy, cloudy scene in the peaks at a height of 2600m in the Chubu Sangaku National Park in Nagano, Japan.

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@ Autumnal Japanese Landscape
“Hey, have you seen what the next stop is, ♰ Theory ♰?” said Rory. "It looks fantastic!"
"I'll get my camera ready," said ♰ Theory ♰.
Autumnal Japanese Landscape
This beautiful misty autumnal scene was photographed in the mountains of the Chubu Sangaku National Park.

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@ Mount Hotaka, Japan
Nearly half the zippers worldwide are made in Japan. If you check your zipper, chances are, it will say YKK on it, which stands for Yoshida Kogyo Kabushikikaisha. Founded in Tokyo in 1934, it is estimated that 7 billion zippers are produced by this manufacturer each year.
Mount Hotaka, Japan
In Japan, autumn colours start in September at high mountains in Honshu and northern island, Hokkaido. This shot was taken at the Dakezawa Valley of Mt Hotaka (3,190m).

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@ Japanese Alpine Valley
“I don't know how to pronounce half of these place names, ♰ Theory ♰!” said jejustar ruefully.
"Never mind," said ♰ Theory ♰. "We'll look them up when we get back to the hotel tonight!"
Japanese Alpine Valley
This stunning view of snow-covered peaks at sunrise is from the Chubu Sangaku National Park in the Northern Japan Alps. Eighty per cent of Japan is mountainous terrain.

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@ Origami Crane
The Aoi Festival celebrated in Kyoto is one of the festivals in Japan with the most elaborate parades. The parades consist of individuals in historical costumes and makeup because they relive the glory days of Kyoto when it was still the capital city of Japan. More than 500 people are included in the parades all dressed in noble and aristocratic style clothing. At the end of the parade, offerings are given to the deities of the Kamo Shrine – an offering by the Emperor to the gods. It is one of the three most popular festivals in Japan.

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@ Serene Japanese Garden Bridge
"Japan—the perfect choice for our travels this winter, ♰ Theory ♰!" enthused Millicent.
"Yup. Karaoke, kimonos, karate and koi. I can't wait to go shopping"
"Oh! I was thinking more of world famous architecture, history, culture and technology. Japan has given the world so much!" said Millicent.
♰ Theory ♰ unwrapped a Hello Kitty chocolate for himself, popped it in his mouth and offered the packet to Millicent. "Sure! You know me, I love a bit of culture. As long as there's a nice gift shop at the end, I'm happy."

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@ Samurai Statuette
The Shinano River (Shinano-gawa) is the longest and widest river in Japan at 228 miles (367 km). It flows from the Japanese Alps to the Sea of Japan.

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@ Sake Barrels
"So, Faith, the next Japanese phrase is 'Excuse me'. That's sumimasen. It says you don't put any stress on the 'u', so it's pronounced 'smee-ma-sen'.
"Is it like in Britain where if a pet accidentally bumps into you, you both say 'excuse me' or 'sorry'?"
"I'm sure that will be the case here too, Faith!"

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@ Japanese Sika Deer
Oh look ... you won a pet!

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@ Japanese Red Viburnum
"It says here that fortune cookies were first made in Japan," remarked Alexander.
"Oh wow, I didn't know that!" responded ♰ Theory ♰.

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@ Mt Azuma, Tohoku
"Our tour guide was explaining in the hotel foyer this morning that rice cookers are more common than an oven in Japan," said fire fox.
"Well, I'm very fond of rice, but that does surprise me!" responded ♰ Theory ♰.

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@ Mount Iide, Tohoku
"In Japan there is a custom to forecast the day when cherry blossoms start blooming," remarked Crocodile Beauty.
"A bit like Groundhog Day?" asked ♰ Theory ♰.
"Perhaps!"

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@ Yellow Blossoms, Tohoku
"One of the trains in Japan floats above the tracks due to magnetism. Its speed is 340 mph (550 km/h)!" remarked Midnight.
"Wow! That's amazing!" responded ♰ Theory ♰.

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@ Hazy Lake, Akita, Tohoku
♰ Theory ♰ was listening enraptured to strains of music reaching them from a street violin player. “My Dad used to sing this, Roxy!” he exclaimed happily. "A Wand’ring Minstrel I from The Mikado. This takes me back! It's set in Japan, you know, but it couldn't be more English if it tried."
Roxy looked blank.
”Go and ask Edgar,” advised ♰ Theory ♰. “He’s a Gilbert & Sullivan fan.”

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@ Mountain Flowers, Japan
"It says here that fortune cookies were first made in Japan," remarked GRYNTE.
"Oh wow, I didn't know that!" responded ♰ Theory ♰.
Mountain Flowers, Japan
Snow still lingers on the mountain passes while flowers announce the start of the warmer weather.

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@ Forest Cascade, Tohoku
Also known as USJ, the Universal Studios of Japan is found in the Kansai Prefecture. It is located in Konohana-Ku, Osaka. This tourist destination is closely based from its forefather, the Universal Studios of Florida. The main attractions include the Harry Potter themed area and the anime/manga themed areas of the theme park.

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@ Iide Mountains, Tohoku
You may have heard of Maglev (“Magnetic Levitation”), and Japan has it covered. Planning to have a route from Tokyo to Nagoya done and dusted by 2027, there are further plans to link the city of Nagoya with Osaka by 2045.

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@ Night Forest, Hachimantai
"One of the trains in Japan floats above the tracks due to magnetism. Its speed is 340 mph (550 km/h)!" remarked Alexander.
"Wow! That's amazing!" responded ♰ Theory ♰.

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@ Mt Mitsuishi, Tohoku
♰ Theory ♰ has now completed his journey through Honshu! As he prepares to go home, he receives a wonderful gift!
Fox, Looking For A Hill To Sled Down
Ah! Wintertime. This Fox is ready to go out and enjoy the snow that fell during the night. I have a brand new sled; you can guess how I acquired it. I put some wax on the runners as I am told this will make it go fast, and I want to feel the wind in my fur. Are we all ready?

Look, I found a hill. It looks a tiny bit steep, but I can do this. Have I been sledding before? Well, no, this is my first time, but how hard can it be? You sit, see here, the green boards–this is where you sit. You hold onto this rope, and you push off with your feet.

Here we go. Oh my, this is quite fast. Oh! Now I am going much faster; the hill must have become steeper. Why can’t I steer this? I forgot there is a tree on the lower part of the hill. If I just put all my weight to one side, I should be able to…fall over into a pile of snow. Well, that was fun. Should I do it again?


♰ Theory ♰ has enjoyed his journey through Honshu, but it is time to go home now! Please select another pet as visitor, so it can also enjoy a journey through Japan!