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@ Kiso Mountains, Nagano, And Gifu, Japan
Marilla begins her 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

Blue And Copper Egg
The first painted eggs came from Mesopotamia, and because eggs were forbidden food during Lent, people painted eggs while Lent was being observed—after Lent, they would eat the eggs on Easter Day.

Beautifully decorated eggs “pysanka” are associated with Ukraine, and the oldest painted egg that was unearthed in northern Ukraine is dated to the end of the 17th century.

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
"Our tour guide was explaining in the hotel foyer this morning that rice cookers are more common than an oven in Japan," said Blossom.
"Well, I'm very fond of rice, but that does surprise me!" responded Marilla.

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@ Rustic Snow Houses, Shirakawa-Go
Tofu is an English loanword from Japanese, in which it is itself a loanword from Mandarin Chinese.
Rustic Snow Houses, Shirakawa-Go
Rustic houses in the snow in Shirakawa-Go.

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@ Japan's Alpine Treks
"When we get back I'm going to go to the library and see if Mrs Eucalyptus can recommend a book about Japan," said blue sunshine. "I've realised how little I know about it."
Marilla thought about this. "Good scheme!" she said.
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
"Hey, did you know there's a Disneyland on Honshu, Marilla?" queried Bella.
"No kidding? Where is it exactly?"
"Tokyo Disneyland is a theme park located in the Kanto region. Despite its name, it is actually located in the Chiba prefecture and not Tokyo. It's very easy to get to from Tokyo."
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
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.
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
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.
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, Marilla!” said DILLIGAS ruefully.
"Never mind," said Marilla. "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
“Hey, have you seen what the next stop is, Marilla?” said Fancy Face . "It looks fantastic!"
"I'll get my camera ready," said Marilla.

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@ Serene Japanese Garden Bridge
"It says here that fortune cookies were first made in Japan," remarked Bandit.
"Oh wow, I didn't know that!" responded Marilla.

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@ Samurai Statuette
Tofu is an English loanword from Japanese, in which it is itself a loanword from Mandarin Chinese.

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@ Sake Barrels
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.

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

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@ Japanese Red Viburnum
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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@ Mt Azuma, Tohoku
"More film trivia here, Midnight!" remarked Marilla. "Can you name a 1985 Japanese film influenced by Shakespeare's King Lear about an ageing warlord who attempts to pass his kingdom to his three sons?"
"No, I'm not familiar with it, Marilla!"
"It's called Ran, and it says here it's one of the best films ever made."
"We'll have to make a point of seeing it, then," said Midnight.

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@ Mount Iide, Tohoku
Japan suffers from violent earthquakes because the islands are located on three tectonic plates in the Pacific. Japan’s archipelago comprises 108 active volcanoes. These volcanoes are known to bring devastating earthquakes and tsunamis.

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@ Yellow Blossoms, 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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@ Hazy Lake, Akita, Tohoku
"It says here that fortune cookies were first made in Japan," remarked Wawatay.
"Oh wow, I didn't know that!" responded Marilla.

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@ Mountain Flowers, Japan
"When we get back I'm going to go to the library and see if Mrs Eucalyptus can recommend a book about Japan," said Sugar. "I've realised how little I know about it."
Marilla thought about this. "Good scheme!" she said.
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
The iconic Mt Fuji, one of the most famous mountains in the world… isn’t a mountain; it’s a volcano. It looks so serene and beautiful, but it’s active and does have the potential to cause immense damage. It last erupted in 1707, when the ash reached as far as modern-day Tokyo.

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@ Iide Mountains, Tohoku
"More film trivia here, Sweetums!" remarked Marilla. "Can you name a 1985 Japanese film influenced by Shakespeare's King Lear about an ageing warlord who attempts to pass his kingdom to his three sons?"
"No, I'm not familiar with it, Marilla!"
"It's called Ran, and it says here it's one of the best films ever made."
"We'll have to make a point of seeing it, then," said Sweetums.

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@ Night Forest, Hachimantai
"When we get back I'm going to go to the library and see if Mrs Eucalyptus can recommend a book about Japan," said Roxy. "I've realised how little I know about it."
Marilla thought about this. "Good scheme!" she said.

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@ Mt Mitsuishi, Tohoku
Marilla has now completed her journey through Honshu! As she prepares to go home, she 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?


Marilla has enjoyed her 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!