Author: funridejapan

Today, we we are moving from Lake Tazawa to the Japan Sea side. First, we headed to Kakunodate, also known as “Little Kyoto of the North,” which boasts historic samurai residences and beautiful cherry blossom trees. We parked our motorcycles along the river and leisurely strolled through the picturesque samurai residences, which date back to the Edo period and showcase traditional Japanese culture. The cherry blossoms were also in full bloom, and we enjoyed the beauty of Japan’s cherry blossoms as we watched their delicate petals dance in the breeze.
Next, we rode along the coastal road with Mount Chokai in the background and headed towards Minato-machi, a bustling port town in Sakata City, Yamagata Prefecture that was once a hub for Kitamaebune, or the northern sea trade route. Along the way, we were overwhelmed by the beauty of the sea and mountains and felt exhilarated as we rode along in the wind.
When we arrived in Sakata City, we indulged in delicious local sake and seafood. The dishes made with local ingredients were all superb, and the fresh seafood was particularly fantastic. Additionally, the sake brewed at local sake breweries was deep in flavor and absolutely delicious.
We plan to stay overnight in Sakata City tonight.

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After enjoying a two-day stay in Sendai, we decided to head north towards Lake Tazawa. On the way, Sam and Karen, who love Japanese sake, requested to stop by the sake brewery “Seki no Ichi” in Ichinoseki City, Iwate Prefecture.
Upon arriving in Ichinoseki, we entered the brewery and were greeted by a calm atmosphere. There,they purchased two bottles of Isho bin (1.8 litres) of sake, which had a rich and deep flavor that was very different from the sake they drink in Malaysia.
Next, we decided to try local cuisine at the brewery’s restaurant. We ordered the “Kahou Mochi Zen,” which consisted of nine types of mochi and Ozoni soup. The dish was both visually pleasing and delicious, with a chewy texture and tasty soup. We also ordered shabu-shabu, which was full of meat and vegetables.
After filling our stomachs, we took a leisurely drive along a country road off the main route. As we approached Lake Tazawa via a mountain road before Morioka, the air became clearer. The scenery, surrounded by nature, was incredibly beautiful, and we felt soothed by the surroundings.

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I departed today in the light rain and headed first to Ouchi-Juku, a post town nestled in the mountains of Minamiaizu, Fukushima Prefecture. The town has preserved its Edo-period appearance with houses featuring thatched roofs, which have been converted into souvenir shops and restaurants. I enjoyed strolling through the town and taking photos, feeling as if I had traveled back in time to the Edo period. After lunch, I took the Bandai-Azuma Skyline to Jododaira to see the snow walls. Although the weather was not good, I decided to go due to my customer’s strong request. I carefully checked the road and weather conditions with the road manager, and confirmed its safety. Although the snow walls were lower than usual due to the warmer weather this year, my customers seemed satisfied with the view that they could not experience in Malaysia. We will spend the next two days relaxing in Sendai.

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Welcome again from Malaysia! It’s been six years since we last met.
After departing from Tokyo, we headed towards Nikko. As we entered the Nikko-Utsunomiya Toll Road, the scenery changed dramatically with fresh green mountains in view. First, we drove up the steep curves of Irohazaka to reach Akechidaira.From the observation deck, we could see Mt. Nantai, Lake Chuzenji and Kegon Falls stretching out below us. After that we made our way to Kegon Falls. The waterfall’s basin, where the water from Lake Chuzenji falls from a 97-meter-high cliff, was spectacular, with water splashing everywhere. Tonight, we stay at a hotel in Kinugawa Onsen and celebrate our reunion with delicious food and Sake. Kanpai,Cheers!!

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Today is finally the last day of Hong Kong Group. At first we headed to Shiraito Fall, the great waterfalls of Japan. Spring water of Mt. Fuji falls as thin streams across the 150-meter-wide and 20-meter-high cascade. We could enjoy cool and refreshing mist.It might make our luck go up. Next we rode to Yamamiya Sengen-jinja Shrine. This shrine has a history of over 1900 years and a place for worshipping Mt.Fuji from afar remained in a form of ancient Mt.Fuji worship.After enjoying 5 days tour, we came back to Tokyo. In Kyoto we stayed at the traditional townhouse and had a traditional Japanese dish “Kaiseki Cuisine”. In Nara we fed a deer the deer rice cracker in a park full of cherry blossoms. In the Mt.Fuji area, we enjoyed riding with big Mt.Fuji. If our guests enjoyed our tour, it makes me happy. Let’s enjoy riding Hokkaido dyed in autumn leaves next time! See you then next time!!

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We headed to today’s inn while the sun is still shining. Riding on a back road not much traffic, big Mt.Fuji suddenly appeared in front of us and was getting bigger and bigger. What a fantastic touring route！ Next morning when I opened the curtains in my room, red big Mt.Fuji illuminated by the morning sun was ahead of me.

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Today we took ferry from Toba to Cape Irako. It was only one hour trip, but feel so nice. We rode along the beach side of Atumi peninsula. We passed the lake Hamanako and went to the strawberry road. Strawberry is in season now.Strawberries are so big and smells sweet.We enjoyed a strawberry picking. After that we rode up to Nihondaira park. Here is a famous place can see the big Mt.Fuji from the top. Say cheese with Mt.Fuji

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It really is sunny! Today is a perfect day for touring. Today we went to Ise via Nara. We rode along a town and river side, we arrived at Todaiji temple well known for the Great Buddha. It was a good time to feed a deer deer crackers in the Nara Park. The cherry blossoms were in full bloom there. What a beautiful day today!　After that we rode the winding road in the mountains to Ise Grand shrine. Here is Japan’s most sacred Shinto shrine. We stayed at a long established Ryokan (Japanese-style inn) facing Toba Bay. We enjoyed open-air baths with stunning scenery.

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It’s been cool and raining since morning today. But our guests were full of energy. Let’s start to Kyoto!
We rode on the Tomei, Shin-Tomei and Meishin highway to Kyoto while taking breaks along the way. The rain was so cold it felt like freezing. The rain had stopped by the time we arrived at Kyoto. In Kyoto we stayed at the traditional townhouse and had a formal style of Japanese food “Kaiseki Cuisine” for dinner at Japanese restaurant to experience Japanese culture and feel Japan. Cheers with delicious Japanese sake.

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It is unusually warm this spring. Flying along on a bike feels good. Let’s start 5 days tour to Kyoto!
Started from Tokyo and took a highway to Hakone area. First place to stop is “Kakita River Park”. This park is famous for Mt.Fuji underground water springing out. We took a walk around the park and had lunch in the old folk house restaurant. After lunch we planed to go to Mt.Fuji area by local road slowly, but the traffic was too heavy. So we changed the plan to go to the hotel directly by the highway. After arriving the hotel, we went out to downtown to have dinner at Izakaya restaurant. Welcome our guests from Hong Kong!! Here’s to our reunion! “Kanpai!!”

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