Kenroku-en 兼六園 means Six Attributes Garden. It is one of the Three Great Gardens of Japan. It was developed from the 1620s to the 1840s. Kenroku-en contains about 8,750 trees, and 183 species of plants in total.
Okayama Station at Halloween night becomes a major destination for viewing cosplay. Locals go all out with some amazing costumes. Taking a close up look one can see the time put in to get the details of eyeballs falling out and scars on faces. It happens around 6-9pm before everyone calls it a night.
Old shops line the empty streets of Otsu
Heading North from Otsu station towards Lake Biwa and Hamaotsu Station a street lined with many old shops mostly catering to locals. The area is slowly dying as most young residents move to large cities for employment.
Another warm day in Kyoto.
The sun beating down from above along with the humidity is a common feature in Kyoto. It is well known that summers and winters in the city can be undesirable compared to other parts of Japan.
View from Ono Station Platform
Lake Biwa is Japan’s largest freshwater lake. Lake Biwa is of tectonic origin and is one of the world’s twenty oldest lakes, dating to almost 4 million years ago. The Shiga area is great for outdoor actives such as fishing, swimming, and hiking in the various mountainous areas.
Pontocho 先斗町 alley in Kyoto
Restaurants and entertainment establishments line the alleys of Kyoto in the Pontocho district awaiting to be discovered by the curious traveler.
The Yoshino River is one of the clearest and non-polluted rivers in Japan. The area is surrounded by rugged mountains and countryside farmland. River rafting is also popular here to get a cool bath from the heat and humidity.
Kyoto’s bamboo forests cover the hillsides in a green blanket of splendor. Hiking these serene areas is one of Kyoto’s unique spots and mostly free of tourists. Many are easily accessed via bicycle. Wondering this forested place one will hear bird calls echoing through the dense forest. Your path will be shaded from the sun by the tall bamboo stalks that sway beautifully in the wind making a most relaxing sound.