Kuranagi Onsen in Kurobe Gorge

I took the Kurobe-kyo Tetsudo (Kurobe Gorge Railway) into the Japan Alps in Toyama recently.

Here's a picture of the narrow-gauge railway.


Here's the view from the last station in the gorge.



I visited Kuranagi Onsen while I was in Kurobe Gorge. It's a fantastic onsen in an incredible location.

Here is a picture of the path to the onsen. It hugs the mountain wall. You can only reach the onsen by walking.


Here's another picture of the path.


Here is the reward.

Gokayama

The other day I visited the gassho-zukuri (thatch-roof) area of Gokayama in Toyama Prefecture.

Here is a picture of Suganuma, the smaller of the two villages in Gokayama.


Here's a picture of Ainokura in Gokyama.

Shirakawago

During my recent trip to Gifu-ken, I stopped by the lovely village of Shirakawago, a UNESCO World Heritage Site famous for its thatched-roof houses.

Kamikochi: The Heart of the Japan Alps

I spent a day and a night recently in Kamikochi, high in the heart of the Japan Alps. The weather wasn't very good, but a bad day in Kamikochi is better than a great day at the office. I walked 22 kilometers up and back a river to enjoy the scenery.



I suprised a Japanese macaque with two babies beside the trail. They were so close - I could just about have reached out and touched them.

Shinhodaka Onsen

I visited Shinhodaka Onsen in Gifu-ken in the Japan Alps the other day. I took the gondola and tramway to a point 2000 meters up and was happy to find a lot of snow left up there. Later on, I spent the night in a great riverside onsen ryokan.

Here's a view of the Japan Alps from the tramway. Note the amount of snow left on the mountains.



Here is a picture of the rotemburo (outside bath) at the ryokan I stayed in.



Here's a picture of the inside bath at the same ryokan. You can see Mt. Yari-ga-take from the bath on a clear day.

Takayama

I recently spent a couple of days in Takayama, near the Japan Alps. I was reminded what a pleasant little city it is.

Here is a picture of a canal in Takayama.


The local specialty is Hida-gyu (Hida beef) cooked on a hibachi at your table over a hoba leaf with miso. It's pretty tasty.

The Shrine of the Unknown Bowler

Yesterday, on the way down from Daimonji-yama, I discovered an incredible piece of street art at the foot of a utility pole on a narrow street. At first glance, it appeared to be nothing more than a bunch of trash. But, a closer inspection revealed a strange order to the scene. Indeed, as I studied it, I realized that I was looking at nothing less than a shrine to an unknown bowler. I thought for a moment it might have been the scene of an accident. But, since cars cannot go more than a few km per hour at this corner, I don't think this was the case. More likely, some frustrated bowler dumped all his bowling paraphenalia here after a disheartening series of gutter balls and a passing artist arranged the pieces into the shrine you see before you. Or, maybe a local artist gathered the pieces and brought them to the site specifically to create this sportive religious monument. Whatever the case, it is, to my mind, a brilliant creation. It actually follows the standard design of the altars in Buddhist temples, with objects placed on the side of an inner sanctum (in this case, the bowling ball itself). Anonymous artist, if you are reading this, my hat is off to you: you rolled a strike with this one.



Here's a close-up of The Shrine of the Unknown Bowler. Note the candle and the clever way the bowling trophies, bowling shoes and bowling bag draw the eye into the inner sanctum of the shrine itself: the sacred orb of the bowling ball (calling to mind, of course, the character of Jesus in The Big Lebowski).


Behold the Unknown Bowler: