Yamada hot spring in Nagano Prefecture

It was quite cold these days so all of us agreed with a trip to Yamada hot spring today. At first, we stopped by at "Yamada" Farm, expecting for a place for sleding but it turned to be quite a skiing ground with free parking and free entrance and not crowded!...what a perfect place!

Let's play!

The entrance to outdoor bath

I had a great time sledding and sweating in snowy cold weather! So it was time for hot spring now.  My mom had been waiting to get into the hot bathtub since we planned for this trip.
We drove to "Keizantei" Japanese Hotel in "Shichimi Hot Spring" area.  There is the day-use hot spring with a large outdoor bath, called "Meguminoyu" that opened for day-use visitors and a hot spring in particular is good. Same as most of the hot spring we chose to visit, the hot spring here also came out directly from the source of the hot spring and draining without circulation. Though the hot water here is our favorite type, muddy white,  the temperature outside today was so low that the water was not hot enough to stay inside so long! I and mom did not spend much time inside but rushed out and got dressed before we caught cold! I just knew after that the my dad chose to stay in the indoor bathtub where the water was warm enough so he had us waited outside for a while!!!

Good dinner!

Around 4 pm. that we arrived "Fukeikan" hotel in "Yamada Hot Spring".  My dad could not wait to rush to "Sennin" outdoor bathtub of the hotel. There were 150 stairs led to the outdoor bathtub from the main building. It was too late now so I and my mom preferred going there tomorrow. He told us later that the view was so good and an icicle was so beautiful. Though there was nothing so special about the hot water here but it came out directly from the source of the hot spring and no circulation.  It was clear and clean hot spring!

Walked to "Sennin" hot spring

Icicle view from
"Sennin" hot spring

Suwa-Taisha, Suwa city, Nagano

Today was for my dad because we went to Japanese rice wine (Sake) factory, my dad's favorite. The one that we visited today was the famous factory in Suwa city, called "Masumi". We bought some sake and specially made dried bean curd from the shop.

In front of Masumi shop

Different kind of Masumi sake

Snacks on the way, Yum!

Then we went to Suwa-Taisha Temple. Over 1200 years old, it is one of Japan’s oldest shrines and was once one of the holiest places in country. Suwa Taisha's famous Onbashira festival is held every six years.  Huge tree trunks are cut down and transported to the shrine. This includes riding the sacred logs down a muddy hillside in sometimes deadly manner. I did not like much about this story when I heard about somebody got hurt.

We could see the sacred log from the latest festival decorated inside, very very big! I could not imagine how they got them down here!

Inside Suwa-Taisha Temple

Suwa-Taisha Temple

The main sacred log from
Onbashira festival

On the way back home, we stopped by at Kaminoyu hot spring. It was brownish yellow color hot spring, quite rare and it felt good too.

Nice location, good air and wonderful
hot spring

Nunobiki Kannon, Komoro, Nagano Prefecture

Today we visited Nunobiki Kannon in Komoro, Nagano Prefecture. The famous "Legend of Zenkoji" originated here - A cow snatched a cloth belonging to a wicked old woman, who pursued the cow until it led her to Zenkoji Temple in Nagano City. In the temple the cow turned into a golden Kannon (goddess of mercy) and warned the old woman for her wrongdoings. Having been changed, the old woman went back home and enshrined Nunobiki Kannon on the cliff. One of the temples overhangs in the cliff and overlooks Komoro city.

A cow snatched a cloth and
led the old woman this way

Icy walking path!

A view of Nunobiki Kannon on the way

We had to climb up the mountain covered with snow and ice and that was the hard part for all of us especially my mom!! Slowly climbed while I took my dad's hand all the time, we finally arrived safely. The view from there was so beautiful and I met the cow too!
It was quite difficult to climb up so please be more careful if you visit there during winter season.

This is the cow from the legend! 

Arrived safely! 

Zenkoji Temple, Nagano

Walking path to Zenkoji Temple

Today we visited Zenkoji Temple in Nagano, one of the most important and popular temples in Japan.  There was an underground passage inside the inner chamber where visitors may walk through in complete darkness in search of the "key to paradise" which is believed to grant salvation to anybody who touches it.

Zenkoji Temple

First we went inside together but I was scared by the sudden darkness and cried out so loud right after we went down, since we could not go backwards so just kept going fast, finding the exit and left the building. My dad went back alone and tried to find the key again while I and my mom waited  outside. My dad came back after found the key and we tried again together. This time I felt more confident than the first time and could touch the key in the darkness! Hope good things happen to me!

Let's make more snow rabbit! 

Before we went back, we bought a big Daruma doll as a souvenir, wishing that we could go back to Europe again while writting one eye on the Daruma. We will put another eye for him after our wish comes true! We also bought some souvenirs at a famous chili shop, Yawataya Isogorō. The hand cream made from Chili was quite impressive. My mom told me that it made her hand very soft after she tried the tester.
We left the temple area and went to Tokurakamiyamada hot spring, the public bath for local people there. The water came out directly from the source of the hot spring and draining without circulation.
Our skin became so smooth!

First trip, after moved back from Germany, to Shiraito Falls in Karuizawa, Japan

We had been so busy since we moved back from Munich, Germany. Today was the first weekend that we could relax finally! So...we started our trip again to Shiraito Falls. Shiraito Falls is one of the major tourist spots in Karuizawa. The source of Shiraito Falls is the subsoil water of Mt. Asama, so there is no river above the falls. The water running off the wide rock face looked like a curtain of "white threads", which is called "Shiraito" in Japanese.
It was quite cold this time of the year but it was still so beautiful and worth visiting! We parked our car in the nearby car park and walked around 10 minutes to the falls. The walking paths were a bit slippery especially with rain or snow so be well prepared with your shoes might be a good idea!

Look how beautiful ice can be!

Be careful while walking

The famous Shiraito Falls during winter

Cold!!!!

Last day in Munich

Today would be the last time for our tour in Munich before we moved back to Japan. First we went to Marienplatz, our favorite spot in Munich. Mostly we were here for shopping but never got into the tourist spots around here so today was our first time for St. Peter's Church, the oldest church in Munich. Munich from the viewing platform on the top of the church was so beautiful. We had seen almost all in Marienplatz while shopping but never seen from up here like this before! From here we also could see the automation clock on the city hall building on the other side of the street and 2 towers of Frauenkirch, the symbol of Munich, too.

St.Peter's Church in Marienplatz

Marienplatz street

Marienplatz square from top of
St.Peter's Church

View up from St.Peter's Church

My favorite book store, Hugenbubel

The Olympic Tower and BMW Museum

Devil's footstep in Frauenkirche

2 Towers of Frauenkirche

Mom on the Devil's footstep !!!

View of Frauenkirche from where
the Devil was standing!

The vault in St.Michael's Church

Secret way to the basement
(not opened everyday)

King Ludwig II Crypt.

Eisenach and Wartburg Castle, Germany

We left the hotel around 9:30 in the morning to the town where Bach was born. On the way, we stopped at the world heritage Castle, Wartburg Castle. Without the tour of the inside because of not enough time, we just walked  around and got on the car again to the birthplace of Bach. It was fun to hear musics of Bach while we were inside! It was a nice and lovely house. We arrived Munich at 8pm, it was quite a trip, our last 5 days trip in Germany!

The world heritage Wartburg Castle

Inside garden

Nice hotel just next to the world
heritage site

Bach

Musice room inside Bach' s house

The house where Bach was born

View from Bach's house