Friday 28th April, 2017

Nikko to Niigata   (289 kms)

Quite cold but sunny at this high altitude. From the log cabin type hotel we descended via 30 hair pin bends. There was hard packed snow by the roadsides, also snow on the surrounding mountains. The landscape was stunted bamboo and bare trees. Reaching 1,400 mts we stopped to admire the view but didn't see any of the wild monkeys which are common around here. Some of the road posts along this route had carved animals on them. 

A lot of timber felling is done around here. What was noticeable were the distinctive coloured roofs in the villages here- red, blue and green.

Two straight forward regularities although there was some controversy about the timing tables on one regularity which was rectified later. A difference of 6 seconds but critical when 14 cars all did the regularity within 10 seconds.

We entered Fukushima Prefecture today, the third largest of 47 Prefectures. A wide area of this Prefecture was not affected by the nuclear contamination, including the areas we visit.

We visited the preserved 17th century village of Ouchi-Juku with thatched roof travellers' accommodation and many small shops.The main/only street was gravel and had stone water gullies.

Lunch was at a cafe next to the Samurai Museum.

This large mansion was a recreation and displayed how the samurai lived. A young couple were having their wedding photos taken.

Another 3 kms further on was Tsunuga Castle rebuilt in the late 19th century.

Our stop for the night was at Niigata, 110kms further on. On the way we saw large tracts of land under rice cultivation.

Before dinner a group of school girls (about Year 9) came to give us a lesson in Japanese calligraphy.
They were delightful and so eager to teach us some Japanese characters.

During dinner there was a sake tasting, Geisha (called Geigi here) dancing and the cracking open of an old barrel of sake.

Most of the hotels give us a "package" on arrival of the things to see in the area and often small gifts.

This hotel left a plate of delicious strawberries in our room. They were especially tasty and were a variety called Echigohime, named after a Princess of Echigo. They were developed in Niigata and so called because they are as sweet and pretty as a princess.