odd pedestrian crossings

I took this photo in Tomo no Ura, a small fishing village not far from Fukuyama City in the south. If you're fit you could run up and jump over it but for the physically challenged I really begin to wonder how on earth....

A day in the old fishing village of Tomo no Ura

Monday, 9th March 2009

Corrina and I met up in Fukuayama, got on a bus and did a little sightseeing around the small and well-kept fishing village of Tomo no Ura (鞆の浦). It was overcast and it looked like rain was on its way but we ended up being lucky. The old parts of town are considered important national cultural properties and there was a fund set up to have the buildings restored to their original Edo period form. It is a pleasant place to have a stroll. There are also a handful of museums worth having a look in. A local told us interesting facts about the place including that most of the land we were walking on had been reclaimed all those years ago.

Tomo no Ura also seems to be known for its homei-shu (保命酒) which is a liquor made from a variety of herbs. There are shops brewing and selling it around the village. Apparently, it is best enjoyed chilled and after a sample, we ended up buying a bottle each!

the herbs used in the potion

the herbal liquor being brewed

Ramen in Onomichi

Sunday, 18th January 2009

Onomichi is located between Hiroshima and Fukuyama. Yoshi, Corrina, Naomi & myself met up at the station and went for a walk along the main shopping strip. There was a shop that makes hand-made knives and swords that was the main attraction for me. We also went up to where the well-known senko-ji temple is located which offers great views of the Seto Inland Sea and surrounding areas.

Onomichi ramen is also popular among the locals and Yoshi recommended that we eat at this one shown in the photo. We had to wait around half an hour before being able to get in. However, once in the restaurant, we were rushed to scoff our food down and get out so the next load could get their ramen! The ramen was a little too oily.

A nice day for a drive

Saturday, 15th March 2009

When I first came to Tojo I visited the huge yama-zakura cherry tree in Chidori-beshaku along the narrow Route 12, several kilometres from Tojo town. I enjoy going for drives along old roads that take you deep into the mountains where you'd be lucky to see a passerby. Today, Naomi and I decided to go for a drive along Route 12 that winds through to Okayama Prefecture from the large cherry tree. The road, with steep falls to the left and only wide enough for one car to pass, was covered with twigs, small rocks and dead leaves. There were even sections on the road where the trickling water had frozen over. Along the way we saw an amazing sight where the temperature had dropped low enough overnight and remained at the right temperature for the water passing through the roots of the trees above to freeze into icicles right below. Once we arrived at the prefectural border we got out of the car and took a breath of fresh air as we were both feeling a little car sick! It was a rough ride. We continued on and noticed that the road was in better condition once in Okayama and were a lot wider than the Hiroshima part of Route 12.

I have posted a entry about Mt. Daisen previously but since the visibility was great, I thought I would drive us to the little cafe where I had lunch last time. The view of the snow-capped Mt. Daisen was spectacular.