March 2014 – the last word

Month: March 2014

JPN042013 Chapter 3: The Valley of the Alps

By yamnut on March 30, 2014 • ( Leave a comment )

To the Highlands! The kanji for Kamikochi 上高地 literally means ‘highlands’. That’s probably because some of the tallest mountains in japan are clustered there, and this is the shrine of the Japan Alps. here, even the terminal station of the Kamikochi buses is 1500m above sea level. Summer […]

The Hidden Villages

By yamnut on March 2, 2014 • ( Leave a comment )

Into the Mountains, In Search of the Hidden Villages They are not so hidden now, being conferred UNESCO World Heritage Site status since 1995. But many hundred years ago, deep in these mountains, the residents of Shirakawa, Suganuma and Ainokura led very carefree lives. They built their Gassho […]