Susan Spann's Blog, page 9
November 8, 2021
On Crying-Bug Mountain (Nakimushiyama) [No. 144-146]
On October 24, I headed north to Nikkō, in Tochigi Prefecture, to hike a new-to-me trail that included Nakimushiyama (鳴虫山), an 1,103-meter mountain not far from Nikkō station. The route went up and over three smaller peaks, too, and though much of the trail is surrounded by trees, there were a few spots with beautiful views as well.
On Crying-Bug Mountain (Nakimushiyama)
On October 24, I headed north to Nikkō, in Tochigi Prefecture, to hike a new-to-me trail that included Nakimushiyama (鳴虫山), an 1,103-meter mountain not far from Nikkō station. The route went up and over three smaller peaks, too, and though much of the trail is surrounded by trees, there were a few spots with beautiful views as well.
November 3, 2021
Hiking Mt. Tarumae [No. 139]
My friend Ido* and I kicked off my recent (Autumn 2021) hiking trip to Hokkaido with an ascent of Mt. Tarumae--a 1,041-meter active stratovolcano not far from Tomakomai in southern Hokkaido.
Hiking Mt. Tarumae
My friend Ido* and I kicked off my recent (Autumn 2021) hiking trip to Hokkaido with an ascent of Mt. Tarumae--a 1,041-meter active stratovolcano not far from Tomakomai in southern Hokkaido.
October 31, 2021
Happy Halloween Tea!
Themed high teas are very popular in Tokyo, and in the spirit of the season, I decided to try the "take home" Halloween High Tea from the Tokyo Grand Hyatt on Halloween Day.
October 30, 2021
Happy (Hokkaido) Halloween!
During my recent hiking trip to Hokkaido, I stopped by Niseko to see the town's unusual--and delightful--Halloween display.
October 21, 2021
Celebrating the season at The Haunted Chateau: Witches’ Halloween Tea
Themed sweets buffets and “high tea” services are very popular in Japan, especially during different holiday seasons. I’d wanted to experience one for the last few years, but most are reservation-only and until now I’d failed at getting my act together in advance. Last year, most of them were canceled (for obvious reasons), but as of autumn 2021 they’re back–and this week I headed out for the HAUNTED CHATEAU: WITCHES’ HALLOWEEN TEA at The Strings Omotesando. When I arrived, the staff escorted me to the private dining room for the Haunted Chateau (below). Apparently, witches prefer to have high tea
August 30, 2021
Hiking Mt. Yotei
Mt. Yotei, also known as Ezo-Fuji for its resemblance to Japan's most famous peak, is a stratovolcano located in Hokkaido's Shikotsu-Koya National Park.
August 27, 2021
The Deer of Nara Park
When people come to visit me in Japan, they usually have a list of things they want to do and see--and if it's a person's first trip to Japan, the list invariably includes a visit to Nara's famous deer.
August 23, 2021
Vegetarian Kaiseki in Kinosaki Onsen
Last month, I celebrated my birthday with a trip to Kinosaki Onsen in Hyogo Prefecture. Kinosaki Onsen is one of Japan’s most famous onsen towns; it sits near the Sea of Japan, about three hours by train southwest of Kyoto. Kinosaki Onsen has two major draws: the town’s seven volcanic hot spring baths (which have various properties, based on the springs that feed them) and the food, which I’d heard was some of the best in Japan. The town is most famous for snow crab and Tajima (Kobe) beef, but when I heard that Nishimuraya Honkan (the traditional Japanese inn
