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@ Kiso Mountains, Nagano, And Gifu, Japan
Merry begins her journey through Honshu!
Kiso Mountains, Nagano, And Gifu, Japan
Clear starry skies and mountains covered in snow make a visually stunning picture. The Kiso mountains are located in the prefectures of Nagano and Gifu. This mountain range is also known as the Central Alps; they meet up with the Hida Mountains and the Akaishi Mountains to form a group collectively known as the Japanese Alps.
Mount Komogatake is the most prominent peek at 2,956 m. The famous summit is named in a song called “The Land of Shinano”, the official song of Nagano.

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@ Japanese Park in Autumn

Navy Flower Power Egg
The first painted eggs came from Mesopotamia, and because eggs were forbidden food during Lent, people painted eggs while Lent was being observed—after Lent, they would eat the eggs on Easter Day.

Beautifully decorated eggs “pysanka” are associated with Ukraine, and the oldest painted egg that was unearthed in northern Ukraine is dated to the end of the 17th century.

Japanese Park in Autumn
An autumnal scene at the Chubu Sangaku National Park.

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@ Thatched Roofs, Shirakawa-Go
Viewing Cherry Blossoms in Japan is one of the most popular means to enjoy the April months in the country. This is the time when cherry trees bloom its finest and most beautiful blossoms. Celebrated as the Hanami festival, people wine and dine under the trees for days starting the peak of the blooms. It is said that this is the best way for families and friends to bond in the warm weather of the spring time. It is also one of the best ways to enjoy and appreciate the beauty that nature has to offer. It is a celebration of renewed life and beauty.

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@ Rice Terraces Lit at Night
"Our tour guide was explaining in the hotel foyer this morning that rice cookers are more common than an oven in Japan," said Audrey.
"Well, I'm very fond of rice, but that does surprise me!" responded Merry.

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@ Rustic Snow Houses, Shirakawa-Go
"Our tour guide was explaining in the hotel foyer this morning that rice cookers are more common than an oven in Japan," said Tallulah.
"Well, I'm very fond of rice, but that does surprise me!" responded Merry.
Rustic Snow Houses, Shirakawa-Go
Rustic houses in the snow in Shirakawa-Go.

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@ Japan's Alpine Treks
Tofu is an English loanword from Japanese, in which it is itself a loanword from Mandarin Chinese.
Japan's Alpine Treks
The Yatsugatake mountain range was formed from volcanic eruptions over thousands of years. Legend has it that Mt. Fuji was of inferior height but the goddess of Fuji tore down Yatsugatake leaving Fuji as the higher of the two.

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@ Cloudy Peaks in Honshu
" 'Japan has over 5 million vending machines that can sell almost anything, be it batteries, ramen, sake, bananas, umbrellas, flowers—you name it and the vending machines probably stock it.'," read Meowchi from the tour guide.
"That's incredible! We'll have to go into town and look to see what we could get!" responded Merry.
Cloudy Peaks in Honshu
A windy, cloudy scene in the peaks at a height of 2600m in the Chubu Sangaku National Park in Nagano, Japan.

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@ Autumnal Japanese Landscape
"It says here that fortune cookies were first made in Japan," remarked Coco.
"Oh wow, I didn't know that!" responded Merry.
Autumnal Japanese Landscape
This beautiful misty autumnal scene was photographed in the mountains of the Chubu Sangaku National Park.

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@ Mount Hotaka, Japan
You may have heard of Maglev (“Magnetic Levitation”), and Japan has it covered. Planning to have a route from Tokyo to Nagoya done and dusted by 2027, there are further plans to link the city of Nagoya with Osaka by 2045.
Mount Hotaka, Japan
In Japan, autumn colours start in September at high mountains in Honshu and northern island, Hokkaido. This shot was taken at the Dakezawa Valley of Mt Hotaka (3,190m).

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@ Japanese Alpine Valley
“Hey, have you seen what the next stop is, Merry?” said Beck. "It looks fantastic!"
"I'll get my camera ready," said Merry.
Japanese Alpine Valley
This stunning view of snow-covered peaks at sunrise is from the Chubu Sangaku National Park in the Northern Japan Alps. Eighty per cent of Japan is mountainous terrain.

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@ Origami Crane
"Our tour guide was explaining in the hotel foyer this morning that rice cookers are more common than an oven in Japan," said DILLIGAS.
"Well, I'm very fond of rice, but that does surprise me!" responded Merry.

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@ Serene Japanese Garden Bridge
"More film trivia here, Kikianna!" remarked Merry. "Can you name a 1985 Japanese film influenced by Shakespeare's King Lear about an ageing warlord who attempts to pass his kingdom to his three sons?"
"No, I'm not familiar with it, Merry!"
"It's called Ran, and it says here it's one of the best films ever made."
"We'll have to make a point of seeing it, then," said Kikianna.

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@ Samurai Statuette
"Japan—the perfect choice for our travels this winter, Merry!" enthused Paddy.
"Yup. Karaoke, kimonos, karate and koi. I can't wait to go shopping"
"Oh! I was thinking more of world famous architecture, history, culture and technology. Japan has given the world so much!" said Paddy.
Merry unwrapped a Hello Kitty chocolate for herself, popped it in her mouth and offered the packet to Paddy. "Sure! You know me, I love a bit of culture. As long as there's a nice gift shop at the end, I'm happy."

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@ Sake Barrels
"It says here that fortune cookies were first made in Japan," remarked Zubi.
"Oh wow, I didn't know that!" responded Merry.

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@ Japanese Sika Deer
Oh look ... you won a pet!

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@ Japanese Red Viburnum
Nearly half the zippers worldwide are made in Japan. If you check your zipper, chances are, it will say YKK on it, which stands for Yoshida Kogyo Kabushikikaisha. Founded in Tokyo in 1934, it is estimated that 7 billion zippers are produced by this manufacturer each year.

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@ Mt Azuma, Tohoku
"Our tour guide was explaining in the hotel foyer this morning that rice cookers are more common than an oven in Japan," said Lucy.
"Well, I'm very fond of rice, but that does surprise me!" responded Merry.

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@ Mount Iide, Tohoku
The iconic Mt Fuji, one of the most famous mountains in the world… isn’t a mountain; it’s a volcano. It looks so serene and beautiful, but it’s active and does have the potential to cause immense damage. It last erupted in 1707, when the ash reached as far as modern-day Tokyo.

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@ Yellow Blossoms, Tohoku
Tofu is an English loanword from Japanese, in which it is itself a loanword from Mandarin Chinese.

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@ Hazy Lake, Akita, Tohoku
"One of the trains in Japan floats above the tracks due to magnetism. Its speed is 340 mph (550 km/h)!" remarked Gren McNichols.
"Wow! That's amazing!" responded Merry.

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@ Mountain Flowers, Japan
"Our tour guide was explaining in the hotel foyer this morning that rice cookers are more common than an oven in Japan," said lady lovely.
"Well, I'm very fond of rice, but that does surprise me!" responded Merry.
Mountain Flowers, Japan
Snow still lingers on the mountain passes while flowers announce the start of the warmer weather.

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@ Forest Cascade, Tohoku
Viewing Cherry Blossoms in Japan is one of the most popular means to enjoy the April months in the country. This is the time when cherry trees bloom its finest and most beautiful blossoms. Celebrated as the Hanami festival, people wine and dine under the trees for days starting the peak of the blooms. It is said that this is the best way for families and friends to bond in the warm weather of the spring time. It is also one of the best ways to enjoy and appreciate the beauty that nature has to offer. It is a celebration of renewed life and beauty.

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@ Iide Mountains, Tohoku
Viewing Cherry Blossoms in Japan is one of the most popular means to enjoy the April months in the country. This is the time when cherry trees bloom its finest and most beautiful blossoms. Celebrated as the Hanami festival, people wine and dine under the trees for days starting the peak of the blooms. It is said that this is the best way for families and friends to bond in the warm weather of the spring time. It is also one of the best ways to enjoy and appreciate the beauty that nature has to offer. It is a celebration of renewed life and beauty.

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@ Night Forest, Hachimantai
The Aoi Festival celebrated in Kyoto is one of the festivals in Japan with the most elaborate parades. The parades consist of individuals in historical costumes and makeup because they relive the glory days of Kyoto when it was still the capital city of Japan. More than 500 people are included in the parades all dressed in noble and aristocratic style clothing. At the end of the parade, offerings are given to the deities of the Kamo Shrine – an offering by the Emperor to the gods. It is one of the three most popular festivals in Japan.

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@ Mt Mitsuishi, Tohoku
Merry has now completed her journey through Honshu! As she prepares to go home, she receives a wonderful gift!
Fox, Looking For A Hill To Sled Down
Ah! Wintertime. This Fox is ready to go out and enjoy the snow that fell during the night. I have a brand new sled; you can guess how I acquired it. I put some wax on the runners as I am told this will make it go fast, and I want to feel the wind in my fur. Are we all ready?

Look, I found a hill. It looks a tiny bit steep, but I can do this. Have I been sledding before? Well, no, this is my first time, but how hard can it be? You sit, see here, the green boards–this is where you sit. You hold onto this rope, and you push off with your feet.

Here we go. Oh my, this is quite fast. Oh! Now I am going much faster; the hill must have become steeper. Why can’t I steer this? I forgot there is a tree on the lower part of the hill. If I just put all my weight to one side, I should be able to…fall over into a pile of snow. Well, that was fun. Should I do it again?


Merry has enjoyed her journey through Honshu, but it is time to go home now! Please select another pet as visitor, so it can also enjoy a journey through Japan!