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@ Kiso Mountains, Nagano, And Gifu, Japan
Sakura 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

Blue And Gold 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
"When we get back I'm going to go to the library and see if Mrs Eucalyptus can recommend a book about Japan," said Nicole. "I've realised how little I know about it."
Sakura thought about this. "Good scheme!" she said.

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@ Rice Terraces Lit at Night
"Japan—the perfect choice for our travels this winter, Sakura!" enthused Alexandra.
"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 Alexandra.
Sakura unwrapped a Hello Kitty chocolate for herself, popped it in her mouth and offered the packet to Alexandra. "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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@ Rustic Snow Houses, Shirakawa-Go
"One of the trains in Japan floats above the tracks due to magnetism. Its speed is 340 mph (550 km/h)!" remarked Chocolate.
"Wow! That's amazing!" responded Sakura.
Rustic Snow Houses, Shirakawa-Go
Rustic houses in the snow in Shirakawa-Go.

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@ Japan's Alpine Treks
Sakura was listening enraptured to strains of music reaching them from a street violin player. “My Dad used to sing this, Wulfie!” she exclaimed happily. "A Wand’ring Minstrel I from The Mikado. This takes me back! It's set in Japan, you know, but it couldn't be more English if it tried."
Wulfie looked blank.
”Go and ask Edgar,” advised Sakura. “He’s a Gilbert & Sullivan fan.”
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
"More film trivia here, Misty!" remarked Sakura. "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, Sakura!"
"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 Misty.
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
The Shinano River (Shinano-gawa) is the longest and widest river in Japan at 228 miles (367 km). It flows from the Japanese Alps to the Sea of Japan.
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
"Hey, did you know there's a Disneyland on Honshu, Sakura?" queried Ted.
"No kidding? Where is it exactly?"
"Tokyo Disneyland is a theme park located in the Kanto region. Despite its name, it is actually located in the Chiba prefecture and not Tokyo. It's very easy to get to from Tokyo."
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
"So, Blades, the next Japanese phrase is 'Excuse me'. That's sumimasen. It says you don't put any stress on the 'u', so it's pronounced 'smee-ma-sen'.
"Is it like in Britain where if a pet accidentally bumps into you, you both say 'excuse me' or 'sorry'?"
"I'm sure that will be the case here too, Blades!"
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
Tofu is an English loanword from Japanese, in which it is itself a loanword from Mandarin Chinese.

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@ Serene Japanese Garden Bridge
Tofu is an English loanword from Japanese, in which it is itself a loanword from Mandarin Chinese.

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@ Samurai Statuette
Tofu is an English loanword from Japanese, in which it is itself a loanword from Mandarin Chinese.

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@ Sake Barrels
Also known as USJ, the Universal Studios of Japan is found in the Kansai Prefecture. It is located in Konohana-Ku, Osaka. This tourist destination is closely based from its forefather, the Universal Studios of Florida. The main attractions include the Harry Potter themed area and the anime/manga themed areas of the theme park.

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

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@ Japanese Red Viburnum
"When we get back I'm going to go to the library and see if Mrs Eucalyptus can recommend a book about Japan," said Draco. "I've realised how little I know about it."
Sakura thought about this. "Good scheme!" she said.

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@ Mt Azuma, Tohoku
" '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 Arphaxad from the tour guide.
"That's incredible! We'll have to go into town and look to see what we could get!" responded Sakura.

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@ Mount Iide, Tohoku
Also known as USJ, the Universal Studios of Japan is found in the Kansai Prefecture. It is located in Konohana-Ku, Osaka. This tourist destination is closely based from its forefather, the Universal Studios of Florida. The main attractions include the Harry Potter themed area and the anime/manga themed areas of the theme park.

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@ Yellow Blossoms, Tohoku
The Shinano River (Shinano-gawa) is the longest and widest river in Japan at 228 miles (367 km). It flows from the Japanese Alps to the Sea of Japan.

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@ Hazy Lake, Akita, Tohoku
Tofu is an English loanword from Japanese, in which it is itself a loanword from Mandarin Chinese.

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@ Mountain Flowers, Japan
"It says here that fortune cookies were first made in Japan," remarked Flicka.
"Oh wow, I didn't know that!" responded Sakura.
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
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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@ Iide Mountains, Tohoku
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.

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@ Night Forest, Hachimantai
"Hey, did you know there's a Disneyland on Honshu, Sakura?" queried Ginger Spice.
"No kidding? Where is it exactly?"
"Tokyo Disneyland is a theme park located in the Kanto region. Despite its name, it is actually located in the Chiba prefecture and not Tokyo. It's very easy to get to from Tokyo."

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@ Mt Mitsuishi, Tohoku
Sakura 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?


Sakura has enjoyed her journey through Honshu, but it is time to go home now! "xxxxxx" is over now, but there will be more events in PnF soon!