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@ Kiso Mountains, Nagano, And Gifu, Japan
Dasher begins his 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
" '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 Aqua Blue from the tour guide.
"That's incredible! We'll have to go into town and look to see what we could get!" responded Dasher.

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@ Rice Terraces Lit at Night
“I don't know how to pronounce half of these place names, Dasher!” said Bananas ruefully.
"Never mind," said Dasher. "We'll look them up when we get back to the hotel tonight!"

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@ Rustic Snow Houses, Shirakawa-Go
"Japan—the perfect choice for our travels this winter, Dasher!" enthused paws.
"Yup. Karaoke, kimonos, karate and koi. I can't wait to go shopping"
"Oh! I was thinking more of world famous architecture. Japan has given the world so much!" said paws.
Dasher unwrapped a Hello Kitty chocolate for himself, popped it in his mouth and offered the packet to paws. "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."
Rustic Snow Houses, Shirakawa-Go
Rustic houses in the snow in Shirakawa-Go.

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@ Japan's Alpine Treks
"It says here that fortune cookies were first made in Japan," remarked Lulu.
"Oh wow, I didn't know that!" responded Dasher.
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
"It says here that fortune cookies were first made in Japan," remarked Darby.
"Oh wow, I didn't know that!" responded Dasher.
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
Europeans first arrived in Japan in 1543, bringing with them a range of new technologies and cultural practices, including the Christian religion. But in 1635, the ruling shogun closed Japan to foreigners and forbade Japanese to travel abroad, beginning a state of isolation that would last more than 200 years. In 1868, the shoguns were overthrown and emperors returned. This was a time of great change and modernisation for 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
"More film trivia here, Clarice!" remarked Dasher. "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, Dasher!"
"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 Clarice.
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
"Japan—the perfect choice for our travels this winter, Dasher!" enthused Hershel.
"Yup. Karaoke, kimonos, karate and koi. I can't wait to go shopping"
"Oh! I was thinking more of world famous architecture. Japan has given the world so much!" said Hershel.
Dasher unwrapped a Hello Kitty chocolate for himself, popped it in his mouth and offered the packet to Hershel. "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."
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
Dasher was listening enraptured to strains of music reaching them from a street violin player. “My Dad used to sing this, Stills!” he 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."
Stills looked blank.
”Go and ask Edgar,” advised Dasher. “He’s a Gilbert & Sullivan fan.”

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@ Serene Japanese Garden Bridge
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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@ Samurai Statuette
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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@ Sake Barrels
"When we get back I'm going to go to the library and see if Mrs Eucalyptus can recommend a book about Japan," said Choco. "I've realised how little I know about it."
Dasher thought about this. "Good scheme!" he said.

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

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

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@ Mt Azuma, Tohoku
"When we get back I'm going to go to the library and see if Mrs Eucalyptus can recommend a book about Japan," said Elsa. "I've realised how little I know about it."
Dasher thought about this. "Good scheme!" he said.

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@ Mount Iide, Tohoku
"Hey, did you know there's a Disneyland on Honshu, Dasher?" queried Josie.
"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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@ Yellow Blossoms, Tohoku
Japan suffers from violent earthquakes because the islands are located on three tectonic plates in the Pacific. Japan’s archipelago comprises 108 active volcanoes. These volcanoes are known to bring devastating earthquakes and tsunamis.

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@ Hazy Lake, Akita, 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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@ Mountain Flowers, Japan
Europeans first arrived in Japan in 1543, bringing with them a range of new technologies and cultural practices, including the Christian religion. But in 1635, the ruling shogun closed Japan to foreigners and forbade Japanese to travel abroad, beginning a state of isolation that would last more than 200 years. In 1868, the shoguns were overthrown and emperors returned. This was a time of great change and modernisation for Japan.
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
"When we get back I'm going to go to the library and see if Mrs Eucalyptus can recommend a book about Japan," said Choose a name. "I've realised how little I know about it."
Dasher thought about this. "Good scheme!" he said.

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@ Iide Mountains, 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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@ Night Forest, Hachimantai
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 Mitsuishi, Tohoku
Dasher has now completed his journey through Honshu! As he prepares to go home, he 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?


Dasher has enjoyed his 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!