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@ Kiso Mountains, Nagano, And Gifu, Japan
Drake 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

White Daisy Egg
My pets are in awe of these beautiful eggs—they would love to try to paint their own one year. Easter and spring are times of joy as the earth awakens, plants are pushing forth from the soil, and the days are becoming warmer. Many baby animals are born in the spring, and life is burgeoning. May these eggs bring you joy and be a reminder of the earth renewing itself.

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

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@ Thatched Roofs, Shirakawa-Go
"So, Snowilicious, 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, Snowilicious!"

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@ Rice Terraces Lit at Night
"In Japan there is a custom to forecast the day when cherry blossoms start blooming," remarked ashley.
"A bit like Groundhog Day?" asked Drake.
"Perhaps!"

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@ Rustic Snow Houses, Shirakawa-Go
"More film trivia here, Baile Átha Cliath!" remarked Drake. "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, Drake!"
"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 Baile Átha Cliath.
Rustic Snow Houses, Shirakawa-Go
Rustic houses in the snow in Shirakawa-Go.

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@ Japan's Alpine Treks
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.
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
“Hey, have you seen what the next stop is, Drake?” said Cloudi Joybird.. "It looks fantastic!"
"I'll get my camera ready," said Drake.
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
"So, Gus, 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, Gus!"
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
Drake was listening enraptured to strains of music reaching them from a street violin player. “My Dad used to sing this, WillDroid!” 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."
WillDroid looked blank.
”Go and ask Edgar,” advised Drake. “He’s a Gilbert & Sullivan fan.”
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, Drake!" enthused PI PI.
"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 PI PI.
Drake unwrapped a Hello Kitty chocolate for himself, popped it in his mouth and offered the packet to PI PI. "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
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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@ Serene Japanese Garden Bridge
"Hey, did you know there's a Disneyland on Honshu, Drake?" queried Choose a name.
"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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@ Samurai Statuette
" '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 Wulfie from the tour guide.
"That's incredible! We'll have to go into town and look to see what we could get!" responded Drake.

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@ Sake Barrels
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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@ 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 Skye. "I've realised how little I know about it."
Drake thought about this. "Good scheme!" he said.

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@ Mt Azuma, 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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@ Mount Iide, Tohoku
“I don't know how to pronounce half of these place names, Drake!” said Polly Molly ruefully.
"Never mind," said Drake. "We'll look them up when we get back to the hotel tonight!"

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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
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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@ Mountain Flowers, Japan
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.
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
"Japan—the perfect choice for our travels this winter, Drake!" enthused Sophia.
"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 Sophia.
Drake unwrapped a Hello Kitty chocolate for himself, popped it in his mouth and offered the packet to Sophia. "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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@ Iide Mountains, Tohoku
Tofu is an English loanword from Japanese, in which it is itself a loanword from Mandarin Chinese.

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@ Night Forest, Hachimantai
"In Japan there is a custom to forecast the day when cherry blossoms start blooming," remarked Princess.
"A bit like Groundhog Day?" asked Drake.
"Perhaps!"

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@ Mt Mitsuishi, Tohoku
Drake 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?


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