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@ Kiso Mountains, Nagano, And Gifu, Japan
Happy 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 Copper 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
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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@ Rice Terraces Lit at Night
" '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 Audrey from the tour guide.
"That's incredible! We'll have to go into town and look to see what we could get!" responded Happy.

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@ Rustic Snow Houses, Shirakawa-Go
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.
Rustic Snow Houses, Shirakawa-Go
Rustic houses in the snow in Shirakawa-Go.

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@ Japan's Alpine Treks
“Hey, have you seen what the next stop is, Happy?” said Baby. "It looks fantastic!"
"I'll get my camera ready," said Happy.
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
"So, Ari, 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, Ari!"
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
“I don't know how to pronounce half of these place names, Happy!” said Bluey~* ruefully.
"Never mind," said Happy. "We'll look them up when we get back to the hotel tonight!"
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
"When we get back I'm going to go to the library and see if Mrs Eucalyptus can recommend a book about Japan," said Robby. "I've realised how little I know about it."
Happy thought about this. "Good scheme!" he said.
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
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.
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
" '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 Bentley from the tour guide.
"That's incredible! We'll have to go into town and look to see what we could get!" responded Happy.

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@ Serene Japanese Garden Bridge
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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@ Samurai Statuette
"Japan—the perfect choice for our travels this winter, Happy!" enthused Storm.
"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 Storm.
Happy unwrapped a Hello Kitty chocolate for himself, popped it in his mouth and offered the packet to Storm. "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
"So, Jade, 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, Jade!"

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

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@ Japanese Red Viburnum
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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@ Mt Azuma, Tohoku
Happy was listening enraptured to strains of music reaching them from a street violin player. “My Dad used to sing this, Kia!” 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."
Kia looked blank.
”Go and ask Edgar,” advised Happy. “He’s a Gilbert & Sullivan fan.”

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

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@ Yellow Blossoms, 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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@ Hazy Lake, Akita, Tohoku
"It says here that fortune cookies were first made in Japan," remarked Foxy Rex.
"Oh wow, I didn't know that!" responded Happy.

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@ Mountain Flowers, Japan
"It says here that fortune cookies were first made in Japan," remarked Shadow.
"Oh wow, I didn't know that!" responded Happy.
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
"In Japan there is a custom to forecast the day when cherry blossoms start blooming," remarked Meowchi.
"A bit like Groundhog Day?" asked Happy.
"Perhaps!"

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

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@ Night Forest, Hachimantai
"One of the trains in Japan floats above the tracks due to magnetism. Its speed is 340 mph (550 km/h)!" remarked Kerrigan.
"Wow! That's amazing!" responded Happy.

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@ Mt Mitsuishi, Tohoku
Happy 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?


Happy 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!