Travel News August 2020


THE INSIDERS GUIDE TO JAPAN 17 JAPAN IS WAITING FOR YOU!


grilled eel, served with its secret-recipe heirloom sauce. After your meal, head to one of Ogakiku’s key suppliers, Matsumoto Craft Soy Sauce, founded in 1764, for a free factory tour, sake tastings, and an extensive line-up of take-home sauces and condiments. Then drop into their sister ramen store, right next door, for a bowl of freshly-made soy sauce ramen. After all that savoury food, you’ll want something sweet so head to Kashiya Yokocho (Penny Candy Lane) for a delectable array of nostalgic candies and dumplings.


Kirifuri Highland in Nikko


Japan’s cherry blossoms are iconic, but have long scattered come mid-May. But there are still gorgeous floral displays to enjoy, such as the carpet of butter-yellow nikko kisuge (broad dwarf day lilies) found on the Kirifuri Highland in Nikko that blossoms throughout June and July. Here you can also climb the fantastically named tenku kairo (corridor in the sky), a 1,445 step stairway taking you up the hillside of Mount Akanagi for panoramic views of the lush summer landscape. Kirifuri Highland is easily accessible from Tobu Nikko Station and with the Nikko Pass All Area.


Monthly Highlights: May in Japan


May is the perfect time to enjoy sansai (“mountain vegetables”), especially in local dishes where they bring colour and flavour. Look out for leafy spring greens, garlic scapes,


fennel, (mountain yam).


There’s plenty of seafood coming into season too: sazae (a sea snail), often enjoyed grilled in its spiralling shell, scallops, or, if you’re looking for something truly unusual, have a go at hoya (sea squirt, also known as sea pineapple).


The main holiday in May, Golden Week,


is already behind us with no further public holidays this month.


Hachinohe city, located on the northeast coast of Japan’s Honshu island is a hidden gem, and a must for everyone’s bucket list! Located on the northeast coast of Japan’s Honshu island, the city of Hachinohe is home to a number of fascinating cultural gems such as the Korekawa Site, which houses relics from the prehistoric Jōmon culture. Nejo Castle is a restored 14th-century complex and Kushihiki Hachimangu Shrine dates from the early Edo period.


EAT


Discover local cuisine: Visit Hachinohe invites you to try your hand at Japanese cooking with these online recipe guides. Ranging from Hittsumi (chicken and hand- pulled dumpling soup) and sweet treat Mame-Shitogi, through to local delicacy Nanbu Senbei (wheat crackers) there’s something for everyone. The step-by-step instructions are available online as part of


burdock, and nagaimo


the Stay Home with Hachinohe campaign. Recipes have been adapted where necessary to offer alternative ingredients so they can be attempted from anywhere around the world.


LISTEN


Tohoku’s biggest jazz festival: With 25 years of history, the Nango Summer Jazz Festival is Tohoku’s biggest jazz festival. Top jazz artists from Japan and around the world gather to produce passionate performances that fill the air with music. This year the festival was cancelled due to Covid-19, so the organisers live-streamed past performances during Japan’s golden week instead.


LEARN


Japanese craft: Hachinohe-born childrens author Noriko Matsubara has written a book series called Bocchi and Pocchi. The tales of adventure are now available in many languages and can be purchased online. Matsubara is also an


accomplished artist, specialising in


traditional Japanese art form chigiri-e; a practice using hand-torn Japanese paper instead of inks and paint. Matsubara offers workshops in origami and chigiri-e, as well as author visits.


ENTERTAIN THE FAMILY


Join Japanese festival preparations: Boasting a history of nearly 300 years, the annual summer Sansha Taisai (Three- Shrine) Festival in Hachinohe is something not to be missed. Shrines and floats pass through the streets of Hachinohe accompanied by lively folk music. The floats involved in the parade reach heights of up to 10 meters, featuring mythological figures and Kabuki characters and are made by local community groups. Children and adults alike can still get involved in the float making process from afar by downloading one of the many colouring book pictures of past floats, uploaded by local company Dashijin.


EXPLORE


The Michinoku Coastal Trail (virtually): The Michinoku Coastal Trail is a Tohoku-wide, collaborative project by four prefectures and 28 cities, towns, and villages. Part of the Sanriku Fukku National Park and cited as Japan’s longest trail, the trail begins (or ends) at Kabushima Shrine in Hachinohe. Passing along coastal roads, through pine forests and little fishing villages, visitors will have the opportunity to stop off at secluded beauty spots along the way. Call into a local fish restaurant to refuel or enjoy one of the many shrines and temples as you make your way down the coastline of Hachinohe Prefecture. Spanning more than 1,000km this is one of the best paths you can take to experience the real Japan and it is now even easier to explore thanks


to a recent series of videos. DISCOVER


Relive your Indie days: Japanese Indie- Rock band Supercar hails from Aomori Prefecture with bassist and female vocalist, Miki Furukawa, coming from Hachinohe and the remaining band members from neighbouring Towada. Supercar saw success with hits such as Cream Soda and Lucky between 1995 – 2005, playing at Tokyo music festival Fuji Rock Festival several times. Following their split, Furukawa and Nakamura went on to pursue successful solo careers before forming LAMA in 2011. Relive your indie days with some of their cult hits available online.


Next year’s ski season is set to be one of the best with Japan boasting some of the finest pistes in the world


The nine Prince Snow Resorts across Japan range from traditional mountain huts promising outstanding powder to family friendly resorts with slopes suitable for everyone. Each of the resorts are renowned for excellent snow, spectacular scenery and fun apres-ski activities.


Best for outstanding powder: Kagura Wagogoya Mountain Hut


The Wagogoya Mountain Hut is nestled


in the alpine terrain of Kagura renowned for its high altitude and abundance of light powder. The hut is only reachable by ski lift, giving guests exclusive access to fresh snow tracks in the morning before anyone else makes it up the mountain – ideal for true powder junkies looking to perfect their skills on untouched slopes. After a day exploring the trails, skiers can head back to the hut and recharge with a speciality wagyu shabushabu evening meal before soaking in a hot bath, ready to do it all again the next day. Naeba and Kagura combine to make Japan’s longest gondola and with its consistent snowfall, enjoys one of the longest ski seasons in the country.


Best for post-ski relaxation: Manza Onsen Ski Resort


The highest mountain in Japan is Mount Fuji, a dormant (sleeping) volcano, which last erupted in 1707


Standing on the northwest edge of Gunma, the Manza Onsen Ski Resort is renowned for its combination of dry powder snow, unparalleled views and healing Japanese onsens. The two hotels,


When you think of booking a ski trip, Japan may not be the first place that comes to mind, but it’s certainly worth checking out!


Manza Prince and Manza Kogen, both double up as relaxing hot-spring resorts featuring traditional onsens which use naturally warm water from geothermally heated springs. After a day on the slopes, guests can soak in these outdoor baths, containing a wealth of minerals including sodium, chloride and calcium which are proven to naturally cure fatigue and muscular pain, under the beautiful starry sky set against the mountains. With nine courses including an accessible off piste terrain park with trees left uncut, a snow sledding space and speciality slopes with kickers, waves and spines, this resort is suitable for every type of skier.


Best for families: Furano Prince Resort


Nestled in the heart of Hokkaido,


Furano Prince Hotel is enclosed by spectacular snow mountains. With 23


varied skiing trails spread across 25km, this resort is perfect for families with differing ski experience. Offering private lessons at mixed levels, Furano is fit for those who are getting on a mountain for the first time, to skiing aficionados looking to fine- tune their skills on vertical powder runs during night ski. The resort is also known for its Family Snowland, where guests of all ages can enjoy snowy fun including dog sledding, snow tubing and banana boat rafting.


In the afternoons, families to the resort can head across the valley to Daisetsuzan National Park, where adults have exclusive access to the local hot springs fed by an active volcano whilst children can head to the playground to learn about the park’s natural wildlife. In the evening, parents can also visit the nearby Furano winery for a night of apres ski tasting famous Japanese wines.


Left: Take a walk down one of the many streets and explore the shops


Above: A lady in traditional dress stands outside a shop selling traditional Japanese goods


Below: Get lost in a green wonderland


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