Tuesday 1 December 2009

Saturday 14 November 2009

Forest House

We keep finding such lovely dwellings in the mountains. Most are abandoned but I always wonder what kind of people live/d there.

Tuesday 10 November 2009

Cookie Factory

Unagi-pie factory. They put eel-powder into the cookies.

Monday 9 November 2009

Sunday 8 November 2009

Monday 2 November 2009

Thursday 29 October 2009

Monday 26 October 2009

Iwawakisan Top - with Suzuki Grass

In my opinion, one of the nicest mountains to walk in the Osaka region.

Near Iwawakusan 2

Sunday 25 October 2009

Thursday 15 October 2009

Osaka and Kobe

View from halfway up Rokko mountain.

Sunday 11 October 2009

Monday 20 July 2009

Yakushima River

A very curious natural formation. Both left an right of this stretch we have a river made of boulders. But just here there aren't any visible.

I wonder if the base of this has subsided. If so, faults should be visible on both sides.

Sunday 14 June 2009

More Magic Forest

Hard to imagine a more fantastic place, even if you tried to design one.

Walking through a tree


The wood of these trees is much lighter and softer than it appears at first. I suppose that's why they can still stand up confidently with these eroded bases.

Saturday 13 June 2009

Jomonsugi -oldest tree?

Is this the oldest tree in the world? The exact age is unknown because of a rotten core but it is estimated to be between 2100-7300 years old.

Friday 12 June 2009

Yakushima -More River Images


You can see just how big the stones are when comparing to the tree on the right. That river must be mightily violent at times!!!

Sakurajima from the sea


I'm not sure if it actually is Sakurajima. Maybe it's the one behind?

Yakushima by the river


It is such a quiet place at night! The only thing you can hear are the crabs crawling on rocks. So different from the rest of Japan...

Yakushima -Magic Forest

Thursday 11 June 2009

Yakushima -River


This is in fact the path you walk to get into the forest. I suppose you just can't go in if it rains heavily.

Wednesday 10 June 2009

Sakurajima


Sakurajima, one of Japan's most active volcanoes. It lies inside the larger 20km Aira caldera. This lavafield is from the 1914 eruption.

Yakushima


Quite possibly the most beautiful place on earth as far as I'm concerned.

Tuesday 9 June 2009

Yakushima


Now this is what erosion looks like. :)

The larger boulders are shed-sized. The granite contains numerous orthoclase megacrysts (quite distinctive looking rock when you get closer to it)

Yakushima

Yakushima

Saturday 30 May 2009

Trees on Kongouzan2


Like an old couple.

Trees on Kongouzan

View from Kongouzan



From Osaka's highest mountain, Kongou, 1125meters. On top we met a man who had climbed it 831 times. The record being 12000 times!

Thursday 28 May 2009

Tottori dunes


Japan's highest sand dunes.

Sunday 24 May 2009

Sunday 17 May 2009

Minoo Hills

Minoo


A bit of rain and more beautiful than ever.

Tuesday 12 May 2009

Katsuragi-san 大和葛城山


Walking up!

Lots of diorite lying around.

Sunday 10 May 2009

Yamatokatsuragisan 大和葛城山-Osaka


Tsutsuji flowers in bloom. (Rhododendron?)
Altitude 959.2m, felsic plutonic from the cretaceous. Lots of tourist.

Tuesday 5 May 2009

Kobe

Kabutoyama 甲山-Kobe

Part of a volcanic conduit which intruded into Rokko granite during Miocene.
Last eruption 12'000'000 years ago (?)

Kannoji shrine near Kabutoyama 神呪寺

Sunday 3 May 2009

Kouhouji Shrine



Hidden in the forest, very quiet, and very beautiful.

Osaka view from Ikomayama