Ashinomaki Prince Hotel Aizuwakamatsu

... castle...and nothing. The only thing you see is a sea of houses and one smoking object and that's a factory. Oh, how times have changed. Overall, though, Aizu's been a nice stopover on my way down to Matsumoto and the Japan Alps. Maybe nto a go here specifically place, but a pretty location with mountains all around and at least a good day of sightseeing and some good food and some history thrown in. What else are you looking for? Next up: Matsumoto, home of Crow castle. -mike

... that our joining him meant we all did not get to their lunchtime picnic until almost 3 o'clock! Set in another of the beautiful sprawling parks we have come to associate with Japan, it was lovely meeting and spending the afternoon with lots of Paul's friends/colleagues from around the world. It was really nice too for Rachel to be able to run around with other girls her age and Tom to be introduced to the art of baseball ...

... are beautiful mountains, rivers, lakes, and ski areas. We hiked along a popular nature trail, through an area with 11 marshes, lakes, and ponds, called the "Five Colors Lakes" because of the fantastic colors rendered by minerals in the water ... which change dependent on weather conditions. We had a grand time ... happy to have the opportunity to get out and explore the country a bit.

... shame in the UK. This was a local train, but still quick and tilting. So the Japan adventure is over, I have loved this place...everyone should come..dont let the rubbish that its an expensive country put anyone of....OZ is more pricey than here!!! I have a slight problem now though, I need a new passport and apparently this takes 8 days...so considering wheither I should go to India or not!!!

... the parents lounging around the onsen (hot spring) just taking it all in and the kids running havoc it is v funny. On the way out I saw two young monkies fighting, I had to take a video of a monkey fight...... but as I got a little bit closer one of the monkies jumped on me and turned the camera off ........ I couldn't stop laughing. And then the snow started ....... we headed for Tokyo

... center near the train station and had coffee/tea in an adorable shop with a nice view of the town. We walked back, stopping in some shops, and then changed for dinner. We decided to eat in the highly recommended dining room of the Kanaya hotel. The room was beautiful, Victorian style with large wood pillars and ornate mantles. It was very well lit. The food was French but their famous dish is the rainbow trout caught in the nearby river ...

... a great bowler. In fact he's pretty bad. But he is sooooo funny. He is a walking rock star, in everything he does. With his hair, and outfits, and he is always having fun. The most outgoing Japanese guy I've ever met... He had Amy spanking his butt for good luck at one point. I hope we spend a lot of time with him! Tatsuya was the big winner of the game. And after bowling we went into the arcade since they give you free tokens to play with for bowling ...

... got her another yet!)so we wanted to get one, the owner offered to drive us to get a new one which was really nice after we got the bag he then took us out for ramen his treat. the food at the hotel was great but even tho they had an english menu the waiter made a mistake on the second night and we had curry and rice two days in a row. we basically spent two days relaxing, we had a walk and saw a shrine, i got to know a japanese dentist in the outside bath (and no there was no gay love).

... taken with the attempt. Everyone from school children to seniors got involved. This is truly the upside to small group travel and using local transit. Our ryokan was perfect, the Toshogu shrine absolutely breathtaking, the local hikes outstanding, and the onsen - well, a great way to end the day. An onsen is a Japanese bath - often shared - where you scrub very very thoroughly, rinse even more thoroughly and then climb into an onsen ...

... the return visit - the whole area was stunning lit up. Back at the hotel I met dad and his business associates for dinner at Banyo. There we were treated to several courses of Fugu dishes. Fugu is the Japanese word for blowfish - a delicacy that results in nearly instantaneous death if not properly prepared. It was great - not significantly better than other raw fish, but ...