24 replies to this topic

[muikabochi]

Part two of our Golden Week travels and we decided to have a big long day out in Nagano and Gunma. It turned out to be a bit of a mammoth day with lots of driving (330+km), but the weather was so lovely and everywhere was looking so gorgeous and so colourful in the sun that we wanted to make the most of it and get as much in as possible. There were some really perfect white fluffy clouds in the blue skies - a big contrast to the rather miserable start to the day back home.

So we started out from Minamiuonuma and got the expressway down to Karuizawa.

First stop was the lovely Kumano shrine (熊野神社) up behind old Karuizawa (Usui Toge).
It's only small but lovely up there and a perfect opportunity for more photos of stone thingies and shrine stuff.

























After checking out a lovely waterfall and failing comically to get any half decent shots of it, on to Onioshidashi Park at the foot of Mt Asama. It's about 20 minutes out of Karuizawa and I think it is officially in Tsumagoi town.

I have been here before but it rocks, quite literally - it's made up of 'a stream of solidified lava formed by a eruption' way back.
It makes for impressive scenery and feels very other-worldly. Highly recommended.

































Lots of (well, 4) toll roads on the route from Karuizawa to Shirane.
I think it was 300 yen, 360 yen, 360 yen and 1020 yen for the final bit up to Shirane.
Kind of curious how they come up with these toll charges and why the road going to and from Onioshidashi is counted as two.

[muikabochi]

Then it was up on the Romantic Road, through Manza Onsen and then to the Shirane-san crater.

Quote

Mount Kusatsu-Shirane (草津白根山) is a 2160 meter active volcano in Kusatsu, Gunma. It is called Kusatsu Shirane to differentiate it from the Mount Nikkō-Shirane on the other side of Gunma Prefecture. The summit of Kusatsu-Shirane volcano, located immediately north of Asama volcano, consists of a series of overlapping pyroclastic cones and three crater lakes. The largest of these is Yu-gama, an acidic turquoise-colored lake with rafts of yellow sulfur floating on its surface.

A sight to see, for sure and the weather was fully co-operating.









Next up, Kusatsu. Was getting a bit tired by now, but I think another reason I enjoyed it more last time in winter was because of all the steam coming up which was absent yesterday. So perhaps winter is best for the full atmoshpere here



Back home at 10pm, very tired!

[@tokyo]

I have wanted to go to that Onioshidashi place for a while now, looks like one of those 'have to be there' places.

[brit-gob]

Great set again.

I thought I recognised one photo:

New version:



A few years ago:



Nice contrast in the two there

[muikabochi]

You noticed! I was trying to take the same photo to compare myself.
Anyway I'm fed up of my computer today so turning off now.

[surfarthur]

Some amazing scenery there Muika, looks like it was a great day.

[brit-gob]

There is so much beauty to be seen in Japan isn't there.
Top marks for those of us choosing to live here!
:

[snowjunky]

Great work Muika - not that it's work when you so obviously enjoy it.

[big-will]

F.A.B.

Is that an amusement park there in the background I see?

[grungy-gonads]

Should be his work!

[pie-eater]

Top top pics again muika.

[Criz]

Making me itchy to get my new D800, muikabochi.

[miller]

Cool pics again muika.

Those pics of the crater.... I presume the wide one was taken with the 14-24mm lens?
Which lens did you use for the closer images - I notice in the camera thread you said that there was no cropping going on, so just wondering as that's a fair old distance there.

[muikabochi]

Yes none of these have been cut at all.
The wide was 14-24mm and the zoomed in ones with the 70-200mm.
It's not mind, my friend just let me have it for a week or two.

[muikabochi]

big-will, on 06 May 2012 - 07:12 PM, said:

F.A.B.

Is that an amusement park there in the background I see?

I believe it is Karuizawa Omocha-Tengoku, like a small kids theme park.
Not related to Onioshidashi but a good background contrast I thought.

[Mr Wiggles]

Great shots once again.

The far shot of the crater lake is my favourite. Blue sky and white fluffy clouds is a rare combo in Japan, and they give the photo a great sense of scale.

[muikabochi]

Thanks. Definitely, yes, I was quite surprised.. wasn't going really expecting the weather to be that good but was very happily surprised with the lovely sky, white clouds and relative lack of haze.
Clouds like that in a lovely blue sky are just perfect, and often better than it just being blue sky with no clouds.

[charlotte]

Onioshidashi Park is great, love it there would recommend it if you are in that area it's a unique looking place.

[onsen tamago]

No cropping = really great composition skills



Look forward to your next trip!

[SKI]

Wonderful.

I presume you drove past the "smelly bit" near the Gondola at Kusatsu skijo. I love the sign there that says you must not stop your car under any circumstances. Death may result!