Wednesday, June 16, 2021

Onshi-Hakone Park

今日のテーマは、箱根の『恩賜箱根公園』。

英語の興味がある方なら、何卒IDCS英会話のホームページの御覧ください。



Onshi-Hakone Park is located on the top of a small hill overlooking Ashinoko Lake in the mountain resort of Hakone, Japan. 

Located about 97 km (60 miles) southwest of central Tokyo, Onshi-Hakone Park can be reached in about two and a half hours on an Odakyu Line commuter train, two hours and 14 minutes on the Odakyu Line Romance Car, or two hours if you take the Shinkansen bullet train. Regardless of which train you take, you will need to take an Izu-Hakone Bus at Odawara Station to the Onshi Koen Mae bus stop.

Maps  and links to useful references below the photos below.



Ashinoko Lake and Mt. Fuji

This view of Mt. Fuji and the "Heiwa-no-Torii" (Gate of Peace) located on the shoreline of Ashinoko Lake in Hakone, Japan, is probably one of the most popular shots taken at this location due to its close proximity to the huge parking lot for tour buses in front of the lakeshore port. Although taken during the rainy season, I was lucky to catch a glimpse of Mt. Fuji when she still had a bit of snow on her peak.

Hakone View of Mt. Fuji

This view of Mt. Fuji was the clearest shot I could get on this cloudy, rainy morning in Hakone, Japan. I want to visit this area again in the middle of winter when I can catch a clearer shot with more snow on the peak. From the shore of Ashinoko Lake, Mt. Fuji is only 32.30 km (20.07mi) away due northeast.

Japanese Sacred Gate

The "Heiwa-no-Torii" (Gate of Peace) is a torii gate located on the shoreline of Ashinoko Lake in Hakone, Japan. This is the first of several large torii gates that are located up the side of the mountain to the Hakone Shrine. This shot was taken from across the lake on a small foot path hugging the shore of the lake.

Hakone Peace Torii Gate

A close-up view of the "Heiwa-no-Torii" (Gate of Peace) on the Ashinoko Lake shoreline in Hakone, Japan. Most visitors to Hakone Shrine will pose below the gate with the lake in the background. If you ever visit, be sure to arrive early to avoid the long line that will form as tourists take turns taking a shot below the gate!

Lakeside Walking Trail

From the observation deck overlooking Ashinoko Lake in Onshi-Hakone Park (Hakone, Japan), I noticed a small foot path that seemed to lead down to the lake. Wasn’t sure if I was entering a prohibited area, but I soon realized that there is a small, well maintained footpath that hugs the shoreline and offers wonderful views of the lake, Mt. Fuji, and the huge torii gate across the lake. If you follow the trail, it will take you all the way back to the parking lot.

Moss-Covered Fence

Parts of the footpath that hug the Ashinoko Lake shoreline in Onshi-Hakone Park (Hakone, Japan) have sturdy fences to keep visitors from falling into the lake. The abundance of moisture creates a haven for moss to grow on nearly every possible surface.

Border Collie on Ancient Highway

After following me all over Onshi-Hakone Park (Hakone, Japan) during a warm and humid, early morning rainstorm, Dale-chan took a rest on what was once part of the Tokaido Highway--a major highway that stretched for 514 km (319 mi) connecting Kyoto with Edo (modern-day Tokyo). The quiet, giant cedar trees that were planted along the sides of the highway over 300 years ago provided us with refuge from the elements as they did for travelers dating back to the Edo Period.

Border Collie and Giant Cedars

This avenue of giant cedars planted over 300 years ago is easily accessible as you cross the street at the Onshi-Hakone Park (Hakone, Japan) parking lot. There are historical markers along the trail, which was once part of the old Tokaido Highway linking Kyoto with Edo.

Ancient Highway Giants

Access to this section of the Old Tokaido Highway is right across the street from the parking lot located at the foot of the Onshi-Hakone Park (Hakone, Japan). Hydrangea typically start blooming when the rainy season starts. However, at this higher elevation, the ajisai flowers had not yet come out even though it was mid-June. Late June or early July might be the best time to visit this corridor of giant cedars planted over 300 years ago for travelers making the long journey between Kyoto and Edo.


References & Useful Links
Onshi Koen Mae Bus Stop
恩賜公園前(バス)
If you drive, it can take between three and five hours depending on traffic if you avoid tolls. If you take an expressway, you can cut your time to about two or three hours.

Depending on traffic, you can reach the cape in about 2 hours and 40 minutes if you drive on Route 246 and Route 1, or reach the cape in about 1 hour and 40 minutes if you take the Shuto and Tomei Expressways.

P 10 Onshi-Hakone Park Parking Lot
P10 恩賜箱根公園駐車場
The park offers numerous, well maintained foot trails that crisscross across the park offering beautiful views of Mt. Fuji, Ashinoko Lake, the Hakone mountains, the Peace Torii Gate leading to Hakone Shrine (across the lake), and flowers of many varieties that ensure floral blossoms regardless of the time of year that you visit.

Park Observation Deck
弁天の鼻展望台
Museum and cafe
箱根恩賜公園湖畔展望館
Old Tōkaidō Road Ancient Cedar Avenue - East End
旧東海道 箱根宿の杉並木
Old Tōkaidō Road Ancient Cedar Avenue - West End
旧東海道 箱根宿の杉並木
Useful References:

“History: Take a Trip back in Time. Onshi Hakone Park” is a well written article on the origins of the park. Learn how a German physician persuaded the Japanese government to establish the imperial retreat in 1886, and learn how the imperial retreat became a public park: 
Another article by “Japan Highlights Travel: Kanagawa Prefectural Park Onshi-Hakone Park” provides valuable access details on how to reach the park with fees and museum hours:
You can also download a PDF of the park prepared by Kanagawa Prefecture, which includes a map, access details, shows all the trails, and directs you to the restrooms in the park:

Below is a list of the equipment I took with me on this photo shoot.

Camera Gear:

Pentax KP
https://amzn.to/2EbbLRZ
Standard zoom lens: smc Pentax-DA 18-135mm F3.5-5.6 ED AL[IF] DC WR
https://amzn.to/2Ysz5lJ
Telephoto zoom lens: HD Pentax-DA 55-300mm F4.5-6.3 ED PLM WR RE
https://amzn.to/3iNEsDF
Tripod: Manfrotto MT190CXPRO4 (carbon fiber legs with quick locking clamps)
https://amzn.to/2Fqpghd
Ball head: Manfrotto Cloud XPRO Series Ballhead BHQ2 with 200PL locking plate
https://amzn.to/3g6WI9j

Video Gear:

Canon EOS Kiss M/M50 Double Zoom Kit
https://amzn.to/2Ef3mNg
SIGMA 16mm F1.4 DC DN | Contemporary C017 (Canon EF-M Mount, APS-C Size, Mirrorless Only)
https://amzn.to/3axkn1w
PolarPro 67mm QuartzLine Circular Polarizer Filter
https://amzn.to/2FUTBVS
Zhiyun Weebill-S Gimbal
https://amzn.to/32c0FFL
RODE Road Wireless GO Wireless Microphone System WIGO
https://amzn.to/35lygz1

Filters & Filter Systems:

PolarPro QuartzLine ND 64 Filter - 67mm (ND64 6-stop reduction in light)
https://amzn.to/2J9VSOM
PolarPro QuartzLine ND1000 Filter - 67mm (ND1000 10-stop reduction in light)
https://amzn.to/39rwWwW
PolarPro QuartzLine ND100k Filter - 67mm (ND100K 15-stop reduction in light)
https://amzn.to/3q7YHAm
PolarPro QuartzLine Circular Polarizer - 67mm
https://amzn.to/3fOwgCY
PolarPro Summit | Landscape Filter System Custom Kit (Core, Thread Plate, ND4-GR filter, ND8-GR filter, Circular Polarizer)
https://amzn.to/37hjkBv

Pack:

F-stop Tilopa 50L Adventure and Travel Camera Backpack (Essentials Bundle: backpack, rain cover, internal camera unit)
https://amzn.to/2XfjDIE
F-stop Tripod Bag (large)
https://amzn.to/3pXW57n

*Links to Amazon are affiliated links, which means that if you choose to purchase an item that I may get a small commission, which has no effect on your purchase price whatsoever.

Music Tracks Licensed for this video through Epidemic Sound. Visit this link to subscribe:

“Leaving Serengeti” composed by Henrik Olsson and performed by Ooyy.
“Sidney” composed by "HeOl" and performed by Epidemic Sound.
“Robin” composed by Anders Schill Paulsen and performed by S.A. Karl.
“Thoughts in the Rain” composed by C. Brown, D. Labrel, L. Forchhammer, M. Pilegaard, M. Ristorp & S. Forrest, and performed by Elm Lake.
“Say You Would (Instrumental Version)” composed by Mimmi Gyltman and performed by Victor Lundberg.
“Bermuda” composed by Henrik Olsson and performed by Ooyy.


Commercial licenses, advertising license, and personal license available here:
Stock Photos:
Quality Prints:

Creative Commons License
Photos used with permission.
Pix4Japan by Iketani, Daisei is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Permissions beyond the scope of this license are available at Pix4Japan.

Wednesday, June 9, 2021

Cape Manazuru

今日のテーマは、神奈川県の『真鶴岬』。

英語の興味がある方なら、何卒IDCS英会話のホームページの御覧ください。



Cape Manazuru (Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan) is part of the Manazuru Peninsula Prefectural Nature Park and when the weather is clear, offers wonderful views of the Izu Peninsula, Boso Peninsula (Chiba Prefecture), and the Izu Seven Islands.

Located about 103 km (approx. 64 miles) southwest of central Tokyo,  Cape Manazuru can be reached in about 2 hours and 40 minutes via train and bus, or it can be reached in about 2 hours and 10 minutes if you use the Shinkansen bullet train between Tokyo and Atami Stations.

Depending on traffic, you can reach the cape in about 2 hours and 40 minutes if you drive on Route 246 and Route 1, or reach the cape in about 1 hour and 40 minutes if you take the Shuto and Tomei Expressways.

Cape Manazuru offers several attractions including a seashell museum, gift shop, cafes,  coastal and forest walking trails, camping, fresh seafood, scuba diving schools, boat tours, and more.

My photo shoot at Cape Manazaru was focused primarily on Mitsuishi, a group of 3 large rocks just off the coast of the cape.  The two larger rocks (sea stacks) are united by a shimenawa rope, and if you walk out to the rocks during low tide, you can also see a red torii gate on the larger rock. Although the Mitsuishi rocks are not as famous as the Meoto-Iwa, or the Married Couple Rocks, in the sea off Futami in Mie Prefecture, the Mitsuishi rocks are still a very popular destination to visit on the morning of New Year's Day to watch the  sun as it rises from under the rope between the two rocks.


Waves Lapping Against Rocky Coast

At low tide, the sea reveals a collage of texture and color. This area of the Cape Manazuru shoreline reveals formidable volcanic rocks capped with jagged edges and underpinned with soft, flowing stems of seaweeds and mosses painting the shoreline with oranges, greens, yellows, and all the colors in-between.

Sleepy Dog

Having stayed up all night during the drive to Cape Manazuru, she was finally exhausted after climbing over boulders, forging through thick seaweed, and chasing after waves as they lapped against the rocky shoreline.

Moss-Covered Coastal Rocks

Some parts of the shoreline of Cape Manazuru can be a bit treacherous to crawl over with very slippery moss on some of the rocks that are constantly pounded by waves. Other rocks are a big jagged and require some effort to climb over. At low tide, however, you can still walk/climb from the Mitsuishi Rocks over to the Gandara-Manazuru Seaside Camping Ground.

Forested Outcrop of Cape

View of an outcrop of Cape Manazuru looking northeast in the direction of Tokyo from a small trail that leads from the Mitsuishi Rocks towards the Gandara-Manazuru Seaside Camping Ground, which lies on the water’s edge. The dense foliage on the  outcrop is called Ohayashi, a virgin forest with black pine trees, camphor trees, and castanopsis. 

Seedlings were planted on the grassy outcrop about 350 years ago under the order of the Shogun when demand for lumber skyrocketed after the 1657 Great Fire of Meireki, which destroyed up to 70% of Edo (modern-day Tokyo). Shipping of large timber from this forest would have been relatively easy as there were already ports available nearby that were used for shipping of large stones from a nearby quarry to build Odawara Castle.

Torii Gate and Rope on Sea Stack

Close-up shot of the torii gate and shimenawa rope located atop the largest rock (sea stack) of the three Mitsuishi Rocks. Many coastal locations in Japan have large rocks or sea stacks with a shimenawa rope and/or a torii gate dedicated to the god or kami of the sea to pray for safety and a bountiful harvest.

Fishing Boat

A variety of fishing boats can be seen from the coast of Cape Manazuru (Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan), including commercial fishing boats and hired cruisers taking guests out to sea for some deep sea fishing. The local economy is based on bounties brought in from the sea.

Torii Gate and Shimenawa Rope on Shoreline Rocks

The small torii gate that sits atop the larger rock (left) is mostly dedicated to the God of the as the local fishing village has a long history of depending on the bounties of the sea for their survival. The shimenawa rope “weds” the two rocks together and sets the boundary between the world of man and the sacred world of the kami (god or deity), which extends from the two rocks to the shrine located inland.


Useful References

Cape Manauru:
Scroll down to the map of the peninsula showing trails, parking, and restrooms. Other pages at this site highlight other activities, and is sponsored by local businesses. (Japanese only):
Ambassadors Japan:
Article by Tomoaki Murata explaining local customs, attractions, festivals, history, industries, and nice photos (English).
JAPANbyweb.com:
Article and photos by Junko Nagata with basic details on local attractions of the cape (English). 
Alice Gordenker
In depth article by Alice Gordenker, an American journalist and consultant who has been living and working in Japan for more than 20 years. The article is written as an itinerary for a tour I assume she had planned for the summer of 2015. Very informative and and easy to follow. The article also answers questions that will pop up once you arrive, such as why local signs have "Protected Forest with Fish" written in Japanese. 
Manazuru (真鶴) (Engl.): A day at the seaside – nature, art, palatal pleasures and more:
This is an article with photos by Thomas Gittel who attended a tour sponsored by Kanagawa Prefecture. Well-written article with in-depth information on local statistics, history, industry, customs, festivals, and more. Whenever specific locations are referenced, he has written out names in romaji, the kanji, and hiragana. Written in English with a link to a German language version. 
Access:

Mitsuishi Rocks
三ツ石
Cape Manazuru
真鶴岬
Free Parking 1.
Free  Parking 2.
Free Parking 3.
Paid Parking  Lot (most convenient). Flat rate of 1,000 yen for 24 hours:
Nearest bus stop for arrival:
Nearest bus stop for departure:

If you miss the last bus, there are small cards at the bus stop providing phone numbers for a local taxi. Be sure to check the bus departure schedule before going down to the coastline since there a few bus runs. 
Access to cape from Manazuru Station on the JR Tokaido Line:

A 52-minute walk (3.8 km) if you are hiking
A 21-minute bus ride at a cost of 260 yen,
Depending on traffic, it can take as little has 2 hours and 30 minutes to as long a s 4 hours to to reach this cape if you drive while avoiding expressways. Note that my drive was less than 90 minutes by taking an expressway and arriving before sunrise.
Taking an expressway from Tokyo will be more expensive, but much faster. Again, traffic conditions will vary if you are traveling on a weekday versus and weekend or national holiday.
A 110-minute drive or as long as a 130-minute drive.

Below is a list of the equipment I took with me on this photo shoot.

Camera Gear:

Pentax KP
https://amzn.to/2EbbLRZ
Standard zoom lens: smc Pentax-DA 18-135mm F3.5-5.6 ED AL[IF] DC WR
https://amzn.to/2Ysz5lJ
Telephoto zoom lens: HD Pentax-DA 55-300mm F4.5-6.3 ED PLM WR RE
https://amzn.to/3iNEsDF
Tripod: Manfrotto MT190CXPRO4 (carbon fiber legs with quick locking clamps)
https://amzn.to/2Fqpghd
Ball head: Manfrotto Cloud XPRO Series Ballhead BHQ2 with 200PL locking plate
https://amzn.to/3g6WI9j

Video Gear:

Canon EOS Kiss M/M50 Double Zoom Kit
https://amzn.to/2Ef3mNg
SIGMA 16mm F1.4 DC DN | Contemporary C017 (Canon EF-M Mount, APS-C Size, Mirrorless Only)
https://amzn.to/3axkn1w
PolarPro 67mm QuartzLine Circular Polarizer Filter
https://amzn.to/2FUTBVS
Zhiyun Weebill-S Gimbal
https://amzn.to/32c0FFL
RODE Road Wireless GO Wireless Microphone System WIGO
https://amzn.to/35lygz1

Filters & Filter Systems:

PolarPro QuartzLine ND 64 Filter - 67mm (ND64 6-stop reduction in light)
https://amzn.to/2J9VSOM
PolarPro QuartzLine ND1000 Filter - 67mm (ND1000 10-stop reduction in light)
https://amzn.to/39rwWwW
PolarPro QuartzLine ND100k Filter - 67mm (ND100K 15-stop reduction in light)
https://amzn.to/3q7YHAm
PolarPro QuartzLine Circular Polarizer - 67mm
https://amzn.to/3fOwgCY
PolarPro Summit | Landscape Filter System Custom Kit (Core, Thread Plate, ND4-GR filter, ND8-GR filter, Circular Polarizer)
https://amzn.to/37hjkBv

Pack:

F-stop Tilopa 50L Adventure and Travel Camera Backpack (Essentials Bundle: backpack, rain cover, internal camera unit)
https://amzn.to/2XfjDIE
F-stop Tripod Bag (large)
https://amzn.to/3pXW57n

*Links to Amazon are affiliated links, which means that if you choose to purchase an item that I may get a small commission, which has no effect on your purchase price whatsoever.

Music Tracks Licensed for this video through Epidemic Sound. Visit this link to subscribe:


“Northern Sunrise” composed by David Vestin and performed by Nylonwings.
“Cain” composed by Patrik Almkvisth and performed by Lo Mimieux.
“Nordic Shine” composed by AnCh and performed by Epidemic Sound.
“Bermuda” composed by Henrik Olsson and performed by Ooyy.

Creative Commons License
Photos used with permission.
Pix4Japan by Iketani, Daisei is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Permissions beyond the scope of this license are available at Pix4Japan.