nickjuhassz wrote:
Hello Devnull,
Sorry about the one year overdue reply
Any good places you have discovered in the past year? I'm considering doing west and south izu in the first few days of aug. Do you have any plans?
Miklos
No worries, I'm terrible at keeping in touch
First week of August is when up here the festival season moves into full swing. Aomori Nebuta, Goshogawara, Irosaki Neputa, Kuroishi, etc. etc. etc. The wife would not allow her designated driver to take off during that
For a hell of a kayaking/hiking experience there is Gazan. This is the third holiest mountain in Japan and taking the 3-hour hike rewards you with a visit to the shrine where (for 500 yen) you can get blessed by a shinto monk. This blessing also includes a small sip of complimentary sake, which will leave you yearning for more so I suggest you also bring your own

. This shrine is part of the three holy shrines of dewa sansan. Another one can be reached from this hike, the last one is a bit far for it to be a continuous hike.
Gazan lake was form by an hydroelectric dam. The steep mountainous region makes it look like fiords, with huge highway bridges crossing it at two junctures. The deep waters and dark green mountains are breath taking.
Yamagata is also the home of the little known Japanese budhist mummies. When people talk about the remote and mysterious deep north, this is the kind of stuff that they refer to.
I'm finally doing Kitayama-saki point in early September. If you want to tag along let me know. At the same time you could do the Towada lake, one of the most beautiful spots in Japan.
- DN