The Backpack Adventures

Day 25 January 12, 2015 Sledding on Mt. Kongo Good morning Japan ! Fresh from our trip to Hyogo Prefecture yesterday. Mr. Toshi informed us that we will have another trip today. This time we're going on a mountain in Osaka Prefecture. This mountain is Mt. Kongo , Osaka's highest peak. This would be my third mountain in Japan. (Here's a quick recap) My first was Ameyama which is also in Osaka Prefecture followed by Mt. Koya or Koyasan which is found in Wakayama Prefecture. Off to Kongosan ! Wide parking space at the foot of Mt. Kongo Like most of our trips, Mr. Toshi and his family drove us to our destination. Upon reaching the parking lot at the foot of the mountain, we walked several meters up to the Kongosan Ropeway . From there we rode the ropeway (another first for me) going to the station situated near the peak of Mt. Kongo . The Kongosan Ropeway Getting ready to ride a ropeway So what did we see on Mt. Kongo you might ask? Aside from the r...

A visit to Japan would not be complete without trying its traditional dishes but what's better than the traditional dishes are the ones mixed with Japanese technological creativeness. A perfect example of this is the Kaiten-zushi (   回転寿司   ) . Kaiten-zushi  (   回転寿司   ) A  kaiten-zushi   is a sushi restaurant where the plates with the different varieties of sushi are placed on a rotating conveyor belt where customers simply pick their selections from a steady stream of fresh sushi moving along the conveyor belt. Some kaiten-zushi uses a fancier presentation such as miniature wooden "sushi boats" traveling small canals. Others use miniature locomotive cars. (I haven't seen and tried the sushi boats or locomotive cars though). Daikisuidan Revolving Sushi Following the steps to a happy dining experience Here are the ones that I have tried in Daikisuidan: 100 Yen Cooked Egg 200 Yen Lightly Roasted Squid's Legs 250 Yen Red Shrimp (Ex...

Located in Himeji City in Hyogo Prefecture in Japan, Himeji Castle ( 姫路城   Himeji-jō )   is the largest castle in Japan. Its complex is comprised of 63 buildings that were built on top of Himeyama Hill. Himeji Castle  ( 姫路城 ) Himeji Castle History Himeji Castle is also called Hakuro-jo ( White Egret Castle ) or Shirasagi-jo (White Heron Castle) because of its brilliant white exterior and supposed resemblance to a bird taking flight. The first structure built on top of Himeyama Hill was a fort built by Akamatsu Nornimura in 1333. In 1346, the fort was dismantled and rebuilt as Himeyama Castle .  Himeji Castle - Himeji City, Hyogo Prefecture A stone maker outside the Himeji Castle vicinity After two centuries, the castle was remodeled and renamed Himeji Castle . In 1581, the castle was significantly remodeled and the three-story keep was added under the instructions of Toyotomi Hideyoshi . In 1600, Tokugawa Ieyasu awarded the castle to Ikeda Terumasa for h...