The Narita Taiko Festival is a grand taiko performance, made up of around 1500 talented performers from 50 groups that gather from across Japan. The festival is held in the area around Chiba Prefecture’s Omotesando Road and in front of Naritasan Shinshoji Temple.

This article will introduce the 1st day of my trip. I departed from Shinjuku in Tokyo, then visited SL “TAIJU,” Kegon Falls, and Lake Chuzenji.

On this trip I enjoyed the beautiful tourist spot of Magome-juku in the Kiso valley of Gifu prefecture. The towns Feudal-era buildings and inns have been well preserved since the Edo era.

Nobeyama station sits at 1345.67m above sea level.
From the front of the station you can see the peak of the Yatsugatake Mountains which are called Mount Aka. The station is located on the high land, the air smells so fresh!

Why not try visiting winter locations in Tokyo’s neighboring Saitama Prefecture’s Chichibu? This area is 3 hours away from Ikebukuro by bus or the Seibu Line. I’ve come to visit the back-country areas of Chichibu, Saitama Prefecture. First off, I stopped to appreciate the artful ice formations!

You can reach Yamadera Station from Tokyo Station by taking the Yamagata Shinkansen for 2 hours and 30 minutes, then changing to the Senzan line at Yamagata Station and riding for about 20 minutes.

You can reach Shin-Aomori Station from Tokyo Station in about 3 hours by taking the “Hayabusa” Tohoku Shinkansen. Switch to the standard train line for about 40 minutes, and you will reach Aomori Prefecture’s Hirosaki. Here I will report on that area in the wintertime.

Opened in 1910, the Ichinotogawa Railway Bridge was completed as part of the JR Ban’etsu West Line. A historical landmark over 100 years old, the Ichinotogawa Railway Bridge stands out beautifully against the night sky, almost like an illusion.