Nakatsugawa, Japan: The Finer Details

 This was a peaceful place to be.

 The rush of the water.

 The blue sky overhead.

 The crystal clear water.

 The large rocks to hop around on.

 The tall trees of mother nature.

 The ripples of water bouncing off of rocks.

 Unknown plants growing in the mountain air.

It's all in the details, don't you agree?

Nakatsugawa, Japan: River Side

 I used my GoPro Hero3 for most of the photographers in this post, but there are a couple that are from my DSLR. Can you tell which ones?

 If you pay attention you will see a curve in the photographs; those are GoPro shot photographs.

 

Did you find the photographs that I shot with my DSLR?*

 I couldn't get enough of the river! If it hadn't been freezing cold and hypothermia wasn't a real possibility, I would have jumped in.**






*They are the last two photographs, but you already knew that.

**Okay maybe I wouldn't have jumped in since it's really shallow, but I would have at least waded in.

Nakatsugawa: Beautiful River, Scary Bridge

The river here is really beautiful. At first you just hear it and then through the trees you start to make out the rocks and then the RIVER.

 Coming from a city called Gig Harbor (about an hour from Seattle) I am used to seeing the ocean everyday. To go to work or go shopping I would have to cross the Puget Sound. Some days I really miss seeing the water, so this was a nice trip for me.

 The Puget Sound isn't clear or anything, but just being near water and the view of a sunset on the water with Mt. Rainier in the background....(sigh)

I have to admit this bridge frightened me at first. Mainly because it moves a bit when there is more than one person on it. As you can see the "railing" is rope and steel cables nothing really "solid". But, I really wanted to get close to the water so I took a deep breath and just focused on the steps (after taking photos over the cables). 

Trust me it is worth it to cross that bridge to get here. You will have more proof in the next post.

Welcome to Iwana No Sato

 This area is in Nakatsugawa (about 2 hours by car from Nagoya). It is a popular place for people to escape to for the summer. I was here in February, so it was freezing. I've heard in the summers it is a wonderful place to escape the heat of Nagoya.

I couldn't get enough of the crystal clear (almost) turquoise blue water.

It was wonderful to spend the day with nature.

The path is set with stone steps, but still be careful of your footing.

Welcome to Iwana No Sato!

Toba, Japan: Omamori's

 These are the guard dog statutes that you will find at shrines. The guard dogs at each shrine are always different. It may not always be obvious, but if you pay attention you can find the differences.

Normally, people only buy one omamori (a type of good luck charm, it's so you will be protected by the gods. For example: protection for health or protection for driving, etc)

 This and the one above are from Ise shrine. (Geku then Naiku)

This is the one I bought at Meotoiwa. 

The boyfriend and I posing with the Meotoiwa with my GoPro. (Notice the curve? Really makes you feel like the Earth is round instead of just knowing it is round)

Toba, Japan: The Husband and Wife Rocks

 This fire wasn't strong enough to warm me up, especially with the strong winds coming from the ocean.

 Tie your bad fortunes to get ride of them.

Meotoiwa or the "Husband and Wife Rocks". They are tied together by a sacred rope and this is supposed to be a power spot for married couples. It might include couples who are planning to get married. Wish for a happy marriage!

As I mentioned before it is the year of the Snake. These placards are waiting for people to buy one and write their wish on the back. 

A couple tying their bad luck away.

The Husband rock.

Honestly, when I saw these rocks in person I was disappointed. The photographs I had seen before made them seem very big. Then my boyfriend pointed out that it's a rock, not a mountain. That is very true and I am no longer disappointed.

If you have a chance to visit here just remember, it's a rock, not a mountain. For a rock it is very big.

Toba, Japan: The Road to Meotoiwa

 You can find fresh and clean air out here.

 Beautiful views.

 Lots of nature.