Tadami Line, Aizu Area, Fukushima (February 20th)

Aizu Wakamatsu Sta.
We arrived there at 5:20 AM.

We went to the Aizu area for the first time to ride JR Tadami Line and to bathe in some hot springs. On Friday morning we decided to go there and made the inn and the bus tickets reserved. Here is the time table...

★February 19th, FRI & 20th, SAT.
Shinjuku New South Exit Bus Terminal (23:10 or so - bus - 5:20) Aizu Wakamatsu Sta. (5:59 - JR Tadami Line 8:02) Aizu Kawaguchi Sta. (8:30 - on foot and hitchhike - 9:10) Hachimachi Hot Spring & Tamanashi Hot Spring (11:44 - Aizu Bus - noon) Aizu Kawaguchi Sta. (Lunch, 12:40 - on foot and hitchhike - 13:25) Yugura Hot Spring (14:30 - on foot - 15:10) Honna Sta. (15:32 - Tadami Line - 15:45) Aizu Yokota Sta. (in the inn owner's car -15:55) Minshuku Tatsumi-sou by the public bath of Ooshio Hot Spring. We stayed at the inn on Saterday night.

只見線、初めて乗ってきました。雪景色とともに、奥会津、金山町の個性的な温泉群を堪能してきました。お湯の種類がみんな違っていて楽しかったです。温泉はもとより、大塩温泉近くの自然炭酸水の湧水地に感激しました！


The train we took in the morning from Aizu Wakamatsu Sta. to Aizu Kawaguchi Sta.


Another train on Tadami Line.
Snowing pretty hard!


One of the pictures I took through the train window.


Another shot through the window of the train.


The train runs following Tadami River.




Aizu Kawaguchi Sta. You can see the river by the platform.


The train we just got off at Aizu Kawaguchi Sta.


Here is the map of the area we traveled.
All of these hot springs are in Kaneyama Town in the Oku Aizu area.

Nogawa Park (February 6th))

Alcedo atthis (Kawasemi).

Today we went to Nogawa Park after lunch at a Ramen shop.
When we arrived the usual area in the park, I heard the high-pitch sound of a bird and we found a Alcedo atthis (Kawasemi) by one of the ponds there. It kept staying at the same area even after we were leaving. It was really windy and chilly day. Even the bird looked cold.


Alcedo atthis (Kawasemi).
Can you find it?


Alcedo atthis (Kawasemi).


Alcedo atthis (Kawasemi).
This one stayed for a long time by one of the ponds in the park.
We saw it jump in the water and catch a fish!


Alcedo atthis (Kawasemi).


Shibateranthis pinnatifida (Setsubun-sou).
I always get attracted to the beautiful yellow and blue colors in the center...


Prunus mume (Ume).
The old plum tree in the garden was blooming now.

Nogawa Park (January 31st)

Shibateranthis pinnatifida (Setsubun-sou).

We went to Nogawa Park in our neighborhood this weekend again.
We found lots of Shibateranthis pinnatifida (Setsubun-sou) flowers blooming.
We also saw a kingfisher near the ponds in the park.
Adonis flowers were also blooming.
Just before we left, a male bird of Phoenicurus auroreus (Joubitaki, Daurian Redstart) posed for us about 15 minutes.

今週も野川公園、行ってきました。セツブンソウがかなり咲いていました。
カワセミやジョウビタキなども見られました。


Shibateranthis pinnatifida (Setsubun-sou).


Shibateranthis pinnatifida (Setsubun-sou).
There were much more than we found last weekend.
It seems they popped out just a few days before "Setsubun" (February 3rd), the day between winter and the beginning of spring in older Japanese calendar.


Lonicera gracilipes var. glabra (Uguisu-kagura).
The flowers were only 7 or 8 centimeters, but they looked like little stars.


Phoenicurus auroreus (Joubitaki, Daurian Redstart) .


Phoenicurus auroreus (Joubitaki, Daurian Redstart) .

Jindai Botanical Garden (January 30th)

Shibateranthis pinnatifida (Setsubun-sou).

We went to Jindai Botanical Garden, which is 15-minute bike ride from our home.
There were lots of plum blossoms blooming already.


Shibateranthis pinnatifida (Setsubun-sou).


Alcedo atthis (Kingfisher) by a pond in the garden.


Adonis amurensis (Fukuju-sou).


Adonis amurensis (Fukuju-sou).


Plum blossoms by the Adonis garden.


Prunus mume "Michishirube" （道知辺）.


Prunus mume "Touji" （冬至）.


Prunus mume "Shiro Nanba" （白難波）.


Prunus mume "Oo Sakazuki" （大盃）.


Prunus mume "Mori-no-Seki" （森の関）.


Prunus mume "Renkyuu" （蓮久）.


Prunus mume "Kumo-no-Akebono" （雲の曙）.


Prunus mume "Kumo-no-Akebono" （雲の曙）.


Prunus mume "Mikaikou" （未開紅）.


Prunus mume "Kankou" （寒紅）.


Hamamelis × intermedia cv. "Diana".


Hamamelis × intermedia cv. "Pallida".


Hamamelis × intermedia cv. "Ruby Glow".


Hamamelis mollis (Shina Mansaku).


Psidium guajava (Guava) in the greenhouse.


Strongylodon macrobotrys (Hisui Kazura, Jade Vine) in the greenhouse.
There were lots of buds of this plant... It will be really amazing when all those flowers open.


Colmanara "Wildcat" in the greenhouse.

Hyakuhiro Waterfall, Okutama (January 24th)

Hyakuhiro-no-Taki (waterfall).
百尋の滝。

We went to see some ice of Hyakuhiro-no-Taki (waterfall) in Okutama area, Tokyo.
We took a bus to Kawanori-bashi BS from JR Okutama Sta. and walked by the creek for 2 hours or so. The waterfall was not frozen as much as we saw it 2 years ago.
It was nice day all day and we enjoyed hiking in the cold fresh air.


On the way to get to the trail.


Beautiful blue sky.




There are several waterfalls on the way to Hyakuhiro watarfall.


The trail was beside the creek.


Interesting forms of ice on Magnolia obovata (Hoo-no-ki) leaves.


Nice-looking waterfall.


When I slow down the shutter speed of the camera, the stream turned out to look interesting.


The wall of icicles.


The trail was covered with soft thick layers of fallen leaves.


Hyakuhiro waterfall.


The ice by the stream.




Hyakuhiro waterfall.