Introduction ---

The west side of Japan has been kind of mysterious and attractive to us for many years after we have travelled three times on the east side in the past. And this 6-day trip of 2009 satisfied most of our curiosity about it. We have travelled from Nagoya on the eastern coast, up through the middle part of Japan, to Noto Peninsula on the west side, and then back to Nagoya again, finishing totally a circular tour path in middle Japan.

In the trip, we enjoyed many wonders, including seeing a UNESCO's world heritage - Gassho-zukuri houses (of the "prayer-hands construction" shape) in Shirakawa-go, touring the scenic Tateyama Kurobe Alpine route in the Hida Moutains area, enjoying hot-spring baths in the Japan No. 1 hotel - Kagaya, visiting pretty Kenroku-en Garden, Okunohosomichi ("Narrow Road to the Deep West"), Tsumago old  town, and Nagoya Castle, and so on.

This was really an easy and happy tour about the nature and culture of Japan. We had a very good time, and hope to have more similar trips in Japan in the future.

   (Picts above: Gassho-zukuri in Shirakawa-Go, Japan; below: Kenroku-en Garden in Kanazawa)