Miyama Kyoto : observing firefly

I would like to inform observing firefly at Miyama Kyoto.


This picture by “Kyoto navigator”

It is convenient for Miyama to go by car.
To Miyama, it is necessary 1.5hours from Kyoto, and two hours from Osaka through Route 162.
I arrive at the roadside station "Miyama Fureai Hiroba".
At Miyama Tourism association, I obtain the Miyama information including the map.
I ride car about ten minutes from here, arrive at "Kayabuki no Sato”
“Kayabuki no Sato” is thatched house village.


I take a walk towards the north side from the entrance.
I see the red post immediately.

It is the post which there was in the all over Japan until the first half of the Showa.
I can post mail from this post.

I have a short rest with "Kayabuki Exchange Hall".

I taste handicraft sweets.


Next I go to "Miyama Folklore museum".

Here, I can observe the inside of the house of the roof of thatch.
A life tool, the old farming implement are displayed.


I take a walk through the outskirts of "the thatched house village" next.
The fresh green of the mountain approaches to surround the thatched houses.


There is Jizo (guardian deity of children) here and there, and the hydrangea is in full bloom now, too.


I can enjoy Mt. village of Miyama by taking a walk.

Please watch the huge Japanese horse chestnut of 400 years old is planted on the heels of the torii of "Inari Shrine" .

I get a power from this huge tree.

Then, I go towards "the Miyama nature culture village" with the hotel to stay at today.
It is arrival for staying "Kajika So" today.

I take a break and go to observe a firefly by "firefly admiration bus" from 20:00.
I perform the firefly viewing in a riverside footpath between rice fields.

Please thoroughly enjoy the fantastic light of the firefly slowly and carefully while seeing the starlit sky, hearing the murmuring of the river.



In this hotel, "a firefly admiration bus" is operated free during a period of 6/15-30 only by a hotel guest.
Please reserve the firefly viewing bus at the time of a reservation.

In Miyama, 4 hotels guide the observation spot of the firefly by microbuses any place other than this hotel.
When you observe a firefly, I recommend you to reserve these hotels.

I go to "Kyoto Tamba Kogen quasi-national park visitor center" the next day.

Here is a rental electricity bicycle. I ride this bicycle and go through the outskirts on this area.

At the “Megumi Miyama milk factory” in the roadside station "Miyama Fureai Hiroba", I taste an ice-cream cone and a gelato made with Miyama milk of Miyama-cho.



In Miyama of Kyoto, touch rich nature of the Mt. village, observe a firefly, and taste Miyama specialty.

that’s it.

Maple green leaves at Jojakkoji temple

I would like to inform strolling Jojakkoji temple for enjoying the fresh maple green leaves.



Ride JR San-in Main Line at Kyoto Station, get off at "Saga-Arashiyama Station". Walk west for approximately 15 minutes.
I arrive at the main gate of a Jojakkoji temple where it is usual towards the west for approximately 15 minutes on foot.

Jojakkoji temple is a famous Nichiren sect, its name was named by the state of the light to leak from trees.

I enter at the main gate of a Buddhist temple and pay admission fee 500 yen and start walk.

I see Niomon gate immediately. Green leaves maple is beautiful.

The Niomon gate was built approximately 400 years ago.
I pass through this gate to see the two Niomons of both sides.

I climb Sueyoshi-saka.

Moss grows to the cliff of the left hand of the slope neatly.

Elaborate care is accomplished so that a weed does not grow around moss.
Please appreciate the beauty of the moss.

I go to the main hall of a Buddhist temple.

Hondo removed and rebuilt a reception hall of the Fushimi Castle.
I go and worship in the main hall of a Buddhist temple.

Scenery in Kyoto-city opens out to the left hand when I climb the stone stairway from the main hall of a Buddhist temple.


I go to Tahoto tower next.
Tahoto tower is a double tower of the erection for 1,620 years.

This tower’s roof is cypress bark roof is beautiful.
I climb this tower’s side. I can look around the splendid superb view in Kyoto city from Tahoto tower.


I get off a stone stairway and arrive at the founder's shrine.
I seem to enshrine the image of the founder here.

Graves form a line in the circumference of the founder's shrine.

Niomon gate backside and the maple green leaves is a famous picture point of Jojakkoji.

Please take a souvenir picture here.

Please thoroughly enjoy the fresh maple green leaves.

that’s it.

"Nishio’s Satoyama" and Kozukenosuke Kira’s “Maisaiki Memorial service ” at Nishio city

I would like to inform "Nishio’s Satoyama that people observe creatures" and Kenzoji temple’s “Maisaiki Memorial service” at Nishio city.


I go to "Nishio’s Satoyama" in about 1 hour and a half through route 23 of national highway by car from Nagoya.


Nishio’s Satoyama which can observe the creature has many big bio topes of the 22.4ha. It consists of a center zone and a sub-zone, and there are many bio topes garden, Satoyama, Sato of a dragonfly and a path of a butterfly. You can observe many creatures.
Entrance is no charge. There is also rent of binoculars and an illustration book. A regular day off is Monday.
First I go to the nature center from a parking lot.

Bio tope, and the fishes which live in Ogusa pond are exhibited by a nature center by an water tank. 13 kinds of freshwater fish, that are Oikawa, Kawamutsu and Tamoroko are seen.



A video of the creature which lives around here can also be seen.
Next I go to the bio tope garden which is around the nature center.

Medaka, Motsugo, a silver beech, opossum shrimp and a Japanese pond turtle live in a pond here, and there is the pond where a bird can take a break and a compost place that for larva’s of a beetle.

There are a rice paddy and a marsh in the south of the nature center, and Stork visited this Satoyama’s rice paddy from Fukui prefecture in propagation Hogochi to the 11/ inside from the 10/ last.
There seems to be valuable nature in this Satoyamao.



Next I go to Satoyama.

Ogusa pond made as a reservoir for irrigation first is seeing.
Many fishes which were in an water tank of a nature center live and are also a place by the relaxation of waterfowls in this pond. 
 I go to "Sato of a dragonfly" from Satoyama erea who has that in the east through vast Ogusa pond.
Satoyama erea has a rice paddy, a persimmon tree and a stream.

When I walk on about 1 km, it's arrival in "Sato of a dragonfly".

There are 4ponds that live dragonfly's Yago that are of Demon dragonfly, Ooshiokara-dragonfly , Miyamaakane dragonfly and Asiaito dragonfly.
When you approach a pond, sometime to see Yago moving at the bottom.

Next I return to a nature center and go to the sub-zone of Mt. Manitou by car.

It's arrival in a sub-zone of Mt. Mantou in about 10 minutes by car.
A path of a butterfly and a wild bird forest here.

Almost no butterfly can be seen in this time, but JOUBITAKI and duck can be seen far in a wild bird forest.
Necessary observation time for a center zone is 2hours, for a sub-zone is 1 hour.

Next I go to Place of Kozukenosuke-Kira.
First I go to Kenzoji temple.

Kozukenosuke-Kira is villain's person concerned in the Edo Period by Chushingura, but the construction of Koganezutsumi bank which stops a flood, and make a newly reclaimed rice field are loved as the Lord for people who did much good government in Nishio city.
There is a grave of this Kozukenosuke-Kira in Kenzoji temple.

At this temple "Maisaiki Memorial service” will be done Every December 14.
December 14 is anniversary of death day.
This day Mieido is opened, and it's possible to see a wooden statue of Kozukenosuke-Kira Yoshinaka, Yoshiyasu and Yoshisada.
The left end is Kozukenosuke-Kira.



Next I go to Koganezutsumi bank.
Tsutsumi who stopped a flood also stays now here, and there is also an statue by which Kozukenosuke-Kira extends over a horse next to the monument.

Kozukenosuke-Kira finds out well that now is also loved in Nishio city.

Nishi cry has Nishio castle and Kira hot spring, and produce many Japanese tea and Nishio's powdered green tea is famous.

Please go to Nishio city which touches nature and history.

that’s it.

Walking the Kyoto Ruri Valley, enjoying Grand Ping

I would like to inform the journey of exploring the "Ruri Valley" of Nantan City in Kyoto Prefecture and enjoying Grand Ping at "Ruri Valley Hot spring".


Ruri Valley is located in the western part of Kyoto Prefecture, near Hyogo, Osaka and the prefectural border.
Take the San-in Main Line from Kyoto Station, get off at Sonobe Station, get on the bus, change at the "Hatta" bus stop and get off at the "Ruri Valley" or "Ruri Valley Bridge" bus stop and arrive at the "Kyoto Nature Park".
By the car, from Osaka city or Kyoto city it can be reached in 1 hour 30 minutes.

For enjoying dinner with a barbecue with a tent called Grand Ping this time,
I arrive at "Ruri River" around 10:00.

"Ruri Valley" is about 4 kilometers in length on a plateau of 500 meters in altitude.
The trees on both banks of the boardwalk are releasing the colors of the seasons.
The upstream part of the boardwalk consists of granite and the downstream part is quartz rock which is different from quartzite, and you can see the unique rocks, waterfalls, and leaves scattered in the clear stream.

"Ruri" is a kanji written as "lapis", and the clear stream is named because it looks like a Ruri brighter by the reflection of light.

Start walking from the entrance of Ruri River towards the "Lake Tsuten" upstream of the Promenade.
First of all, you can see "Sounding Waterfall". : The back of the waterfall is hollow and sounds.

Next is "Kinshugan Rock". : It seems like Nishiki in the period of autumn leaves.

"Kakkyukan stream": It is said that salamanders are living here.

"Double dragon Hut": It seems that a dragon of a sex seems to swim underwater.

"Ball racetrack waterfall": The water flowing on the rock is like a rolling ball and it is beautiful.

"Crystal blind": The appearance of falling waterfall looks like crystal blind.

"Lake Tsuten": It is a dam lake upstream of Ruri River.

Twelve strange rocks and waterfalls can be seen by exploring the Ruri Valley.

When walking, the bird's voice matches the sound of the stream, and you can enjoy the coolness of the stream.
Take a leisurely walk around the promenade, look at the strange rocks and waterfalls, eat lunch box lunches and enjoy forest bathing.



After about 3 hours of walking around the Ruri Valley, next we will walk to "Ruri Hot Spring" near Lake Tsuten.
Today we stay at Grand Ping at "Ruri Valley GRAX" which opened in June 2016.

Grandping is a coined word that combines "glamourous" and "camping" and is a facility that allows you to experience the comfort and services that are similar to luxury hotels in nature. "Ruri Valley GRAX" has a tent, a trailer house and a cabin, and this time we will stay at the popular Grand Pingtent.

You can enjoy barbecue at "Ruri Valley GRAX".
Facilities will do the preparation of meal materials and drinks.
The tent is large enough to accommodate 2 to 4 people, a bed in the tent and a hammock for the nap.

It is a supreme pleasure to look up the starry sky from the tent at night.
"Ruri Valley GRAX" is often full in Saturday in many cases, Weekday is recommended.

Please enjoy walking and Grand Ping at "Ruri River" near Kyoto and Osaka.

That’s it.

Bird waching at Kyoto Kamo river

I would like to inform Bird waching at Kyoto Kamo river.

Kamo river is a rest place for travelers and Kyoto citizenz.
I get off at Gion Shijyo of Keihan train.

I get off the riverbank of Kamogawa at Kyoto Shijo-dorian.
I observe Small heron, Blue heron, Goi heron, Cormorant, Spotbill duck.

Small heron looks into the water and catches small fish quickly.
I am impressed by the Small heron's sharp eyes and quick movement.
Small heron is hunting only 3 m far from people.




Blue heron stand on the rocks in the middle of the river, and search fishes.


Goi heron is hunting the fish at the river steps.



Cormorant is diving and catching fish.
Cormorant seems to be the best hunter.


Spotbill duck's parent and child are swimming near the river bank.
Spotbill duck's child comes near the people for getting snacks and sweets.




Next I ride Keihan Train, get off at DemachiYanagi station.
I go to the connecting point of the Kamogawa and Takano Rivers.


Families with children are cheering and taking small fish and crabs.
Medaka and Oikawa 's frys are swimming in herd.

When going upstream in the Takano River a little, Black Kite snows to the river and catches the fish.
Black Kite fly like a fighter aircraft suddenly descends to the river, catches fish, and eats fish in the middle of the river.



Black Kite also aims at lunch boxes of tourists who eat box lunches on the river bank.
I experiensed that my chopstick sushi was stolen by this bird.

Please observe wild birds in Kamogawa between Kyoto sightseeing.
In the summer, you can observe many birds.
That's it.