Okazaki Sakura Corridor Jukkoku Boat Tour

 

This time, I would like to introduce the Okazaki Sakura Corridor Ten Stone Boat Tour.

From JR Kyoto Station, take the Karasuma Subway Line, then change to the Tozai Subway Line at Karasuma Oike Station and get off at Keage Station. 

After a 7-minute walk, you will arrive at the Okazaki Nanzenji Boat Reservoir Okazaki Jukkoku Boat and Boarding Point.

The Jukkoku boat will run from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. from March 20 to April 14.

I think it is better to ride at the end of March - the beginning of April, when the cherry blossoms are in bloom.

Two boats run every 15 minutes on the beautiful waters lined with cherry blossom trees.

The boarding fee is 2,000 yen for adults.

We will tour the area around Okazaki Park in the spring season.

Admire the cherry blossoms looking up from the boat.

Let’s make a heal at "Heiwa Park living forest"

I would like to inform the trip that heal your mind and body while observing creatures and plants.
Head towards "Heiwa Park living forest" in the eastern hills of Nagoya City.

I ride a subway from Nagoya to Higashiyama-koen.
Walk Northeast for 15minutes, arrive at "Heiwa Park living forest".



There is a Satohama House that is a village mountain lodge, and a vast Satoyama spreads in the back of it.
This Satoyama is a big field that is approximately 60ha between Heiwa Park and Higashiyama-koen Park.
This Satoyama includes a forest, marsh, paddy field, pond, stream.

I enter at the side of Satohama House.
It is no charge for admission.

I see a whole view of Satoyama.
Trees of the fresh green, a plant show splendid scenery.
There is Osaka Pond, and there is a frog pond when I go to the left.

It is the pond where a toad laid eggs in here.

I can see tadpoles swimming when I go to the tadpole pond in the right hand next.


I go into the depths of the Satoyama from here.
It is the situation passing through the dome of the fresh green.

Marsh leads to the right.

A waterweed extends to the marsh.


Furthermore, there is a paddy field when I advance, and rice-transplanting is performed early of May.

I hear the call of warbler around here.

I can hear a big fair cry.


This Satoyama is approximately one way 2km.
There is a big forest in the north side, when you have a time, please go to the big forest.
It is a good season of the fresh green from now on.
Please take a walk through Satoyama fresh green, while hearing the call of warbler in "Heiwa Park living forest".
that’s it.

Trip over the village of the mandarin duck, and Damine Castle sign

I would like to inform the village of the mandarin duck", and "Damine Castle" that are Shitara-town, Kitashitara-gun of East Aichi pref.

To go to these area by car is convenient, because these area are in the mountains in northern Shinshiro-shi, Aichi.

It is arrival through National highway routes. 257 from Nagoya for approximately one and a half hours.
This village protect a mandarin duck for a long time, so several hundred mandarin ducks inhabit every year from late fall to the beginning of March.
A colorful mandarin duck is famous, but this is a male adult bird.
Female bird, the male young bird are brown quiet colors.

The village of the mandarin duck is the road along Kamusagawa river that is upper river of Toyokawa river.

Observing the mandarin duck is from an exclusive observation hut.
The entrance receptionist of the hut is from 8:00 to 16:00.



With the camera turning off a flash bulb; is photographed.
The rate is 300 yen per one car. When using the tripod of the camera, +200 yen is necessary.
A blue plastic sheet is put on the hut, and observing a mandarin duck from a window opened on a blue seat of the river side.
Observers should be quiet and wait for the coming flying of the mandarin duck, because the mandarin duck is strong in wariness.



At the day when rain and strong wind, we cannot see the mandarin duck.

When we can watch the male of the mandarin duck of the guide, we are impressed the vivid beautifulness of the feather.

We can see Mandarin ducks and Mallards etc.
At Saturday and Sunday, Observation hut is crowded with many people.

There is a mandarin duck museum near an observation hut.
It shows the photographs of the mandarin ducks.


Observing mandarin ducks is available from November to the beginning of March.

Next I go to the Damine castle sign.
This castle is a small castle of Suganuma clan constructed in 1470.


The Honmaru palace castle, Ote-mon Gate, Carame-mon gate are restored in 1994.
Entrance charge is 210 yen.
We can image the age of civil war at this place.
This castle is small,but having Honmaru palace, so we can taste the atmosphere that timeslipped to the age of civil war.
In the Honmaru palace, armors are displayed.

Please observe the beauty of the mandarin duck, and taste the atmosphere of the age of civil war.

that’s it.

Let's see gliding skies of “Giant Flying Squirrel” in Mt. Takao

I would like to inform observing “Giant Flying Squirrel” in Tokyo Takao.

Take the Keio Train from Shinjuku to Mt. Takao and go to Takaosanguchi station.
Mt. Takao in March is a period before the young buds sprout, it is easy to find ”Giant Flying Squirrel“.

From the afternoon, go to Takao mountain top and enjoy magnificent views of Mt. Takao.
Next, we will check the creatures inhabiting Takao in Mt. Takao visitor center.

Next, I will go to the Yakuin school and report the observation of the Giant Flying Squirrel to the company office.

Giant Flying Squirrel is about 30 minutes to 1 hour after sunset is suitable for observation.
Until dusk, please explore the squirrel and go for a walk.
You can see a pretty gesture of squirrel.

Please return to cable car Takao station by the last train time of the return cable car.
Last train time is late in summer and spring is early.
Even if you miss the last train, there are a few external lights on the climbing path, so if you have a flashlight you can go down.

As the sun goes down, it will get cold, so let's also prepare the cold weather protection.

Look for a hole in the trunk of the hole in the trees in the precincts of the Takao Sanctuary.
Giant Flying Squirrel has a nest in the hole of the tree, and comes out of the hole of the tree at night and eats tree buds, leaves, flowers, fruits, seeds.

Let's wait in the hole of the tree which seems to be a nest.
When it comes out from the nest hole, Giant Flying Squirrel cry "Gururururuu".
Get out of the nest hole and climb the tree and glide as it moves to other trees.
Please be careful not to miss the gliding sky of the Giant Flying Squirrel for a moment.





The glide glides from trees to trees using the flying membrane developed from forelimb to hindlimb.

It looks like a glider. The figure that an animal glides 40 centimeters square in the dark night is a masterpiece. There are dozens of Giant Flying Squirrel living in the precincts of the medicinal campus of Mt. Takao.
Flowers that trees on the precincts are attaching, and in fact it is a good food of Giant Flying Squirrel.
In addition, the tremendous trees towering at an appropriate interval in the precincts are suitable for starting points and relay points of the gliding sky. Giant Flying Squirrel from the nest runs up the tree and glides.
The glide distance is about 3 times the height of the tree when you jump out, and Giant Flying Squirrel can glide about 90 meters if it has a tree height of 30 meters.

After 90 minutes after sunset, the activity of Giant Flying Squirrel is getting gentle.
This time is rough estimate of the end of observation time.

People who observe Giant Flying Squirrel have increased year by year.
Please take a look at the precious Giant Flying Squirrel’s gliding sky.
That’s it.


Bird watching at Yodo river in Osaka

This time, I will explore the wild birds in the river park from Osaka Yodogawa's Juso Ohashi bridge to Nagara Bridge.


Get off at Hankyu Juso Station and head from the East ticket gate to Yodogawa.

There is a large number of pupas of Jacoageha butterfly on the cement wall in this embankment.


Pupa is small and light brown. In the spring this pupa comes, it will shed and become a big beautiful butterfly.

The river park is vast and a gravel road about 5 m in width extends to the east and west on the river side. This road is also running a truck, so please pay attention to the car.
From here, the scenery where the Hankyu train goes to the building city of Umeda is wonderful.

On the shore north of Yodo River, tidal flats are spreading.

As you walk a while, mallards and Gray ducks are swimming the Yodo River.


You can observe Hawthorn, Thrush, Lepidoptera, Phellinus cinerea etc.


On the tidal flat, the grassland of Yoshi, Ogi is spreading.
Yoshi is brown, and Ogi is white.

Mentha butterfly with white streaks on black is singing with a clean voice.

Mentha butterfly is an alien species, also entered the housing, becoming an annoying bird, but it is a good bark.

Trees are also growing in this Yodogawa riverbed.
The white fruit of the Nankinghase is a good contrast with the leaves that turn red.

After passing the Shinyodogawa Bridge, go past the JR 's Iron Bridge and go to the riverbank, you can see the pheasant, Isoshigi.
The scenery where JR 's train runs over the iron bridge towards Osaka is a wonderful picture.




Since many wild birds live in rivers in the city, please go to observe.

You can spend a pleasant holiday with good scenery and birds singing.

That’s it.