What? |
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| Nagatoro 長瀞 is a popular day trip from Tokyo. The whole town is a protected patch of nature is especially known for its river and the same river’s riversides. There is also the Hodosan Shrine 宝登山神社,said to be built in the Azuchi-Momoyama Period. A cable car beyond the shrine can take you up on Mount Hodosan, however apart from vistas over the area nothing is there. |
Where? |
Located in Saitama Prefecture 埼玉県, Nagatoro can be reached from Ikebukuro 池袋 in a little under 2 hours with the Tobu Tojo Line that flows into the local Chichibu Line.
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URL |
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Japan Guide Outline Nagatoro Tourism |
A trip can be very much influenced by a seemingly insignificant thing. The change from Tobu Tojo Line to Chichibu Line is very unclear, and in my confusion I asked for help at the ticket counter. Little did I know that the person in charge that day had his behind bitten by a dog, because in his mood he succeeded to make me feel extremely unwelcome.
Luckily the people at the boat tour were way more friendly.
The weather forecast predicted rain, however there was a clear sky. It was also a weekday, so tourists were scarce. The gondoliers tried their best, but unfortunately the river was a little too quiet, and part of the riverside was damaged because of typhoons. It made the one hour boat ride less impactful than it should have been.
I also visited the Hodosan Shrine with its colorful design. It was my first encounter with Azuchi-Momoyama architecture and I really love the feel for details and color.
Our gondolier at work.
The river was actually too calm...
Truth to be told, my railway buddy from that morning was still in my head. Basically the rule is to not let anyone/anything like that ruin your day, however I was truly baffled at that man’s rudeness. In Japan it is not uncommon to meet someone who is not fond of you, however most of the time these people tend to avoid you. Especially people in the service sector in Japan are extremely friendly and helpful. It makes that the exceptions have all the more influence on your experience of a place...
Hodosan Shrine
Azuchi-Momoyama sense for detail color.
>>More pictures<< |
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