Shots#94 Kusatsu, Gunma, Japan.

Visitations

A close friend of mine came on her (annual?) pilgrimage to Japan and after many attempts I finally convinced her to come to Gunma. Being the end of winter (the idiot weathermen in Tokyo insist on calling it spring… screw them) things were a bit frigid. Regardless we had a fun time.

The leaves, they are a changing.

It’s getting too cold to type at night and that means winter is on it’s way. But in giving way to it’s cold hearted sibling Autumn does give us some of the most beautiful natural scenery imaginable. Blue skies set against the warm palette of dying leaves. We managed to catch the beginnings of it on our last drive into the mountains of Gunma…

Unlike the majority on the roads that day however. Nature’s beauty was not the reason for us to venture out on to the mountain passes. It just happened to be there when we went for our drive.

Kusatsu, Gunma, Japan (an update)

Kusatsu is regarded by everyone who counts as the best onsen (hot spring) town in Japan. Yes. the best in ALL Japan. Don’t believe me, ask the royal family. They will agree.

It just happens to be an hour and a bit drive away from Shibukawa. The only reason I don’t go there as often as all that is because Ikaho (the third best onsen in Japan) is just 15 mins away.

Regardless. I went there with Sayo for a day not too long ago and had a wonderful time there.

What makes the onsen in Kusatsu so famous is the extremely high sulphur content in the water curtsey of the nearby active volcano, mt.Shirane. it adds a beautiful hue and a putrid stench to the water that is pretty good for you. It is also extremely hot.

 

As it was a day trip, we perused the narrow streets of the town, taking in the beautiful ambiance and each other’s company, and generally had great time. But seeing as I only ever seem to have great times if you read this blog, that goes without saying :p

So lets just say present company made for an even greater time that I usually have.

:D

  …and we even met an alcoholic dog.

 

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Snow in June

 

So a few weekends back I went for a drive into the mountains with Yuka. We headed up through Kusatsu onto one of the legendary mountains of Jomo.

Shirane-san.

From Wikipedia:
Mount Kusatsu-Shirane (草津白根山 Kusatsu Shirane-san^?) is a 2160 meter active volcano in Kusatsu, Gunma, Japan. It is called Kusatsu Shirane to differentiate it from the Mount Nikkō-Shirane on the other side of Gunma Prefecture. The summit of Kusatsu-Shirane volcano, located immediately north of Asama volcano, consists of a series of overlapping pyroclastic cones and three crater lakes. The largest of these is Yu-gama, an acidic turquoise-colored lake with rafts of yellow sulfur floating on its surface.

Not the first time I have ever been up this sulphorous beast but it was the first time I got to do it in my car. And as you may have guessed, the actual place was nothing compared to the drive there. 
Though to be fair it was one of those days that made you wonder at the splendour of this planet. The beautiful day also meant I could see Yu-gama which was obscured by mist the last time I went.
  Ok so maybe the destination was epic. While not as energising as the Typhoon was last year, I absolutely love the potential for disaster that active volcanoes represent. The sheer un fathomable power that they can unleash is mind-blowing, and while it would spell my certain death I would love to be there when it goes BOOM.

“I absolutely love the potential for disaster that active volcanoes represent”

I mean the only death better than that would be a heart attack while doing fun things in bed with all the members of SCANDAL and Koda Kumi… Or even better doing fun things in a bed with all the members of SCANDAL and Koda Kumi that happens to be in a hotel on an volcano!!!!

OK that was a bit of a tangent.

It was a great trip really. I got to drive in the mountains which is reason enough to do anything. I got to see snow in summer (albeit packed leftover snow), I got to escape the stifling head of Shibukawa and I got to spend some time with Yuka.