The day when you can enjoy the fiery leaves of autumn has finally come in Hokkaido. Japanese have the momijigari tradition of visiting scenic areas where leaves have turned red in autumn. And where to enjoy it but in Fukuhara-sansou, the Tokachi spot with the finest autumn leaves.
One Windy Day In Daisetsuzan
It was early October. My friends and I went to Daisetsuzan National Park to see the autumn leaves. Daisetsuzan National Park is the largest national park in Japan established in 1934 spanning two subprefectures of Hokkaido. Consisting of 16 peaks, the name Daisetsuzan means great snowy mountains.
Ziel Basel
Moving around Basel is easy as there are trams connecting different points of the city. During my stay in Basel for the conference, I always purchased the 1-day pass so it will be more economical to tour the city whenever I wanted. The network of the tramway is already more than a century old and has became part of Basel’s heritage.
The Staircase Of Werkraum Warteck PP
The building is known as the Werkraum Warteck pp. Werkraum is the German word for workroom as it houses cooperation between different projects, companies and people. Warteck is the name of the former brewery that was using the building. Pp stands for “Permanentes Provisorium” or “permanent provisional arrangement”. The place is now considered a cultural hub in Basel as it is now transformed into art studios and artist’s workshops, and even offices for artists, performers, craftsmen, and musicians . It was just last year that they changed the outer staircase as part of the renovation of the former malt silo.
The Bugs Of Higashitaisetsu Nature Center
The mini-museum is composed of three sections namely: the insects of Higashitaisetsu, the butterflies and moths of the world and the beetles of the world. There are more than five thousands insects were displayed at this exhibit. The place is truly a haven for entomologists and bug enthusiasts (like me, lol!).
Guten Morgen Frankfurt!
I started my walking tour early the next day since I have to catch my flight to Basel in the afternoon. My first destination was the Römerberg, which is a part of the Alstadt (Old Town). Along the way, I passed the Paulsplatz (St. Paul Square) where the St. Paul’s Church stood. Paulsplatz is the largest square in the old town of Frankfurt am Main which is connected to the south with the Römerberg square.
My “American Horror Story” Tour In New Orleans
One of my favorite TV series is coming back next month, October with a new story, “American Horror Story: Hotel”. Two seasons back, they featured a story about a coven of Salem witches in the modern day. It made use of the mysticisms and real-life horrors from the pages of its backdrop, New Orleans.
Happy 6th Year, Japan!
It was the night of September 28th, 2009. I arrived at the Tokachi-Obihiro airport still clueless of what this city looks like. I was expecting of a very urbanized city with beautiful lights and skyscrapers. I was expecting that Obihiro is a city similar to Tokyo. After getting my luggages, I was picked up by my tutor-labmate. As we travel, I was so surprised of what I was seeing. Trees, lots and lots of trees… and total darkness.
Flash Note: Sannai Maruyama Historical Site
On the last day of my North Tohoku trip, I visited the Sannai-Maruyama historical site in Aomori. The site was excavated in 1992 and features a vast community of early people from approximately 4,000 to 5,500 years ago. This era was known as the early to middle Jomon period in Japan.
Flash Note: Our Lady Of Akita Shrine
Eight kilometers North East from the Akita train station lies the Seitai Hoshikai. The place is a convent where the Our Lady of Akita is enshrined. The statue, said to be miraculous, was carved by a local sculptor named Saburo Wakasa in 1963. It was said to shed tears from 1975 to 1981 and has cured one deaf nun in 1982.
Flash Note: Inakadate Village Rice Paddy Art
Started in 1993, Inakadate village has made this rice paddy art project an annual event to revitalize the community. The “tanbo” (Japanese word for rice paddy) art are created with different varieties of rice.
1600 Pandas World Tour In Taipei
The 1600 Pandas World Tour was launched in 2008 with 1600 paper mache panda art crafted by the acclaimed French artist Paulo Grangeon from recycled materials. The number 1600 was meaningful as this is the number of living pandas left in the wild at that time. So since then, the pandas exhibition went to different locations across the globe to advocate awareness on endangered species conservation and sustainable development.
Amoj In Wanderland 