紅葉狩り Momiji gari

Nov 22, 2010

We went momiji gari yesterday. Momiji gari literally means red leaves hunting in English. Just as cherry blossom represents spring, the momiji or autumn leaves has traditionally represented autumn in Japan.

If you had lived in Japan long enough, you will notice that the Japanese are very sensitive to changes of season. It's in Japanese tradition to appreciate every little details that come with it. For example sakura viewing in Spring and autumn leaves viewing in autumn, these practices are deeply rooted in their lives. Like the cherry blossom, the momiji reaches its peak in a rather short time and then fades and drop off the trees. It represents delicate short-lived beauty that Japanese people are traditionally fond of. Just like a samurai that led a short but honorable life.

Like every other year, I had been constantly checking the news and website for the best time to view autumn leaves. Finally, the forecast reported that the best time to view autumn leaves in where I live was last weekend and what more thrilling was, the day was blessed with great weather too!

This year, we had decided to view the autumn leaves deep in Iyakei valley, a 3-hour-drive from the city. Iyakei is famous for breathtaking autumn scenery. We were so excited!

On the way to the mountains...

As we went deeper into the mountains, the color of leaves changed from green to yellow then red...

We had to pass through many narrow roads...
Almost there...

Ooohh...look at the crowd. This must be a good spot.

So we stopped and snapped a few pictures too...

Our next stop was Iyakei camping site. The place where we went camping last summer.

Isn't it beautiful?

Next, we stopped at an observation platform. A place where a good overview of the whole valley could be seen.

Ooohhh....

Aaahhhh....

My personal favorite

Sya loved it too...

Couldn't resist to take pictures of ourselves ..:)

But someone lost his energy here...he was so hungry that he couldn't even walk! hahaha

After feeding Sya with some food in the car, we headed to another spot with a statue of manneken pis, a present from the Belgian embassy.

The statue was placed in a piece of rock, 200m from the bottom!

The statue was said to be placed there so to challenge anyone who would dare go up and pis...haha

Let's go closer...

A little closer...

Ooohhh...scary! That was the farthest I could go! But look at the view...breathtaking! Mountain with yellow and red carpets...

The view here was awesome too!

Our next destination was kazurabashi, Iyakei's best-known attraction. Kazurabashi is a precarious-looking vine bridge which was built in 1646 and is one of the oldest bridge in Japan. The bridge was made of vine, twigs and twine. But don't worry, they do regular check-up! hahaha...We didn't plan to cross the bridge because ayah was afraid of height. He tried it once and told me that he would never want to cross that bridge again.

However, my son who loves excitement, headed straight to the entrance! 'Mommy, quick! Let's cross the bridge. It's fun!' So...it was mommy who had to take him cross the bridge!

Look at the gap! My friend actually had lost his snicker here...ahahaha

That's us in the middle...me terrified!

After all that adrenaline rush, we headed back to the car park...

On the way, we saw a nice little waterfall...

We saw people eating along the road...reminded us that we were hungry too.

Many stalls selling Japanese grilled fish...they looked very tempting!

But instead of grilled fish, we had ice-cream and a Japanese delicacy called dengaku.

We also had Japanese soba for a late lunch...

Our last stop was Oboke...a place with beautiful Japanese garden.

Refreshed and home we went!

It was worth all the effort and energy. We really had a wonderful time. Watching changes of season and experiencing the beautiful nature, for us... is the best way to destress.

12 comments:

Dr Sofea J.Ann Tan said...

wow..very beautiful colors of autumn indeed ...hey u look stunning there !! hehe..

Nana said...

Thank you Sofea! I love the colors of autumn. Very soon, winter will come and the beautiful leaves will be gone. Kinda sad cause my favorite season is especially short this year due to the strange weather. How have you been? How's your daughter? Would love to see updates on her...:)

TK said...

Cantiknya..all those pictures. I plg suka gmbr yg ada sun beam tu (4th picture) and gambar yg ada bridge kat sungai tu. Really awesome. I always love nature photos- flowers and trees- my favourite la tu. I suka jugak makan japanese soba once in a while sbb xde fat.

Love all your photos- rasa nak g Jepun skrg!

Nana said...

Hi TK! Yes, TK, that's the best thing about countries with four seasons. The seasonal change is something we look forward to. Jepun ni pula suka seasonal things. From their fashion, nature viewing to food. Semua ada seasonal flavors. Kalau ada chance datang visit Japan, jangan lupa check the weather and season. You nak datang masa spring ke autumn? Summer may not be advisable. Too hot! Winter, unless you want to ski, tak yah la. Nanti ada yang dok kat hotel jer. hehehe...

Lee said...

Hi Nana, Holy Smoke! Some of the best pics I've seen of Japan. You a very creative photographer.
I have been to Japan, travel many cities by the Shinkansen, but never had time to admire the passing scenery as discussing business or doing homework, paperwork on board.

I promise my wife we will go to Japan one day and take in everything..
Right now your photos will suffice.

Incidentally Nana, you have a really beautiful smile and that dimple of yours is a killer! Did your hubby fall in love with your dimple, then married the whole girl? Ha ha ha.
Have fun, stay young, Lee.

Nana said...

Hi Lee! The scenery was beautiful. I didn't manage to capture 100% of the beauty. Still need to brush up my skill. Thank you so much for the compliment. Please do make a trip here. You can choose either to come in spring or autumn. The cherry blossom is also an experience you wouldn't want to miss.
Regarding my smile, hehe...he didn't say specifically what attracted him but he mentioned that he loved my smile when he first met me...(blushing)...hahaha
Winter is around the corner, keep yourself warm and cozy!

Anonymous said...

By the time I reached the end of this post, I was having abit of a headache. Too many oohhh-ing and ahh-ing and going back and forth to admire the pictures. Wow! this is so beautiful. No wonder the Japanese take time off to celebrate nature's awesome wonder.

Nana said...

Hi Andrea!
Thanks for your kind compliment.
Oh yeah, when the time is right for the autumn leaves viewing or cherry blossom viewing, these Japanese people would be swarming to the famous locations to witness the nature. We've learned to appreciate it too! I admire their quality of appreciating something as it is. Even in their food culture, they like to appreciate the original taste. That's why they go for the highest food material when they cook. And that's why Japanese cuisine is always at a pricey side. :) Thanks for dropping by! Oh, hope you would get your ideal pillow! hehehe

Cat-from-Sydney said...

Aunty Nana,
I'll go momiji gari with you anytime! But this weekend we're going cherry picking. yummm....hopefully it doesn't rain. purrrr.....meow!

Nana said...

Hi Cat-in-Sydney! My son would love to be with you all the time! You are always welcome here anytime! Yummm...cherry picking sounds great! Please do not forget to show us the photos of cherries! We love cherries very much! :)

i amsterdam said...

Salam perkenalan,

Hai!! I was blogwalking and came accross your blog. Been reading a few of your entries, very interesting and beautiful pictures especially on this Momiji gari. Just awesome!!

I wonder if it's possible to link your blog to mine, and perhaps vice versa??? TQ in advance !!

Nana said...

Salam I amsterdam!
Thank you for your nice compliment.
It's wonderful to have a new guest! Sure, do link your blog to mine. I have already linked yours to mine. Thank you!
Read some of your entries, very very nice blog you have there. I shall visit you more next time!

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