A hearty hello to our loyal readers near and far!
In case you are wondering why you haven’t heard that phrase in a while, it’s because I’ve just returned from a two week holiday in my native Canada. As I stepped off the plane at Narita Airport the other day, I immediately noticed the humidity that I associate with Japan. Not that this year has been notably hot…
That said, one of the few genuinely cool places to spend summer in Japan is Kamikochi. At 1,200m above sea level and with an absolute plethora of shaded paths, it’s the perfect place to chill while your gummy bears melt on the shelf back home. Does a 24 degree Celsius day sound appealing to you? As a graphic illustration of how cool it is, check out these shots of the Shimizu River, taken from a recent post on the celebrated Five Sense blog:
Despite what you might think, the steam rising off the water in the second picture is caused by interaction between the cool water and the moisture in the air.
August is also the perfect time to observe butterflies in central Kamikochi. If this sounds like something that might interest you, why not inquire about Five Sense’s guided tours, some of which focus on various species of the winged beauties.
And you can also observe a number of seasonal flowers, such as the colorful but deadly monkshood:
With regard to this plant, the emphatic thing to say is “Don’t eat it!” For one thing, it’s highly toxic; for another thing it’s illegal to pick, consume, trample or otherwise molest any flora in the park.
And with that, we conclude this week’s peek into Kamikochi smack dab in the middle of summer. I promise that the wait between now and the next blog will be shorter than last time.
Till then, be well and stay cool!
Source of Information:
Nature Guide: Five Sense, Kamikochi blog: https://fivesense.guide/blog/today/110713/
