Things are heating up in Hyogo, and it’s getting rainy. With umbrella in hand, there are plenty of things to enjoy outdoors; flower gardens are a particular specialty. If you can’t make it to Mimuroto-ji in Kyoto, there are some nice flowery places closer to home. We’ve already mentioned the Shiso Iris Garden before (just…
Our cherry blossoms may have been here in an instant, gone with a flash, but if you missed out on Yabu’s thousand-year-old sakura blooms, you can still get your ancient (but still going strong) flora on in the Yamasaki (Shiso) area early in May. Shiso’s thousand-year-old wisteria is a beautiful sight to behold. Typically, the…
Shiso – the biggest little city in Harima region Literally, that is. On a map, Shiso looks like a massive entity, and on the ground, like the west end of nowhere. Famous for its lack of trains and its zealous JETs (right? RIGHT?), this sprawling countryside retreat actually means you are just a bus ride…