Steve & Lynne’s Japan Diary…

[Steve]

From there, we drove along the Hakusan Shirakawago White Road for 2+ hours - breathtaking is the only word I can find for the views! It’s swinging mountain road, 33km long and rises to above 1400m above sea level. You really do need to hire a car to see some of these places!

[don_pipone]

Beautiful places and photos!

[Steve]

Finally we ended up at Chirihama Nagisa Driveway for sunset - This is the only place in Japan where you can drive right along the water’s edge - in any type of car (not just a 4x4).

It is an 8-km stretch of beach road — a type of road that would be hard to find anywhere else in the world. The unique sand of Chirihama makes it possible. The sand particles are small, a quarter of the size of ordinary ones. They have a uniform, angular shape, which makes the driveway hard when it absorbs water.

Seeing fishermen’s trucks for carrying unloaded fish at Chirihama, a local bus company employee tried driving a bus there in 1955. That is how Nagisa Driveway started.

End of lesson!

[Daniel San]

absolutely stunning, great pictures!!

[ROman]

beautiful pictures. Thanks for sharing.

[Shane B]

@Steve & @Lynne Great pictures and journey! Thanks for sharing and have a great rest of your trip.

[Steve]

@Shane-B thanks mate - and also congrats to you and Maria!!!

[Shane B]

@Steve Many thanks Steve.

[Lynne]

Running out of ‘film’, but still going. This is a couple of days ago.

We started the day at Omicho Market for a gourmet wander before heading over to Higashi Chaya. Beautiful old streets with loads of character.

Picked up the car near Kanazawa Station and its huge wooden Tsuzumi Gate, then headed up into the mountains to Ainokura, one of the traditional gassho villages. A truly impressive place – steep thatched farmhouses tucked into the hills and a much quieter feel than some of the better-known villages.

Next stop was a washi paper workshop where we were introduced to traditional Japanese paper making. Really interesting despite language barriers - and something similar I want to do for ReLove by pulping our smallest denim offcuts.

From there we drove the sandy Chirihama Beach Driveway and watched the sun set over the Sea of Japan. Another highlight of the trip.

Then finished the day back in Kanazawa with a wander through the samurai district after dark. Definitely a brooding masculine vibe going on there.

Feeling fulfilled. Couldn’t have packed anything more into the day.

[goosehd]

I am loving following you two on this trip! Is there any one thing so far that you wish you could have spent more time?

[Steve]

@goosehd I know Lynne wanted to spend a day doing a weaving course, and there was also an Indigo dyeing course she had her eye on - she might still manage one, but I think we probably needed a few more days (or weeks)!!!

[Steve]

Last stop on road trip is Takayama - the ‘old town’ was our stay, and well worth it - gorgeous looking building along a river. The highlight was experiencing Hida beef - a brand of Wagyu - and it tastes soooo good!

If you ever get to this area make it a point to try it.

[ARNC]

@Lynne said in Steve & Lynne’s Japan Diary…:

and something similar I want to do for ReLove by pulping our smallest denim offcuts.

This is a great idea. Look forward to seeing how you run with it.

[Steve]

oh, and a few expected shots of Takayama and its surrounding area…

[Lynne]

Wherever you are in the world, it’s good night from me and it’s good night from him

[Matt]

So is the plan to shift production from Japan to Gosport by teaching @Lynne to do everything?

[Jord]

This has been such a joy to follow, you guys have done so much whilst in Japan, thank you for sharing it with the forum! I want to visit next year at some point and I'm definitely going to take some inspiration from what you've done whilst there

[Steve]

Back in Tokyo now for a couple of days after our rural exploring…

[Steve]

A day of neon, old Nintendo’s, lovely fruit and cream sandwiches, very bright toys and dog shops everywhere!

[Steve]

Last day/night in Japan - so packing in as much as we can, first up to the Senso-ji temple in Asakusa

Then popped down to Kappabashi, renowned for their knive shops (picked up something for our son Jack, who’s moving into his first house very soon)!

Then off to Jimbocho area, which is known for its vintage books/magazines - literally every other shop! Could have spent all day in just one of those shops! Next time I will need to build some time to explore more. But did pick up some vintage cinema promos - love the typography on these.