April 1 Ohira Mountain Tochigi, Japan

Ric drove us up the Ohira Mountain in Tochigi, Japan. Riding up this mountain was sorta scary.  The road is so narrow and there are mirrors at every curve so you can see if another car is coming around that corner the same as you.  There are various spots on the road that are wider to help in passing another car.

Ric said it is one of the best views to see the hundreds of cherry blossoms in Japan.  On the way to the top of Mount Ohira, this road is lined with cherry blossom trees.  So far no cherry blossoms are in bloom yet.  If we would have seen them in bloom we would have driven through this tunnel of flowering sakura trees.

 We are at the top of the mountain and to me, the view looks like a town has been built on top of this mountain.  The view is pronominal.  You can see the entire Kanto plain, Nikko Mountains, Tochigi City from the top of this mountain.

Most of the shops were closed because it is getting late and its Sunday.  I admired the young couple eating a snack and sitting in this location with an awesome view.  We have decided we will come back later before I leave to view the sakura trees in bloom.

April 1 Katakuri In Full Bloom on Mount Mikamo,Tochigi,Japan

On our way home from many beautiful and fun places today; Ric noticed that many cars were going someplace because of traffic.  The policeman was out stopping traffic so cars could pull into a parking lot.  He did not know what was going on but we pulled in along everybody else.  When we got out of the car a Japanese man told Ric that the Katakuri was in full bloom on the mountain.  Teresa and I followed Ric to walk up the mountain and find the beautiful purple flowers. On the way up the mountain, we saw a building that had a few items for sale in it.  Some people were sitting on bleachers resting and eating from their journey up and down the mountain.  Time for us to keep moving to see the beauty of this magnificent flower.

 As we were moving up the mountain Ric spotted a beautiful flower he called skunk flower.  It looks almost like a jack in the pulpit flower in the USA.  The flower is lovely but not very many of them on the mountain.  This is the only spot we found them.

Oh my goodness, I can now see the stunning purple flowers on the mountain.  Together we have climbed high enough to see them. I have never seen this many flowers before in one area.  I feel so lucky to have witnessed this spectacular sight.  Ric and Teresa said they have been here 5 years and had never seen the Katakuri in bloom.  This was also a rare sighting for them.  Teresa told Ric it was his lucky day :-) and I feel like it was mine too :-)

I saw many, many photographers on the mountain trying to capture the beauty of this beautiful flower-covered mountain.  Teresa and I were right there along with them.  We wanted to capture many pictures of this spectacular sight.

I am going to post here some pictures that I captured during my visit to Mount Mikamo, Japan.

I liked these signs on the restrooms to show men and women's.  

I just can't believe how many places I have been to today.  It's totally amazing to get to go to this many places in one day.  I am starting to get tired and hungry.  We are leaving this beautiful place and going to try and find this coffee house that is located in the country.  It is on our way home maybe Ric will be lucky again and find it.  Teresa and I wanted to stop at a 7~11 to get a beverage, Ric was lucky again he was looking for the last part of a train set which he needed #6.  He found exactly what he was looking for on top of the canned coffee.  Some canned coffees in Japan have toys on top of them.  Ric is saving for his grandchildren.  I bought a double pack of cold coffee also so I could get for my grandchildren.

There was a shrine on the way home that Ric stopped at that has beautiful cherry trees.  We got out and went to look.  The huge cherry tree was not bloomed yet but it was so very close to blooming.  I saw many cars just pull in and look and leave.  It must be a popular place to come see this huge cherry blossom tree.

 Ric is lucky again as he finds the coffee shop that is in the middle of nowhere land but it was closed.  BUT he did find it.