Japan - Daisetsuzan National Park

A couple of days after my brother's wedding, my parents, brother, new sister-in-law and I hired a car and travelled to Daisetsuzan National Park, which is sort of in the centre of Hokkaido and a bit to the north. On the way there, we stopped at Biei to see some flowers and pretty landscapes.

Biei flowers

Famous tree in Biei
(it featured in a commercial)

We stayed the first night at Asahi Onsen. It was my first onsen experience. For those uninitiated in the ways of onsen, onsens are hot tubs/pools full of hot spring water of often varying temperatures. Men and women are separated into different rooms, you strip naked, shower yourself clean and then relax in the baths with a bunch of other naked (in my case) women. It was a bit awkward at first (nothing says "welcome to the family" like stripping naked and bathing with your new sister-in-law) but then I just sort of forget that I was naked. It was just like lounging in a hot tub.

The next day my brother, sister-in-law and I climbed up Asahi-dake (Hokkaido's tallest mountain, also a volcano with active steam/gas vents). As a disclaimer, we took the ropeway half way up and then walked the rest of the way ourselves. It was steep and tiring but beautiful. We then walked our way through some mountains, around a crater and down to another ropeway that took us to Sounkyo, where my parents were waiting to drive us to our hotel. It was a great walk with beautiful weather and scenery. There was a bit of a panic to make it down in time to catch the last ropeway of the day to Sounkyo but it all worked out in the end. There was another onsen in the hotel we stayed at in Sounkyo but I was too tired to go - I just took a shower and went to bed.



Asahi-dake from top of ropeway

Neighbouring mountains

View down from top of Asahi-dake

Trail scenery



Crater scenery



More crater scenery

On our last day, we explored the Sounkyo Canyon for a while before heading back to Sapporo. It's a very dramatic canyon with tall waterfalls and steep rock faces. I also discovered a new hobby of photographing butterflies and flowers!

Waterfall

River



Pretty river walls

Butterfly

Butterfly

Flower



Butterfly and flower!