(squash houtou)

This dish is said to be the favorite of warlord Takeda Shingen (1521-1573) and his troops. He is a very powerful feudal lord during the Sengoku (warring states) period.

Near the base of Mt. Fuji is a village called Oshino mura (Minamitsuru district, Yamanashi Prefecture) where you can find the most beautiful natural ponds formed hundreds of years ago by spring water from Mt. Fuji.

The place where the ponds are located is called Oshinohakkai, which literally translates to "eight springs of Oshino".

The waters of the spring are unbelievably clear. You can see all the way to the bottom. A varied collection of underwater plants and colorful fishes (the large kois are amazing) inhabit the ponds.

You can take a sip of the fresh spring water if you fancy it.

It amazing how the place is preserved. Knowing the Japanese, the springs will still be in their pristine state decades from now.

(from a viewing station half-way to the top)

When we got to the viewing station there was a throng of tourist snapping souvenir shots and photographers with their tripods in prime locations, waiting for the light to be just right. One even left this camera mounted on a tripod out on the snow while he waits inside his car.

(Francis, taking his share of shots, and Mr. Nishimoto, enjoying the morning sun)

We stayed there for about an hour before heading down the mountain. Dark clouds are building up on this side so our host suggested we head to the other lakes . There are five lakes in Fujigoko - one down four more to go :)

(panorama shot - 3 photos, heading down the mountain)

More photos at my Flickr

Mt. Fuji is the most dominant landmark in Japan. Its majestic peak is visible even from central Tokyo on a clear day. Its also the most photographed mountain in the world. However few foreigners probably know that there is more to Fujisan than just the mountain. The area around the base of the mountain (called Fujigoko, in the Yamanashi prefecture) is home to five scenic lakes.



The lake was frozen that time as one would expect it to be during winter =D. The air was freezing but it did not stop folks from fishing on the lake. It certaintly did not stop us from taking a couple of shots. Ok maybe not just a couple of shots :D


Lake Yamanaka is the biggest of the five lakes. It is also the third highest lake in Japan (at 980 meters above sea).

One of my friends could not resist walking on the frozen lake. Its not everyday that a guy from a tropical country gets to step on ice on a frozen lake. He was amusingly watching another guy skating near him. The ice was thick enough to support a man's weight but I didn't dare, not the gear I have :). Or maybe I saw too many movies that I was afraid my first few seconds on ice would be followed with the sounds "craaaakkk, splashhhh!, aahhhhh, helpppp!". :D

So one night (around midnight), with two of my friends in tow, I set out to take photos of vendo machines around Akishima. Oh did I mention it was a very cold winter's night? It must have been below zero because I cannot feel my hands and ears. Ah, the stuff we do for a couple of photos ....




They also took it a step further. In small restaurants, ordering machines such as the one below are very common.


This takes care of the language barrier when ordering items in the menu. Saves you the trouble of explaining what you want to the waiter/waitress, that is IF you know how to operate one of these.

It isn't very hard actually. Just pop in a couple of bills (and/or coins), cover your eyes with one hand and start pressing some buttons with the other. Little coupons will pop out. Hand them over to a waiter/waitress and wait for your food. If you are lucky, you'll have a dinner you won't forget =D

See other views of the world in That's My World.

Six (6) images, just in time for the Chinese New Year! Last January 1 I had 8 images in Picture Perfect. Is there another new year this year? =D

It snowed hard on my last day in Akishima. I have to catch a plane to Seoul that day and to do that I have walk to the train station, then to the bus station for the airport bus. Sounds simple, and with the snow, sounds even exciting.
(photo by Francis Atendido, who had the courage to take out his camera. Check out his blog at libot.blogspot.com)

Snow can be fun. But not if you are dragging a 20-kilo suitcase.
The rollers don't work too well on thick snow. Instead of rolling, my suitcase is literally plowing so I have to carry it most of the time. I didn't count how many times I swore that morning.

One could also easily forget that snow is made of water. So what do you get when you are covered in snow and you go inside a warm place? A nice cold bath!