Jinja and Shoga: Life in the Land of the Rising Sun

This past Sunday, we went driving up to a rather well-known suspension bridge. We've gone to this place a few times before, but it's so peaceful up there that I always love going back. I think that the last time we were there was when my brother was visiting, so almost 2 years ago. We went on a weekday then and it was so quiet that we were able to see a bunch of Japanese macaques spying on us from the trees.
Since we went on a weekend this time, there were a lot more people, but it still didn't exactly rival downtown Tokyo or anything.
  The most famous suspension bridge in the area is called 'Yume no Tsuribashi', which directly translates to 'The Dream's Hanging Bridge', basically meaning a hanging bridge of the stuff dreams are made of. I can only assume that the name refers to the location, since it's a really beautiful site.
  We also stopped at at another suspension bridge and a steam locomotive station on the way to Yume no Tsuribashi. I've been told that riding the SL line when fall foliage is at its peak is an unforgettable experience, but tickets usually sell out well in advance, so I don't know if we'll get to it this year or not. We do have a trip to Kyoto and my brother's visit (his second trip here) coming up next month, though, so I doubt that there will be a shortage of photos in the weeks to come!


            A not-so-famous suspension bridge. It was pretty long and crossed over the river, not something I'd recommend for those of us afraid of heights!

With these feet, who needs a canoe??                                                                                                     
                    One of the hotels near the bridge


                                             The reservoir


                 Yume no Tsuribashi

Just before crossing the bridge                                       





                               Yume no Tsuribashi is just ahead and out of sight