This week, we travel around Japan and visit scenic spots in autumn. Enjoy the view of autumn leaves as you visit various interesting places and try new activities. The superb views and exciting discoveries may even inspire you to compose haikus (a form of Japanese poetry), which reflect your thoughts about the places you visit. Along the way, enjoy some delicious delicacies of the season.

We start with a tour of Lake Biwa in autumn. With a surface area of 674 sq km, it is the largest lake in Japan. It occupies 1/6th of the total area of Shiga Prefecture. Take a 20-minute train ride from Maibara to Omi Hachiman, which is a town east of Lake Biwa. Enjoy the superb view of fields as you travel by bus to Horiki port. After a 30-minute bus ride through peaceful scenery, you will be able to view the beautiful Lake Biwa. It looks more like the sea than a lake, and even has its own port. There are four islands in Lake Biwa. Take a 10-minute ferry ride from Horikiri port to Okishima Island. Nearly 400 people live on this small island, and it takes about 30 minutes to tour the island. This peaceful and charming island is surrounded by mountains, and most people use bicycles instead of cars here. Explore the island to discover interesting sights. Go to the Okishima fishery hall, where you can find local specialities such as Urori which has been caught in Lake Biwa, ayu fish and even boiled seafood in soy. Next, visit a primary school on the island, which still retains its old charm.

Take a ferry and bus back to Omi Hachiman and visit a speciality store which sells the famous Omi beef. For lunch, go to the restaurant located above the store, and enjoy a delicious meal at a reasonable price. Have a Sukiyaki meal, comprising vegetables and meat. You can even try the local speciality, red Konnyaku. After lunch, take a leisurely stroll around Omi Hachiman town, with its Japanese and European influence, and which is supported by the Yawata canal. After this, head to an inn at the other side of the lake. You will come across the Lake Biwa bridge. Completed in 1964, it is 1356m long and connects the narrowest part of the lake. The inn is located at Ogoto spa, a famous hot spring by the lake. The inn is well known for its hot spring - which does wonders for your skin - and its tea ceremony (Kaiseki) dishes with seasonal food. Its rooms feature big windows with a spectacular view of the lake. After indulging in its relaxing hot spring, make your way to the inn’s elegant restaurant for dinner. Enjoy a spread of 10 dishes, including cooked Kawagori fish, Dublin bay prawn, seafood from Tsuruga in Fukui Prefecture, locally-produced vegetables, and Omi beef cooked in a soy milk hot pot (shabu-shabu).

The next morning, make your way up to the north of Lake Biwa. Go to the famous sightseeing spot Ukimi-do in Katata area. It is a small temple built on the lake. It is said that many haiku poets visited this spot. Here you will see a Haiku monument by famous poet Basho Matsuo. A statue of Buddha has been set up in the temple, and attracts many worshippers. After this, continue your journey up north, along the west bank of the lake. Visit Ado River, a town with a long history and culture. As it is a fan frame-producing area, you will come across fan-shaped signs and roofs here. Fan frames are a special product and traditional craft of the town. Go to the road side station, where beautiful fans are displayed in the gallery. Here, you can try your hand at painting a fan using thin black ink, and later you can even write a haiku on the fan. Furthermore, the art work will be framed and sent to you in two weeks! In addition, you will notice a lot of bamboos growing along the Ado River. As Kyoto is not far from here, many Kyoto nobles had second houses in this area and made frames using bamboo. From here, go further north to a small town on the west bank of the lake. You will come across a nice tree-lined road, called Pick Land. Here, you can pick various fruits and vegetables which are in season. Depending on the season, you can choose to pick either chestnuts, sweet potatoes or persimmons, among others. For example, there are 15,000 chestnut trees here. Do remember to wear some gloves though, as picking chestnuts can be quite painful and you may hurt your hands. End your trip to Lake Biwa by enjoying the superb view of the lake and its surroundings.

Our second adventure takes us to Echigo district during the harvest season. The town is located west of Niigata Plain, a famous rice-producing area. From Niigata, take a 45-minute train ride along the JR Echigo Line to Iwamuro Station. Explore the beautiful and peaceful farming village and watch how farmers harvest rice. Rice grains are hung in “hazagake” to dry for between a week to 10 days. Try your hand at harvesting rice. However, do take note that it is tedious, so to avoid straining your back in the process, stand with your legs spread apart. To reward yourself for all the hard work, you can have a packed lunch of freshly-harvested new rice under the clear blue skies. Try the Koshihikari rice which is delicious and sweet. After this, make your way to the famous Mt Yahiko. It is 15 minutes away by train, with connections. On your way to the mountain, drop by the Yahiko Shrine at Ichinomiya. You have to take a ropeway at the back of the shrine to go to the top of the mountain. Enjoy the superb view of the autumn leaves as you make your way up. The mountain is 638m above the sea. You can go to the observation deck for a view of the grain belt of Japan. On a clear day, you even see the Sea of Japan and Sadoga Island.

After this, head to Teradomari, a leading fishing town in Niigata. Take a 15-minute bus ride from the station to the port. Enjoy the scenic view of the sea during the bus ride. You can get lots of seafood from the Sea of Japan at Teradomari Port. Go to Market Street, the best place for fish lovers. Here you can try the area’s speciality, Hamayaki, which is grilled seasonal fish. There is also mackerel and squid. Order some miso soup and rice to accompany your meal. Another speciality is the Banya soup set, which comes with salmon, shrimp and seaweed. After lunch, take the train and head south, along the sea. Go to Izumozaki, known as the birth place of famous Buddhist monk Ryokan. This place has been voted the best scenic spot in Niigata, and has served as an inspiration for many famous people. Basho Matsuo had visited Izumozaki during his trip of Okuno Hosomichi, and composed the haiku “Rough Sea, the Milky Way Lies over Sado Island”. Take a stroll to the town while taking in the beautiful scenery. Visit the Izumozaki history museum, which used to be controlled by the Edo government. Here, you can don historical costumes from the Edo era and get a souvenir photo taken. Later, view the exhibits which tell the history of Izumozaki as a port for northern-bound ships. Even old houses and streets reminiscent of the past are replicated here. Drop by the shops selling local specialities. Later, view a demonstration of traditional kite-making and even learn how paper balloons are made! Izumozaki is famous for its traditional paper balloons. This art work dates back to 1918. As fishing boats couldn’t go out in storms in the winter, fishermen’s wives starting making them as a sideline business. You can even try making some traditional paper balloons and take them home as a souvenir.

After Izumozaki, head to an inn, where you can stay the night. A pick-up bus can be arranged in advance. The Unohama spa in Joetsu City is located by a sea, and boasts refreshing sea breezes. Its bright and spacious rooms feature breathtaking views of the sea. Head down to the beach in front of the hotel and view the magnificent sunset. Next, try the inn’s famous spa, after which you can enjoy a dinner of 14 dishes in the comfort of your room. Feast on Koshihikari rice, fresh snow crab, and mixed sashimi consisting of 12 kinds of local seafood from the Sea of Japan! The next morning, start your day with a bath in the refreshing hot spring. After checking out, take a leisurely stroll to the station. You will see many fig trees along the way. Try some and savour the softness and sweetness of the figs, which are an autumn speciality of the town.

The third adventure starts at Morioka Station, from where you take a 40-minute train ride to Obuke Station. This station is located in the middle of a peaceful rural district. Obuke is the entrance of Hachimantaira. Take a four-minute bus ride from Obuke Station to Hachimantai, a highland town at the foot of the famous Mt Iwate. Rent bicycles to explore the town and view the beautiful autumn leaves. The fresh air and the gorgeous view will relax you instantly. Hachimantai is located in between Iwate and Akita. It is also registered as a National Park. Visit the Ludens Farm, where you can try various interesting activities, such as feeding the cows and goats. The owners of the farm are especially proud of the eggs laid by 400 chickens. They eggs come in different textures and colours. For example, the eggs are beautiful and shiny when the chicken is young, while the shell becomes rough when the chicken gets older. You can even try some delicious fried eggs here. One traditional egg costs 50 yen (S$0.80).