August | 2017 | Ukrainian Tom

With my family in the U.S. for a summer break, I ventured farther outside of Tokyo over three successive weekends. Mid-July took me to the Mt. Fuji area…

… which started at Mt. Fuji Speedway for the BMW Motorsport Festival.

…where customers could experience the thrill of driving an M Powered car on the famed track…

…in the shadow of Mt. Fuji.

It was an enthusiast’s paradise.

From there, I ventured to the Fuji 5 lakes region…

…where I explored three caves created over centuries by lava flow from Mt. Fuji eruptions.

This is known as the “Bat Cave.” I did not see any bats (they were sleeping deeper inside the cave)…

…however, the museum nearby provided plenty of exhibits and photos.

Two other caves are known for ice. There are some 80 caves in the area (but only 3 are open to the public).

Just outside a cave, I spotted this unique treat. I like corn, and I like ice cream, but I passed-up this opportunity to mix the two flavors.

This beautiful scene can be found just south of Mt. Fuji.

The water flows from the many lava crevices across the ridge.

The following weekend took me to western Japan where my journey started here, in a capsule hotel.

Started in 1979, capsule hotels were created for over-worked salarymen who needed a bit of sleep before starting the next day. My “room” cost 3780 JPY ($34 USD).

The capsules are equipped with a 1980’s TV and a pre-digital AM / FM radio, with an old-fashioned dial (turn the knob and manually fine-tune the signal). Youngsters, ask your parents.

The capsule was comfortable, however, I did not anticipate the individual early alarms which began at 4:00 am and continued every 15 minutes, which was followed by footsteps down the hallway. But those distractions could not compare with the surround-sound symphony of snoring. Trust me, the sounds men enjoying their slumber is not music to the ears.

Like most capsule hotels, this is a men’s-only facility with a public bath, fed by a natural hot spring. I enjoyed the experience, despite the lack of sleep.

From there, I boarded a train, and then a ferry to reach Naoshima Island, known as “Art Island.” The first art attraction greets visitors at the port.

Artist Yayoi Kusama is widely known for polka-dotted pumpkins.

This bus brought me to the other side of the island…

… for another pumpkin.

Her work is also featured in the new shopping complex, Ginza Six (in Tokyo).

Art is everywhere on Naoshima Island…

…and in all kinds of forms.

Naoshima has three primary museums, one which includes the work of Yukinori Yanagi, known for “The World Flag Ant Farm,” which features 170 national flags.

Each flag is made of colored sand and filled with ants. Over the course of the exhibition the ants build a network of tunnels in each flag and travel to neighboring flags. In doing so, the ants break down the design (i.e. the nation itself) and the borders between the nations.

Walter De Maria was featured in another museum with this granite sphere (2.2 meters in diameter or more than 7 feet). Very impressive.

Two more ferry rides brought me to Shodoshima Island, known for rice patties…

…and olive oil, inspired by Greek culture.

The next day involved a bus, ferry and train which brought me to the western shores of Tattori…

… and the Sand Museum.

This year’s theme is USA.

The detail is phenomenal.

Everything you see here is carved from sand.

This famous depiction of Washington crossing the Delaware was carved by a Russian artist. [Please see bonus photos for more sculptures.]

This exhibit was found outside the museum (remember, this blog is apolitical).

The third weekend started at 6:00 am, at Tokyo Station, where I found myself on a 3+ hour Shinkansen (bullet train) to Aomori, the northern most prefecture on the main island of Japan. [Note: this train split partway along the journey to serve different corridors.]