Driving Japan Through the Seasons
Spring in Hakone, where my friend easily beat me at collecting petals beneath the cherry blossoms at night, and winter in Aso, where I was so taken with a slender, frost-covered branch that I couldn't bring myself to get up. Every place looked different with the seasons; even the height of my gaze seemed to shift. Put the views side by side, and I can feel that day's chill again and hear our laughter.
Image Gallery
Road TripImage Gallery
Scroll through illustrations of driving spots across Japan. (777 images)
Roadside Stations & Expressway Rest Areas
Stops to Make on Your Drive: Roadside Stations & Expressway Rest Areas
One summer, I leaned in close to a bag of freshly baked bread and couldn't wait until I reached Tsunoshima to try it. One spring, from the middle of the sea, I watched the setting sun touch the very top of Mt. Fuji. These are the roadside stations and expressway rest areas I stopped at along the way—and found myself wanting to visit again. (5 locations)
Hakone, Kanagawa Prefecture
Hakone
I’ve driven up Hakone time and again on National Route 1. I know the road well, but with every change of season, it shows me a side I’ve never seen before. Along with the seasonal scenery, I’ve gathered stories of travelers who once crossed this pass on foot, the dragon legend of Lake Ashi, and the legend that a black egg adds “7 years” to your life.
Nikko City, Tochigi Prefecture
Nikko
The bends on Irohazaka have signs reading “i”, “ro” and “ha”. I love collecting national-road signs, so even before setting off, I opened a map and traced the bends while imagining the characters. I climbed calmly with my eyes ahead, then looked down from the lookout at the road I’d take back. Thinking that those bends were next made my heart lift.
Aso City and Takamori, Kumamoto Prefecture
Aso
From the Milk Road along the outer rim, I caught sight of the towns and rice fields spread across the caldera floor all at once. "I didn't know Aso was this vast," I heard myself say. Along with grassland scenes from every season, I've gathered stories of Aso Shrine's tower gate, rebuilt after the Kumamoto earthquake, and the legend of Ugetoiwa, the enormous opening through a mountain.
