Let’s Go Natural in Tohoku

Onsen (温泉) is the Japanese name for a hot spring; the term also extends to cover the bathing facilities and traditional inns frequently situated around a hot spring. Onsens come in many types and shapes, including outdoor (露天風呂 or 野天風呂, roten-buro or noten-buro) and indoor baths (内湯, uchiyu).

Guests are not normally allowed to wear swimsuits in the baths.

Winter is the coldest season of the year in polar and temperate zones.

The Tōhoku region (東北地方, Tōhoku-chihō), Northeast region, or Northeast Japan (東北日本, Tōhoku-nihon) consists of the northeastern portion of Honshu, the largest island of Japan. This traditional region consists of six prefectures (ken): Akita, Aomori, Fukushima, Iwate, Miyagi, and Yamagata.

Iwate Prefecture (岩手県, Iwate-ken) is a prefecture of Japan located in the Tōhoku region of Honshu.

The Go-Bang’s were a three-piece Japanese all-female band active in the late 1980s and early 1990s.

JR East operates all of the Shinkansen, high-speed rail lines, north of Tokyo, except the Hokkaido Shinkansen, which is operated by JR Hokkaido.

JR Central’s Home-Town Express 1988

The Central Japan Railway Company (東海旅客鉄道株式会社 Tōkai Ryokaku Tetsudō Kabushiki-gaisha) is the main railway company operating in the Chūbu (Nagoya) region of central Japan. It is officially abbreviated in English as JR Central and in Japanese as JR Tōkai (JR東海).

Eri Fukatsu (深津 絵里 Fukatsu Eri, born 11 January 1973) is a Japanese actress. From 1988 to 1992, she starred in “Christmas Express” commercials for the Central Japan Railway Company.

Melodies is the studio album recorded by a Japanese singer-songwriter Tatsuro Yamashita, released in June 1983. The most well-known song appeared on Melodies is “Christmas Eve”. The song did not receive much attention when it was released on 12-inch single in December 1983, but it was widely recognized through a television advertisement by the Central Japan Railway Company aired during the late 1980s.

The moonwalk is a dance move in which the dancer moves backwards while seemingly walking forwards.

Take JR Tokai to Kyoto’s Cherry Blossoms

The Philosopher’s Walk (哲学の道 Tetsugaku-no-michi, lit. Path of Philosophy) is a pedestrian path that follows a cherry-tree-lined canal in Kyoto, between Ginkaku-ji and Nanzen-ji. The walk is a popular destination for tourists and locals, especially during hanami.

Kamigamo Shrine (上賀茂神社 Kamigamo Jinja) is an important Shinto sanctuary on the banks of the Kamo River in north Kyoto, first founded in 678.

Ninna-ji (仁和寺 Ninna-ji) is the head temple of the Omuro school of the Shingon Sect of Buddhism. Located in western Kyoto, Japan, it was founded in AD 888 by the retired Emperor Uda. Most of the surviving buildings date from the 17th century, and include a five-story pagoda and an orchard of dwarf cherry trees.

Tō-ji (東寺 Tō-ji) (East Temple) is a Buddhist temple of the Shingon sect in Kyoto, Japan. The grounds feature a garden and pond, in which turtles and koi swim.

Daigo-ji (醍醐寺 Daigo-ji) is a Shingon Buddhist temple in Fushimi-ku, Kyoto, Japan. More than seven centuries after its founding, Toyotomi Hideyoshi held a famous cherry blossom viewing party called Daigo no hanami in 1598 at the Sambō-in sub-temple.

The Heian Shrine (平安神宮 Heian-jingū) is a Shinto shrine located in Sakyō-ku, Kyoto, Japan. The Japanese-style garden takes up about half the land area (approximately 33060 m2).

The Central Japan Railway Company (東海旅客鉄道株式会社 Tōkai Ryokaku Tetsudō Kabushiki-gaisha) is the main railway company operating in the Chūbu (Nagoya) region of central Japan. It is officially abbreviated in English as JR Central and in Japanese as JR Tōkai (JR東海).