Amariyama (Mt. Amari) is an unforgettable place for me. It is located in Yamanashi Prefecture, some 120 km west of Tokyo. The altitude of the summit is 1,731 meters above sea level, not as high as the surrounding mountains, but it is famous in spite of its altitude, because there is a large natural community of Japanese azaleas.
When I visited there last year, a full blown Japanese azalea community was seen in the vicinity of the summit. Tangerine colored blossoms showed up the light green colored leaves. It was indeed beautiful, but the only problem was the weather... it was rainy and misty.
This summer, I visited Amariyama again with my family. I chose a double occasion day of the full blown Japanese azaleas and fine weather. It was the best day to visit there this year. We could enjoy viewing lovely flowers backed by a blue sky and Mt. Fuji.
To visit this reputable viewing spot, we took the JR East Chuo Line and got off at Nirasaki Station. As I didn't have an opportunity to take train photos on the way to Nirasaki, I am going to show you the picture, which I took the other day on the Chuo Line. You can see a local train of the EMU 115 series (Nagano color), passing through the famous Shin-Katsuragawa Bridge near Torisawa Station. It is the longest bridge (513 m long) on the line, and is a famous location among rail fans to shoot photos of the Chuo Line trains.
When I visited there last year, a full blown Japanese azalea community was seen in the vicinity of the summit. Tangerine colored blossoms showed up the light green colored leaves. It was indeed beautiful, but the only problem was the weather... it was rainy and misty.
This summer, I visited Amariyama again with my family. I chose a double occasion day of the full blown Japanese azaleas and fine weather. It was the best day to visit there this year. We could enjoy viewing lovely flowers backed by a blue sky and Mt. Fuji.
To visit this reputable viewing spot, we took the JR East Chuo Line and got off at Nirasaki Station. As I didn't have an opportunity to take train photos on the way to Nirasaki, I am going to show you the picture, which I took the other day on the Chuo Line. You can see a local train of the EMU 115 series (Nagano color), passing through the famous Shin-Katsuragawa Bridge near Torisawa Station. It is the longest bridge (513 m long) on the line, and is a famous location among rail fans to shoot photos of the Chuo Line trains.
