Loading...

Jul 14, 2020

Where do you play?

It's easy to keep your social distance when you live in the countryside (by easy I only mean the physical part). We're going hiking in the Kirishima mountains regularly. Where do you go if you live far from the mountains and the sea? What are your biggest worries and your biggest troubles in the time of (lifted) lockdown? Below is a photo from the top of Ebinodake from our last trip.

Kobakko

Kobakko

Always on the move.

23 Answers



  • TonetoEdo

    on Jul 14

    I console myself with the local park and bicycle rides to the Edo River, both of which are close by. I don't know when I'll be able to take a train journey of more than 15 minutes to a location other than work. I tolerate my brief commute because the train isn't packed on my stretch of the route, and the windows are open in every car. I also avoid touching any surface while onboard. I can't imagine riding on a crowded train, doing norikae through throngs of people.

    0
  • genkidesu

    on Jul 14

    Mt Botan and the Mizunashi River are favorites in Minamiuonuma. Plenty of open space though, so social distancing isn't difficult in these parts!

    0
  • JapanRamen

    on Jul 14

    I have been imagining trips in my head and thinking about how "I can't wait to travel to Hokkaido again..., but for now, I will be patient and wait!" So I haven't really been anywhere to play, and I am hoping that my patience will be enough to last until it is actually safe out there.

    0
  • BigfamJapan

    on Jul 14

    We are very lucky that we live in the countryside. We are unfortunately miles from the sea, but we have dozens of rivers, hills and mountains where we have been hanging out since the outbreak began. We haven't been anywhere indoors (except a cabin we rented one night) since early March. Thank goodness for Mother Nature's playground :-)

    0
  • Kobakko

    on Jul 15

    @TonetoEdo Commuting must be tough, but I guess there's no way around it. Not touching anything seems difficult. A park and a river in close vicinity sounds nice!!

    0
  • Kobakko

    on Jul 15

    @genkidesu Minamiuonuma looks like a nice place!! I love that you can see seas of clouds (unkai sounds way more intruiging) in the mountains nearby. If Niigata wasn't that far away, I'd stop by after everything's calmed down.

    0
  • genkidesu

    on Jul 15

    @Kobakko it's beautiful, but we definitely get a lot of rain and typically a lot of snow in winter! Those clouds hit the mountains and then dump down on us!

    0
  • Kobakko

    on Jul 15

    @JapanRamen Yeah, I guess we're all traveling in our heads!

    0
  • Kobakko

    on Jul 15

    @genkidesu Brrrrr. I'm used to the sun smoldering down on me. But I guess snow would be nice for a change. I'd have to buy additional warm clothes though...

    0
  • Kobakko

    on Jul 15

    @Saitama Right, I remember you "breaking the law" on day two of the lockdown, haha! I guess with kids it's hard to stay inside. You may be far from the sea, but it sounds like you're blessed with awesome surrounding nature!!

    0
  • ReishiiTravels

    on Jul 15

    For me I have limited myself to parks and walks. Just recently my dance class of five people have started back up. I go to that too. We all stand really far apart and wear masks. I can't wait to be able to go out and about again.

    0
  • Kobakko

    on Jul 15

    @ReishiiTravels I hear you!! Being out and about in my vicinity alone is something I am looking forward to! Don't even mention traveling! It's nice that your dance class has restarted. I guess with 5 people keeping the proper distance, there's not too much to worry about.

    1
  • genkidesu

    on Jul 15

    @Kobakko haha, that's the hard part. We had to completely revise our winter wardrobes when we moved here from Tokyo!

    0
  • TonetoEdo

    on Jul 16

    @Kobakko A Mercifully short commute of 15 minutes and my route is not crowded. There are a few big green spaces in the Northern Chiba region - Teganuma Marsh in Kashiwa, 21st Century Park in Matsudo, and a cycling road that runs along the Tone and Edo Rivers.

    0
  • Kobakko

    on Jul 20

    @genkidesu Oh, no! That sounds quite expensive. Especially as a family...

    0
  • genkidesu

    on Jul 20

    @Kobakko with growing children who need snowsuits and boots replaced every year, it can be! My husband and my own stuff is holding up well, though, and thankfully countryside living affords some other savings that make up for the costs.

    0
  • Kobakko

    on Jul 20

    @TonetoEdo The trains in this region of Japan are often "kashikiri". But still, not touching anything is probably a good idea. The parks look very nice! Some of the photos I found online made me wish I could make better use of the upcoming holidays...

    0
  • Kobakko

    on Jul 20

    @genkidesu It's definitely true that the countryside allows for some savings.

    0
  • TonetoEdo

    on Jul 21

    @Kobakko I’m so grateful now for all the green space here in Chiburbia. I miss going to Tokyo, but at least I’ve got flowers and fresh air here. Oh, and another urban oasis I love to visit within Tokyo is Mizumoto Park. It’s the biggest in Tokyo. Search City Cost and you’ll see I wrote about it.

    0
  • edthethe

    on Jul 31

    I wish I could make it out to the mountains!!! we just go to the park and bike around town. my son is learning to bike so can't go far...yet.

    0
  • MommyRam

    on Aug 7

    Our place is a few minutes drive to the city park but it gets crowded especially on nice weather days. Good thing we found some mini parks around the area that doesn’t get crowded at all. Also, a few steps from our house is a big open where summer festivals, flea markets and other events are held. On regular days, people can freely go there for leisure. It is big enough to bike around or play soccer.

    0
  • neko

    on Sep 6

    I have only been walking to stations that are of walkable distance. In a way, it is nice as I get to focus on enjoying the residential side of Japan, but I am ready for all this to be over!

    0
  • Sanrio

    on Oct 3

    Haven't been out much, but one way I am connecting with my friends is by playing board games with them on www.boardgamearena.com. We stick to the free games!

    0

Awaiting More Answers

4 Answers

"Pocket money" sites?

With Christmas under 100 days away, it's a time of year where I really try to increase any extra earnings I can make for my household -- obviously there's a lot more outgoing expenses for those of us that celebrate at the tail end of the year. Back when I was a university student in my home country, there were lots of different market research survey sites where you could earn a bit of extra cash and be paid either via direct deposit to your bank account or with gift cards for supermarkets and the like. Does anyone know of any similar sites like that here? Obviously I'm not expecting tons of cash from any of them, but hey -- anything extra helps!

genkidesu

on Sep 19

7 Answers

Otsukimi dishes for September 17th

Otsukimi, autumn moon viewing, falls on September 17th in 2024. What variations of tsukimi dishes do you prepare at home? Something with udon or soba or a fusion dish?

TonetoEdo

on Sep 15

6 Answers

Izu Islands exploration!

Genkidesu asked about Hachijojima, a place I've visited twice. Has anybody else explored the other islands in the Izu chain? What do you recommend for a solo traveler? A couple or family?

TonetoEdo

on Sep 5

7 Answers

Is your locale suffering from overtourism or is it...crickets?

I've lived on the periphery of Tokyo, commuted in for some years, and finally pulled back. Is the city or region you live in crowded with tourists from abroad or is it an off-the-beaten track location? Do the claims of "overtourism" ring true to you or do you think it's overblown?

TonetoEdo

on Aug 16