One of my favourite "hiking" courses is to walk up Futatabi Mountain. On this day the flowers were trees were beginning to bloom and this Magnolia tree looked magnificent in the clear morning sky.
I have been teaching English as a second language for over 20 years in Japan and Canada. What keeps me in Japan is the love of its culture, which constantly surprises me. I am also fascinated with "alternative travel", or "travel off the beaten path". Ferries and trains are my mode of choice... airplane for convenience.