Gunma / Niigata / Nagano Part 1

My sister in law is back for the summer so we decided to go on a little road trip together.

There's quite a few spots myself and Sayako have been wanting to visit in the mountainous prefectures (which isn't saying much because all prefectures in Japan are mountainous) north, west of Tokyo. So we borrowed one of the Warners cars and made a weekend of it.

In part one of this post you can see photos from:

Shorinzan Daruma-ji Temple - Temple with services blessing daruma; colourful wooden dolls that are used as good luck charms.
Hoshitouge Terraced Rice Field - a much photographed rice field, known for its tiered, rolling terraces.
Echigo-Tsumari Satoyama Museum of Contemporary Art - a modern exhibition space for art & illustration, with a central pool, a cafe & onsen baths.