OUT & ABOUT
Eighty-five minutes by the fastest bullet train from Tokyo Station to Nagano Station. Transfer to the Shinetsu Line for the 35-minute journey to Kurohime Station. It’s a 15-minute taxi ride to Lake Nojiri.
Resort House Spinnaker www.ngn.janis.or.jp/~spin
Take the Kanetsu and Joshinetsu expressways from Tokyo. The journey takes around 4 hours.
Lake Nojiri Marina Tel: 026-2582629 www.avis.ne.jp/~nojiriko
Hotel Fuyosou http://park7.wakwak.com/~fuyosou/ Nojiriko Hotel El Bosco www.nojirikohotel-elbosco.com
M-Planning Windsurfing School http://mplanning.jimdo.com
Shinano Town www.shinano-machi.com Myoko-Hakuba-Nozawa Guide http://myokokogen.net
LAKE NOJIRI
Lake Nojiri Association http://nlaweb.com
TOKYO
endeavor and a lot of equipment is necessary. Nevertheless, I noticed a more relaxed method as well. One laid-back fisherman slept in his van on the lakeshore while his three cast fishing rods rested against a nearby wall. Once everyone has finally woken up, wander down to Resort House Spinnaker to try a new water sport. From canoes and motorboats to windsurfers and Jet Skis, all manner of water transport can be rented at this lodge and marine sports hub. There is even a windowless party craft, shaped like a can of spam, with a hole in the middle for fishing. Our family was introduced to two new sports in Nojiri: wakeboarding and the Hawaiian pursuit of standup paddleboarding. Since the lake is pretty calm and secluded, it’s well suited for learning a new activity. For families with older kids, I definitely recommend wakeboarding. For only ¥3,800 per person, an experienced (and patient) instructor took us out on the lake and worked with us until we could all stand on the board. It was definitely a crowd-pleaser.
Many prehistoric Jomon ruins and ice age artifacts have been discovered in the Nojiri area and there is a small museum that boasts an impressive array of fossils. The Lake Nojiri Naumann Elephant Museum features fossils of the mammoth-like Naumann Elephant and Big-Horned Deer, which roamed the area 40,000 years ago. Other activities in the area include several small ski stations. In late August, we visited the Kurohime Kogen Snow Park, which was hosting a flower festival. The ski lifts were working, so it was possible to enjoy an easy hike down the slope. If you travel by car, be sure to stop at one of the local farm stands to try the roasted corn on the cob. And the delicious local tomatoes and peaches will make the journey back to the sprawl a little easier to bear. o Former Club Member Colacurcio-Cahierre and her family relocated to the United States last month.
Explorations beyond the Club 39