Yesterday I took a trip to an area called Yamagata, about a 2 hour train ride away. Located in the small village is Yamadera, a mountain monastery west of Fukushima. Yamadera has a collection of shrines and temples along the side of a mountain. There are stairs that lead you to the top of the mountain for some breathtaking views of the surrounding mountains and valley. The trees that grow along the sides of the mountain are huge. I was also able to see a few remaining cherry blossom trees since it is much cooler in this part of Japan, where in Tokyo and more Southern regions, the blossom season is finished. We were the only tourists at the mountain- the rest of the visitors were schoolgirls and Japanese residents who had made the pilgrimage to
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