SHIOBARA, Japan — In travel, timing can be everything. A successful trip is often determined by the weather or the cultural calendar. In the hot spring town of Shiobara, in Japan’s Tochigi prefecture, the season is the key.
Spring is pleasant in Shiobara, as new green leaves invigorate the valley. Summer offers pleasant walking, cycling and cool bathing in shallow rock pools along the Hokigawa River. But it is in autumn that the area comes into its glory. Adding to the picturesque aspect of the so-called Valley Line walking trail, which follows the river out of town, is a series of small but delightful waterfalls and rock clusters in the riverbed that creates white water effects.
