Going through some photos, I was able to revisit some of the more memorable moments of my trip to Japan earlier this year.
For example, the time I visited Genkai Quasi National Park a beautiful spot in Fukuoka that had a strong resemblance to, but may not actually have been, a national park.
There was the time that I saw a “Saw a curry fault bread.”
And a shrine one could pray at in a barcalounger.
There was the also the fact that we had record snowfall while in Tokyo which left the cities drainage system in a rather unhappy state.
Yeah Benjamin, Japan is awesome and the japanese people is one of the best! |o/ Here my thoughts and pictures too http://goo.gl/bnHQQm
“quasi-national park” seems to be an accepted translation of 国定公園 (as opposed to “proper” national parks: 国立公園) ; it’s given in the dictionary (kenkyusha shin-waei daijiten) and used by the Ministry of Environment http://www.env.go.jp/en/nature/nps/park/doc/files/parksystem.pdf
Of course it seems strange to English-speakers unaware of the distinction.
Wikipedia suggests that they are “of a slightly lesser beauty, size, diversity, or state of preservation, are recommended for ministerial designation and managed by the Prefectures under the supervision of the Ministry [of the Environment]” as opposed to proper national parks which are in principle managed directly by the Ministry.