Yatsugatake. The only ice climbing com I have witnessed, that included a multi hour trek-in. But that only added to a charm, and the environment at the base of an old vulcano, was beautiful.
Yuji Emoto, a young mounain guide, trained in France and has plenty of climbing/expedition experience in his record..
Family of the victor - The guy was the only one to send all the routes, and made the routesetters happy.
At the end a routesetter climbed aswell, this one with a pierced finger that only a tightly put bandage stopped from me from bleeding like a particularly generous blood donator.

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Urban fell sick on the first day in Yatsugatake. So he spent most of his time lying in bed, under a heated pillow, with high temeprature and headache. He didn't missed much, because of bad weather and the blowing snow, while we sprayed around with colour paintsprays.

After Urban ate a few small yellowish pills of disputable origin, he got almost instantively well, and the next day he was happily jumping around, taking shots and climbing

 
For a bit of a change - the incoming spring in the vicinity of Yokohama. Far at the back lies Fujiyama..

The last two climbing days were spent in the area around Nagano, climbing with Cveto, and depending largely to his truck to shorten otherwise long approaches.

We made some fast ascents in both days and even a short first ascent.
A bivouac place, a night before a ski-run to the next ice climbing spot.
We did two more 100 metres icefalls, some already in late-season condition, but all in all great enjoyable climbs. Had we had a few more days, there were a few more crags to explore. But we had to run.

Less than two hours after this shot was taken, we were sitting on a bullet train, dashing 150 mph to Tokyo.

 
We went due south, while Cveto had his business to attend in the next few days, guiding his clients to nearby snow peaks. Good luck, and thanks for everything!
Then, there was just roaring of engines, while we sat in our seats, spent, but happy, that the last thriller had a happy end: it spoke about a concealing 45 kilos of baggage, about a ruthless young trainee at the counter who almost coused a major crisis which was prevented by a broadminded supervisor who finally gave us a go-ahead clearance, despite our apparent excess of all kinds of luggage. Thanks for that. All that remained then was to stuck ourselves in our seats and wait for the last sushi.