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Looks familiar but cant place a name to it. Will put on my thinking cap

Tsugaike Kogen

That it is. Named after (and co-developed by the owners of) Hunter Mountain ski area in New York, USA.   Over to you, Muikabochi.

To stop the ping ponging between me and MO I haven't put any anwers in for this one. However if no one has got it by tomorrow morning I'll answer it.

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And the prize goes to Winter Vacation: Biwako Valley, Otsu, Shiga Prefecture.

 

Hints:

 

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--The surface of Lake Biwa was once plied by Oda Nobunaga’s medieval floating fortress, and in the previous millennium, by Emperor Tenji’s long boat.

 

 

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--The statue is of Yang Guifei, consort to Tang Emperor Xuanzong and one of the 4 great beauties of ancient China, known in Japan as Yokihi (楊貴妃), and believed by some to have escaped execution by fleeing to Japan – there is even a grave purported to be hers at a temple in Yamaguchi prefecture.

 

But she is not the hint.

 

The hint is what she holds in her hands: the lute-like instrument known in Chinese as a pipa, and in Japanese as a biwa (琵琶) – same characters as in the name of the lake (琵琶湖).

 

 

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--The skies above the surface of Lake Biwa are filled with human-powered flying machines every year during the annual Japan International Birdman Rally; Leonardo would surely have been thrilled.

 

 

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--The depths below the surface of the lake are home to the Biwa Trout (ビワマス).

 

 

Negative hints (crossed out with big, red batsu marks):

 

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--The name of the lake and ski area has nothing whatsoever to do with the biwa (枇杷) fruit tree.

 

 

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--The official name of the resort is written びわ湖バレイ, not B輪子バレエ.

 

 

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--The name of the resort is rendered in English as Biwako Valley, not Bee Whack-O! Vallée.

 

 

Back to a positive hint:

 

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--Emperor Tenji, author of the first poem in the Hyakunin Isshu collection, moved the capital of Japan to what is now Otsu City in 667 AD -- where it remained only until his death in 672.

 

Take it away, Winter Vacation!

 

 

(Phew!)

 

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