15/02/2020 / Last updated : 18/03/2023 d.d Hiking / Walking

Lake Utonai and around Mt.Yotei ウトナイ湖、羊蹄山

June 2019, Lake Utonai The morning in Mukawa Shiki no Sato breaks bright and warm. We are near the ferry port but our ferry leaves tomorrow night. So, with two days to fill we head inland towards Sapporo, or at least Chitose, to Lake Utonai. This lakeside boasts six walking courses and a bird sanctuary. Lake Utonai is apparently a stopover for migratory birds and over 250 different species can be seen, during presumably in spring and autumn. As we approach Chitose along R.36 in rush hour we meet more traffic than we have seen in weeks. Eventually, we arrive at the michi no eki Lake Utonai. Here we find […]

13/10/2019 / Last updated : 01/02/2023 d.d Temple / Shrine

Koya Ryujin Skyline; Gomadansan, Koyasan Okuno-in　高野龍神スカイライン

November 2018, Koya Ryujin Skyline Obviously, Ryujin michi no eki is silent as the grave with only a little more light. The 24 hour toilet is terrible. The door to the handicapped facility is broken and does not close. I cannot recommend the place for shachuhaku. Of course, it is possible to stay, just lower your expectations Koyasan is our destination for the day and we drive the Koya Ryujin skyline (R.371). This is a good road, of sweeping views, from Ryujin to Koyasan Okunoin. Gomadansan (Mt.Gomadan) 護摩壇山 Along the skyline, at Gomadansan, the second highest mountain in Wakayama, we stop to take a short walk through the beech woods […]

08/09/2019 / Last updated : 02/02/2023 d.d Hiking / Walking

Tsurugisan – Climbing Mount Tsurugi　剣山

November 7th. 2018 Tsurugisan 剣山 A clear, pink dawn as we set off for Tsurugisan (Mt.Tsurugi). We drive about 40 kilometres along R.438. and arrive at the chair lift station, ‘Minokoshi’, before 10 am. under a blue, blue sky in warm sunshine. The chair lift ticket is 1860-yen return, but it whisks you up from 1,420 metres to 1,750 metres in 15 mins. The summit is 1,955 metres. There are 4 courses to the top from the chair lift station ‘Nishijima’. We avoid the Ridge course – it being the shortest and most popular – and take the Yuhodo course. This is longer about 2km and, as we later discover, […]

02/09/2019 / Last updated : 02/02/2023 d.d Hiking / Walking

Climbing Mt. Ishizuchi　石鎚山

November 1st. 2018, Tenku no sato San san michi-no-eki. Tenku no sato San san is a good michi-no-eki to spend the night. It is quiet, and the toilet is ok. There is a village loud speaker announcement at 6.30 am but we were up early anyway to set off for Ishizuchisan. We pick up onigiri for lunch at the Lawson across the road and follow Route 12 to the Ishizuchi skyline. Tsuchigoya　土小屋 There are a few climbing routes to Mt.Ishizuchi. One of route (Omotesando) requires a Ropeway and Lift to reach the starting point at 1280m. Tsuchigoya route’s starting point is at 1492m and probably an hour shorter walk than […]

06/07/2019 / Last updated : 31/01/2023 d.d Hiking / Walking

Hiking on Mt. Tateyama　立山

October 2017, When we get up around am 6.45, after a very wet night, it is overcast but dry and much brighter over Mt. Tateyama. After our usual breakfast, we walk 5 minutes to Tateyama station and buy round trip cable car and bus tickets. We wait, only about 10 minutes, and board the cable car at 8. 30am. As some bus groups have already arrived, it is fairly busy. Hiking Tateyama The cable car ride takes only 7 minutes and, after another short wait, we are riding a bus to Murodo. By now, the sun has strengthened and the morning is clear and bright. Mt. Tateyama stands out, starkly, […]

05/02/2019 / Last updated : 29/01/2023 d.d Temple / Shrine

Michi-no-eki Myogi and Chichibu　秩父

Summer 2018, Michi-no-eki Myogi As expected Myogi RS. turned out to be hot and steamy. There was also some revving of engines and high speed comings and goings. So D. told me. I confess, I slept through most of it. We learn later that Myogi is something of a Mecca for Bosozoku so perhaps it is not such a good place for shachuhaku(sleep in a car) even if handy for Tokyo. The michi-no-eki itself is fine, overhung by the rock massif of Mt. Myogi. Halfway up, on a crag, there is a clear white kanji ‘Dai’. This, I am told, denotes a shrine; which I am disinclined to visit. Chichibu […]

20/12/2018 / Last updated : 29/01/2023 d.d Temple / Shrine

Yudonosan Shrine　湯殿山

Summer 2018, Michi-no-eki Nishikawa Michi-no-eki Nishikawa (R. 112) at Gassan proves even better than expected. Though busy, there must have been well over fifty shachuhaku (sleep in a car) vehicles, it is organized and clean. In the morning, I realize, it has a garden with an artificial stream and a pond with Yamame (spotted trout?). Later, returning for lunch, we discover it has a reasonably priced restaurant and the food way above expectations. It has little gourmet touches that one does not usually associated with michi-no-eki. Recommended. Leaving Nishikawa earlier, we retraced our route of yesterday back to the Yudonosan toll road. Here we have a surprise as the 400 yen […]

10/12/2018 / Last updated : 22/03/2023 d.d Hiking / Walking

Akita Komagatake hiking　秋田駒ケ岳

Summer 2018, The night, at michi-no-eki ‘Shizukuishi Anekko‘, was much cooler than expected. I found it necessary to put on a sweater around 4 am. The morning is bright and clear as we arrive at Alpa Komakusa. Here we leave the car and take the bus to Mt. Komagatake Eighth Station, to begin our walk. Our plan is to walk to Amidaike, a small pond/lake between two fairly accessible peaks. Amidaike pond The climb to this point is quite steep, the path bordered by thick bushes and sasa grasses. It is like walking through jungle especially as the day is hot and oppressive. There is relief from this as, every […]