Getting there is usually a little complicated, however it’s all value it when you see the views.
With the heat of the summer season solar having now pale away in Japan, it’s time to shift our out of doors enjoyable locations from the seashores to the mountains. Fortunately Japan has loads of locations the place you may get pleasure from stunning alpine surroundings, and one of many highest, Nagano Prefecture’s Kamikochi area, is the place we just lately headed for an in a single day journey.
Kamikochi is a part of the town of Matsumoto, positioned within the western a part of Nagano. In the event you’re headed there from Tokyo, you’ll wish to begin by making your strategy to Tokyo’s Hachioji Station, the place you may hop on the Azusa restricted categorical prepare for the trip to Matsumoto Station, which takes slightly below two and a half hours. At Matsumoto you may switch to the Kamikochi Line and take it for half-hour to Shinshimashima Station.
▼ Among the Kamikochi Line trains function art work of its mascot character Nagisa Endo.
Proper exterior Shinshimashima Station (which is the final cease of the road) is a bus terminal, and right here’s the place you catch the bus that’ll take you the remainder of the best way to Kamikochi. For nature conservation causes, visitors is proscribed to buses and taxis on the roads main into Kamikochi; no non-public automobiles allowed.
The bus takes about an hour, however it additionally treats you to some pretty views as you climb larger into the mountains, following the Azusa River for a stretch and passing by a sequence of dams, so that you’ll most likely wish to preserve your digital camera prepared throughout the trip.
And while you lastly do get off the bus? Kamikochi doesn’t waste any time making you’re feeling prefer it was value it, particularly in the event you arrive on a day like we did the place the sky is as blue because the crystalline mountain streams.
Kamikochi can be utilized as a staging space for long-distance hikes/tenting journeys deeper within the mountains, however the most well-liked space is the river basin across the Kappabashi suspension bridge, which has numerous nature walks, in addition to lodges, shops, and different journey infrastructure. Since we had been going to be spending the night time on the Imperial Lodge, we received off the bus on the Teikoku Lodge-mae (“In Entrance of Imperial Lodge”) cease so we may drop our luggage on the entrance desk, then headed out to discover.
We made our go to in early October, earlier than the leaves began to vary to their autumn colours, however the distinction between the inexperienced forest, blue sky, and white clouds took our breath away time and time once more as we headed in direction of Kappabashi.
Whereas in Kamikochi, you’ll most likely spot depictions of Walter Weston, an English missionary who lived in Japan between 1889 and 1895. Weston’s proudly professed fondness for Kamikochi is taken into account to have helped set up alpine mountain climbing as a leisure exercise in Japan, and he was a founding member of the Japanese Alpine Membership outside society. A monument to Weston, with a reduction likeness of him, is in place on the western facet of the river south of Kappabashi.
Although it’s excessive up within the mountains, this part of Kamikochi’s mountain climbing paths is comparatively flat. You wouldn’t wish to present up in sandals or heels, however you don’t essentially want full-on mountain climbing boots. Comfy strolling footwear will do the trick, though you’ll most likely wish to have on a pair you don’t thoughts getting soiled or muddy.
From the Teikoku Lodge-mae bus cease it’s a few 15-minute stroll to Kappabashi, and the bridge is each bit as picturesque as its repute claims, stretching throughout the river and properly framing the valley behind it that rises to the highest of the basin.
▼ Imperial Lodge to Kappabashi
Close to the bridge is the Kamikochi Bus Terminal, which is as far into Kamikochi as you may go by motorized vehicle. This additionally makes it fairly crowded with vacationers, particularly in the event you present up on a weekend. With a campground, a few eating places, meals stalls, and memento outlets, the realm across the bridge is an efficient place to seize a chew to eat and refill on snacks, and even to knock again a domestically brewed beer in the event you’re already on the best way again out of your nature stroll.
▼ Canned wild boar and bear meat
Having stopped to eat lunch, it was now about 3 p.m., however since we nonetheless had some daylight, we determined to take a look at the Dakezawa Wetlands, that are to the northwest of the bridge.
▼ Kappabashi to Dakezawa Wetlands
Sure sections of the paths are literally wood planks constructed up above the comb, so that you’ll wish to watch your step, whereas additionally protecting an eye fixed out for bears.
Since bear assaults are sometimes attributable to the animals being startled by the sudden presence of people, moderately than a real want to assault or eat them, it’s advisable to affix a small bell or radio to your bag or belt when mountain climbing in Japan, in order that any bears within the space will hear you earlier than they see you and never get spooked. Some components of the Kamikochi trails even have bigger fixed-in-place bear bells, which you’re purported to ring as you stroll previous as an extra auditory announcement.
The Dakezawa Wetlands are nicely well worth the 15-minute stroll from Kappabashi, with a ruggedly tranquil magnificence that was additional enhanced by the lengthening shadows of the late afternoon…
…and on the best way again we received a particular deal with…
…when we encountered a gaggle of monkeys! Apparently teams of them typically wander down into the river basin to forage for nuts and berries, and so they’ve grow to be considerably accustomed to being round people. They’re nonetheless wild animals, although, so that you shouldn’t attempt to pet or contact them, and avoiding eye contact can be advisable in order that they don’t really feel threatened and reply with aggression.
With pure surroundings and out of doors actions being the attracts in Kamikochi, there’s not a lot to do as soon as the solar goes down, which is a part of why we’d determined to splurge on an evening within the Imperial Lodge, which has been in enterprise for near 100 years. We’ll be again quickly with our report on the place plus extra of the realm’s out of doors charms with half two of our Kamikochi journey!
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