On Monday morning it was nice to see Kana and Gutti again after 10 years. They took us to their house only 10 minutes by car from the Tokyo station where we were fascinated by the great view over Tokyo city. We left half our luggage there and drove for a couple of hours to a camp site a few km west of Mt Fuji, where they had reserved a cottage for two nights. On the way we saw our first view of the mountain but then it disappeared behind clouds for the rest of the evening.
Our first view of Mt Fuji, from the car
Kana and Gutti cooked a bbq dinner on the table and we sat around eating and chatting for a couple of hours. Gutti promised that the next morning we would see Mt Fuji from the front patio.
Our cottage near Mt Fuji
No such luck. The cloud was still covering the mountain. Leaving the camp site mid-morning we drove to a car park 2200 m up the northern slope of Mt Fuji, then walked for 3 hours up to 2500 m and along the side of the mountain for about 2.5 km. The cloud cleared and the views both up and down the mountain were very good. It was strange to think that we were walking at the same height as Australia’s tallest mountain. It is easy to see why this mountain has a special place in the hearts of Japanese people. After 3 hours of cloud-free views the the clouds moved in again as we finished our hike.
Back at the cottage Kana and Gutti prepared and cooked a really nice sukiyaki dinner, following which we re-packed for the next day’s adventure when we could take only overnight luggage in back packs.
We drove for a couple of hours to Ogizawa, where, at 1400 m, we started a very interesting mountain experience:
Ripening rice fields on the way to Murodo
* an electric bus took us through a steep tunnel beneath Mt Akazawa for 15 minutes, during which we climbed about 100 m to the Kurobe Dam, a large dam built in 1956 to supply hydro-electricity and water to areas.
* after walking across the dam wall we rode in a cable car through another narrow tunnel, up a 31 deg slope climbing another 400 m.
Check out the slope on the cable car track
* the next step was a rope-way that took us across a wide gully and up another 500 m. The scenery at each of the stations and from the rope-way car was breathtaking.
Looking down from the cable car to the dam wall (bottom right)
Looking up from the cable car. Our mountain lodge is over the top of the range.
* finally we boarded another bus for a further 200 m tunnel climb beneath Mt Tateyama-Machi to Murodo, a volcanic plateau famous in Japan for its hot springs, mountain climbing, sulphur emissions and amazing scenery. At 2500 m there was no snow but the maximum day temperature was 10 deg and by the time we arrived late in the afternoon it was down to 5 deg. Overnight it was 2 deg. On a clear day we could have seen the ocean on the north coast looking past the city of Toyama. We ate a great set-course dinner, then settled down for sleep on the futon mattress laid out on a tatami mat floor.
The first view of our lodge at Murodo, during the final 15minute walk.
One of many active volcanoes, from the lodge
Setting off the next morning, at 5 deg.
On Thursday we reversed the trip down the mountain and drove for a couple of hours toward Matsumoto Castle. Well that was the plan; the weather deteriorated to misty rain then steady rain as we travelled so we changed plans and went directly to Kamikochi instead. We parked outside the National Park because private cars aren’t allowed in the park and took a taxi into the park, then walked through light rain to really nice mountain lodge. Dinner in the lodge restaurant was another really great meal.
Lots of monkeys, deer, birds and bears at Kamikochi National Park
Buffet meal, Japanese style – delicious
Living like locals
Tomorrow we will go to Shirakawago to see an old town that has been on our bucket list for years.
Ted and Jo 