This morning we have time to spare and choose to not go on the toll roads. Nakatsugawa to Hirayu turns out to be a very scenic drive – you get to see little towns, villages and farms and as usual the road follows a river in between the hills and mountains. Not many shops are open and it’s sometimes hard to work out when they do open but, – we find the Raspberry coffee shop with picturesque arbour and river view. Inside is a small counter with 3 men on stools watching the television; a lady and a yappy dog are the proprietors. The menu is Japanese without any English (although the cafe sign outside is English) and we attempt to order coffee with milk (well it is a cafe!) It arrives so far so good but as well as our coffee with milk we also get a cold boiled egg, huge slab of white bread toast with melting butter and a little pot of yoghurt with blueberries. All very delicious for a second breakfast – maybe hobbits have it worked out.
A market along the road provides an opportunity for lunch and we are so grateful to find some toilets. In fact Japan is really good at providing public toilets that are easily found.
A convenience store provides the opportunity to stock up on essentials, wine and snacks Onwards to our destination winding through the valleys and up mountain passes before we arrive to find Hirayu, a small little Onsen town mainly providing accommodation for people visiting Kamikochi and the alps – a ski resort is nearby but it is not snow season.
Arriving too early to check in we decide to follow a narrow road up the hill – in fact a climb way above the town and after braving the increasingly narrow bends and roadworks we eventually decide it is going nowhere and return all in the pouring rain.
Our room ready with futons already made up on the floor but it smells of kimchi and cooking smells not very pleasant.
Facilities are good – Went for a meal and found it was a ramen bar but managed to get fried chicken.
The Onsen while separate is very large and big and wonderfully relaxing. There is an etiquette for using the onsen which is to go in your house gown and slippers with your pink or blue onsen bag with small towel. You must strip off and place the small towel in front of you for modesty. Then you go to the shower station, scrub your body with wash and hose down before entering the hot water. After you can wash your hair and then go back to the change rooms to dry and there are numerous hair drying stations where you can groom yourself before dressing and going back to your room.
I have a chair massage before bed which was actually rather good.
2nd September Sunday
Kamikōchi is a remote mountainous highland valley within the Hida Mountain range, in the western region of Nagano Prefecture, Japan and is roughly a15 kilometre long plateau in the Azusa River Valley, about 1500 meters above sea level. It has been preserved in its natural state within Chūbu-Sangaku National Park. Kamikochi (上高地, Kamikōchi) is a popular resort in the Northern Japan Alps of Nagano Prefecture, offering some of Japan’s most spectacular mountain scenery. It is open from mid/late April until November 15 and shuts down during winter. It is surrounded by tall mountains, including, Nishihotakadake (2909 m), Okuhotakadake (3190 m), Maehotakadake (3090 m) and the active volcano Yakedake (2455 m). Part of the Chubu Sangaku National Park, Kamikochi has only been moderately developed with half a dozen hotels, a few souvenir shops, mountain huts and hiking trails. Private cars are banned from Kamikochi, and access is only possible by bus or taxi.
We catch a bus to Kamikōchi and have a snack before buying a map and deciding on our hike. The park is very popular and is well patronised so you are not alone on the trails. (Lots of ‘konichiwas’ in greeting.)
In the centre of Kamikochi, a short walk from the bus terminal, stands the Kappabashi (Kappa Bridge) where the hiking trails lead up and down the valley and towards the summits of the surrounding mountains. The wildlife inhabitants are monkeys and various birds but bears are rarely encountered. We choose a walk across the bridge and through beautiful marshlands with birds and beautiful trees and flowers. The scenery is amazing and lots of photos are taken. We climb hills and pass waterfalls and the terrain changes often. Eventually we find Myojin-ike pond and pay the 300 yen admission after blessing myself with holy water. The pond is as if it was a Japanese painting with trees growing in the water and little islands around them. I however, manage to slip into the mud that requires my shoe to be washed in the pond –fortunately it was only the shoe and managed to not have full immersion. We return via a suspension bridge over the pebbled river and enjoy the rest of our 10 km hike back to get some lunch and catch the bus back to the hotel.
