#japanese mountains

dochuff:

メリークリスマス from Utsukushigahara

Nagano Prefecture on a cold, cloud and snow covered Utsukushigahara in 2007.

That cold, foggy day when  we could not see 10 meters ahead.

We found a secluded shrine in the mountains. Even uncle Google didn’t know it existed. Mist, cicadas and not a soul around…

Sunday 8th October 2017. 11:00 Kyoto Japan.

Today me and Nomu went on the Hozugawa River Cruise. We have wanted to do this for a while and decided to go today as I only have a few more weekends left in Kyoto. We couldn’t have picked a better day the weather was glorious.

Hozugawa River Cruises (保津川下り, Hozugawa Kudari) are sightseeing boat rides down the Hozugawa River from Kameoka to Arashiyama. The cruises utilize traditional style, flat bottomed boats piloted by boatmen who guide the craft with oars and bamboo poles. The boats take about two hours to leisurely make their way down the river and are a relaxing way to see the natural scenery of the largely undeveloped ravine. The river cruises are often combined with a ride on the Sagano Scenic Railway.

The Hozugawa River was originally employed to transport logs that were used to build many of Kyoto and Osaka’s famous temples and castles. During the Edo Period the river was cleared of obstructions so that boats carrying grain, firewood and other cargo could safely navigate it. Trains and trucks eventually made river transport obsolete, and operations ceased after several hundred years of use. However, the boats were brought back and eventually became popular as a sightseeing attraction.

Thursday 5th October 2017. 17:00 Kyoto Japan.

We climbed Daimonji to watch the sunset; this also happened to be Jake’s first time climbing a mountain! I’m so happy he did this in Japan and that it was Daimonji. He was blown away by the view, I don’t think he expected it to be so epic. I will never tire of this view, I’m always stunned when I climb up here, it’s just beautiful.

Thursday 5th October 2017. 13:00 Kyoto Japan.

Funaokayama Park 船岡山公園

A small mountain park in the centre of the city providing a peaceful viewing platform looking south towards downtown Kyoto.

Thursday 23rd November 2017. 14:30 Mt. Kurama Kyoto.

Part of the trail up the to peak of the mountain was closed due to fallen tress from the recent Typhoon, which was a shame, but no the end of the world. I felt satisfied in my visit to Kurama today, so so beautiful.

Thursday 23rd November 2017. 13:00 Mt. Kurama Kyoto.

The higher I walked towards the top of the mountain the more intense and beautiful the Koyo became. I had definitely decided to visit on the best day, I feel like the Koyo was at its peak here. 

Monday 6th November 2017. 16:30 Mt.Kongo Osaka.

On our descent from Kongo San we were greeted by beautiful golden hour light combined with the awesome autumn colours of the mountain was perfect. We also came across the most amazing tree which looked like it had started as one but has split during it’s growth, it was huge! 

Monday 6th November 2017. 14:00 Mt.Kongo Osaka.

We reached the summit after about an hour and 30/40 minutes climbing. There is actually nothing more satisfying than climbing a big old mountain. I’ve always loved hiking, ever since I was little, and to be able to it here so regularly is amazing. 

Although it was a beautiful sunny day there was a haze over the city so we couldn’t actually see anything below haha but still rewarding nonetheless. I would love to come back here when it’s covered in snow, that would be something special. They say the best time to come is in February so we’ll see! 

Monday 6th November 2017. 13:00 Mt.Kongo Osaka.

Mount Kongo (金剛山) in Osaka, at 1,125 meters is Osaka’s tallest mountain, with the border between the Osaka and Nara prefectures slicing right through it. Mount Kongō has a rich history as the birthplace of the Shugendo, a religion where one attains enlightenment by understating the relation between humans and nature through mountain dwelling and worship. The mountain also hosted an epic battle around 1330 between imperial loyalists and the Shogunate totalitarian ruler of Japan. On clear weather days the view from the summit include the plains of Settsu, the Rokko Mountains and even as far as Awaji Island.

I love having Mondays off with Ellen because we can actually do stuff together now that we live in the same city which is so nice. We escaped to the mountains on the most beautiful day, we couldn’t have asked for better weather to hike in. We got the train to Kawachi-nagano and then jumped on a bus from here which took us to the bottom of our hiking trail.

Friday 3rd November 2017. 16:30 Minoo Osaka.

I couldn’t reach the waterfall today but one of the hiking trails was still open so I decided to hike up to one of the viewpoints instead. This was definitely a good decision as I was just in time to watch the sunset. It was a short hike but very steep. The view was beautiful and the golden hour light was even better. 

Intermission: Christmas Escape from Tokyo

December 2007 high up in the mountains near Nikko.