Okutama

So I've decided on a longish return drive to Okutama. I use Google Maps to navigate. It takes me along route 139. There are quite a few turns and many 30kmh zones. I take a pitstop at a rest area in Tsuru. It's extremely scenic past here with mountains, a river and multiple dams.
As I progress to more remote terrain I hit a technical problem. Turns out my data SIM provider doesn't have coverage in this area so Google is gonski. Time to bone up on the car GPS system. It's not difficult as it supports destinations based on names or phone numbers (and is in English). Soon I'm back in the game.
I eventually make it to Takimoto station. This is where I took the cable car up to Mitake-san, which is at 939 metres. The 1st photo is from the return trip as I had a good view down. At the top it's typically touristy but there are panoramic views of the surrounding countryside. I walk up a few trails before returning via the cable car to Takimoto.
The car GPS selects route 411 for the return trip. I won't be back in Kawaguchiko until after 5 so I have limited stops. That's a pity as I cross a number of small and picturesque bridges which are well worth a photo. There's much less stress on this route. Eventually I turn on to route 137 which takes me back to the Ryokan.Read more