🇯🇵 Day 9 🇯🇵

After days of pedaling, climbing, and sweating through the heat, today was a gift: a rest day with no schedule, no rush, and no alarms. Yuki and Masa had planned a day of relaxation—suspension bridges swaying over rivers, forest trails, waterfalls, and plenty of time outside with friends.

We hiked, talked, laughed, and let the pace of the mountains set our rhythm. The Minami Alps (南アルプス – Minami Arupusu) are not only stunning but also steeped in history, once serving as natural boundaries and a source of water and life for villages below.

We spent the afternoon exploring the Minami-Alps Biosphere Reserve (南アルプスユネスコエコパーク – Minami Arupusu UNESCO Ekopāku), a UNESCO site that protects rugged peaks, forests, and rivers in Yamanashi. Near the town of 雨畑 (Amabata), we crossed a long, narrow suspension bridge (吊り橋 – tsuribashi) over the river, then hiked to 見神の滝 (Kenshin no taki), a waterfall tucked into the forest.

We also visited 小柳川渓谷 (Oyanagawa Keikoku – Oyanagawa Gorge) in Fujikawa Town, a park famous for its dramatic scenery. The gorge trails wind along the river and through a forested canyon, linking about ten rope and suspension bridges with narrow stairways and cliffside paths. With five waterfalls scattered along the route, it felt like an adventure playground built by nature itself.

The reserve and gorge together blended wild alpine beauty with traditional village life, showing how people and nature in Yamanashi have long lived side by side in harmony.

The day ended with the most meaningful of gifts: a home-cooked dinner, promised by Yuki as a wedding present. She delivered a feast. The meal began with an appetizer of three varieties of horse meat, known in Japan as 馬肉 (baniku). One was dry and sweet from careful cooking, another more gummy and chewy, and the third was raw horse sashimi—馬刺し (basashi)—thin slices dipped in soy sauce with ginger and slivers of onion. The taste, surprisingly delicate, reminded me of rare prime rib. From there, Yuki’s famous カツカレー (katsu karee – pork cutlet curry rice) filled the table with rich warmth and comfort.

Lisa, always the hero, managed to fit in laundry during the day’s events, getting us ready for the next spoke of our journey. Another highlight was seeing Yuki and Masa’s youngest son, Masanari, now all grown up. I hadn’t seen him in twenty-five years. Once the boy running around the house, he is now a happy and successful businessman, running his own hair salon just next door. Time truly moves quickly.

We ended the evening the way so many families in Japan do: with baseball. The game was between the 広島カープ (Hiroshima Kāpu – Hiroshima Carp) and the 東京ジャイアンツ (Tōkyō Jaiantsu – Tokyo Giants). Lisa and I didn’t last to the final inning—sleep caught us first—but from the kitchen we heard Masa and Yuki cheering, so we figured the Carp must have been winning.

It was a day of rest, but one rich with friendship, memory, and meaning. Tomorrow the wheels turn again to the five lakes of Mount Fuji (Spoke B.)En savoir plus