Kamakita Lake

Feeling a bit adventurous, I decided to craft my own trail going to Kamakita Lake. It was just on a whim but I wanted to go hike somewhere since the weather was sunny. Kamakita Lake caught my eye, a lesser-known site than Okutama Lake yet the pictures I saw during autumn were very much resplendent.

Using the GPS Map of AllTrails I saw that there was a possible route coming from the Kuroyama Waterfalls so off I went to Ogose. From there, I took a bus to Kuroyama and instead of going to the waterfalls, I went to the other side. The walk to the trailhead was so tranquil, no people and no cars, just the sound of nature and the soft breeze. Today was a bit colder than usual but nothing a bit of movement couldn't beat.

The trailhead led me deep into a forested path, some of the most enchanting woods I've ever seen in Japan. It felt like I was in a fantasy fairytale, so green and so lush with vegetation. Oddly enough, I saw two rangers which was the first time I ever encountered them. Proceeding on towards the path, I saw the bones of an animal.

I stopped by Shishiga falls where there was a Shinto shrine inside a cave, guarded by two stone lions. Is that where it got its name from? Moving on, I once again saw more rangers with rifles. What is going on here, I thought to myself. The answers revealed themselves in the form of a warning sign for recent bear sightings in the area. Oh, I'm in for it now.

Still proceeding on, I saw a hunting dog with an adorable bear bell tied to its collar and even more rangers stationed at various sections of the trail. The hike took me to the highest point where I got some awesome views of the autumn foliage meandering on the mountain ridges.

The descent was a bit sketchy, with the trail completely disappearing. I got lost a couple of times before going back after my gut told me it was the wrong way. My eyes tried to spot the pink ribbons tied to the trees which were pretty much my only way to find out if I was going in the right direction. Seeing that I was off the trail on AllTrails' map wasn't too encouraging either.

In the end, I was able to find a way down after some really difficult descents and scrambling to reach the other side of the river. My hands got dirty but I felt really accomplished with the hike out of the way.

All that's left now is to enjoy the striking views of maple trees reflected on the lake. The southern path of the lake provided the best views yet it was blocked and was now a dead-end so I had to turn back and go on the north path which was a win-win because it was just as beautiful on the other side as I walked under a canopy of fiery red leaves.

But the day wasn't over yet, I started another hike this time towards Shukuya Falls. I once again found myself on a relaxing walk in the deep woods where I encountered a mole before it hid underground. Shukuya Falls was much taller than Shishiga and had a really nice flow to it, with plenty of Buddhist idols surrounding it such as Jizo and Manjushri.

Satisfied, I began the long walk back to Higashi Moro Station, taking a bus halfway through when I realized I could and it was all the way back to Ikebukuro.Read more