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Japan Treading Through Gaia
Okutama
November 12, 2022 in Japan ⋅ ☀️ 18 °C
Craving for more autumn foliage before it ends, I went to a walking trail in Okutama Valley. The train going there was super cramped particularly due to the delays but upon disembarking, I was immediately greeted with fresh air. It was unfortunate that both Sophie and Scarlett dipped today because it made for one of the most magical days in Japan. The golden mountains that made up the valley were nothing short of breathtaking. I began following the trail towards Hatonosu Gorge but not before stopping by a nearby gazebo to stare out into the flowing river. I toked up here and started to feel even more one with nature. The trail was very peaceful without anybody at all which was quite surprising as it was extremely beautiful. I went through a tunnel and through the woods until I was once again near Tama River. The foliage here was one of the best I've seen with the water jaded crystal. There were people kayaking that made for excellent photo ops. I was absolutely in-love with autumn today.

I soon made it to Hatonosu, feeling a bit hungry as there were no convenience stores around Okutama, I settled for vegetable curry at the only restaurant by the gorge. It was chilly and the sun had already fallen behind the mountains which made for really flat lighting for my photos in Hatonosu Gorge. It still wasn't over as I was still going to walk all the way to Mitake but opted to take the train instead to save time as the sun was quickly setting.Read more
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Mitake
November 12, 2022 in Japan ⋅ ☀️ 18 °C
Mitake Gorge was even more amazing than Hatonosu, both of them had eye-catching bridges but Mitake had much more colorful foliage and aesthetic with its traditional inns and boulders as well as being much closer on the ground to Tama River. I realized I had ran out of time and didn't finish the rest of the Mitake trail and decided to save it for next autumn so I had decided to call it off and walk to the next station for a ride back home.Read more
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Okutama II
November 19, 2022 in Japan ⋅ ☀️ 14 °C
Okutama was so beautiful, I had to go back a second time to see more. This time Scarlett came along for the ride which was much more manageable than last week's fiasco. I was able to even grab a seat for the whole duration. From there, we went to Hikawa Gorge while waiting for the bus. We took photos of the bridge and went down to the river basin. The autumn colors were still very much in full effect and added a lot to the overall ambiance of this peaceful corner. We caught our bus after a couple of minutes and we were off to Okutama Lake. We passed by the main portion of the lake and it was outstanding, I half-wanted to just go down the bus to check it out but we were also on a tight schedule and were a bit behind already.

We got off at a bus stop before one of the main bridges and got to take photos of perfect reflection shots of the surrounding lakes and mountains. We descended again but this time there was a floating bridge that ran across the lake connecting the two sides. It was really fun to cross the bridge, we ate breakfast in the middle. I ate some onigiri which embarassingly had a lot of pieces falling down the bridge. We took our time taking in the amazing scenery before finally proceeding to the other side which formally marks the start of the hike.Read more
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Mt. Iyo
November 19, 2022 in Japan ⋅ ☀️ 14 °C
The initial hike up proved to be the most challenging part as our bodies were still adjusting yet the terrain was already extremely steep from the get-go. Fallen leaves covered the path completely and it was quite fun to waddle on through. Mt. Mito was the moutain of the day but to get there, we had to conquer two smaller mountains along the way and our first target was Mt. Iyo. Scarlett was quite funny today as well as she was getting vertigo, she was afraid of the height and the leaves covering the path made it harder for her to tell how deep or not the paths were. I had to assist her a lot of times but it was really great fun. Mt. Iyo was scaled soon enough and we were off to the next one.Read more
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Mt. Nukazasu
November 19, 2022 in Japan ⋅ ☀️ 13 °C
Mt. Iyo to Mt. Nukazasu was another fun trail that took us even higher and had us scrambling up huge boulders as well using rope just to climb up some segments. The leaves made the hike so different, at one point I tripped and fell but felt only the soft cushion of the leaves instead of hard rock.Read more
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Mt. Mito
November 19, 2022 in Japan ⋅ ☀️ 11 °C
The final push to the top of Mt. Mito took us through drastic terrain changes, we were definitely out of the woods and were at a much higher elevation that most of the surrounding mountains. We came across a wide beautiful field with these strange slow flying critters, all galavanting around and being reflected by the sunlight. It made for a scene straight out of a fairy tale, I called them faeries because that's how it looked like to me. Up above, we were now on a ridge, one of my favorite kind of terrains. Towards the summit, I heard the sound of a woodpecker and spotted one right above a tree while it was doing its thing. Eventually, we made it to the summit and shared one of my favorite blueberry flavored protein pack. Mt. Fuji was covered by clouds today but the silhouette made for a very nice shot as well.

For the way down, we ended up taking a detour because Scarlett wanted to use the bathroom but it seemed like it would still be leading us to Mito Falls so I just went with it. The other side was a bit more rocky but it had a river running alongside us so I really liked the tranquility it provided. We kept on a steady brisk pace and got to the toilet which was pretty much near the bottom already. From the right side, there was a bridge that gave us an amazing view of Mito Falls which exceeded my expectations. I didn't realize it was that tall, standing at 30 meters. Satisfied with an amazing day, we began our walk back to the bus stop at the opposite side of the mountain.

Back in Tokyo, we stopped at Takadanobaba and had some Chinese noodles for dinner at one of Scarlett's recommended restaurants. We talked about the dreamwork, shadow work and journaling.Read more
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Mt. Otakayama
December 3, 2022 in Japan ⋅ ☀️ 12 °C
Wanting to sneak in one last hike before it gets too cold in winter, I ventured off back to old reliable Hanno. From Agano station, I went to a nearby restaurant and had the usual mountain vegetable soba. The hike started off near a cemetery and then into the woods. It was generally an easy hike with a steady incline. There was still some autumn colors in some trees but I made it up to the first peak of Mt. Otakayama which provided splendid views of the Hanno Alps.Read more
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Mt. Tenkaku
December 3, 2022 in Japan ⋅ ☀️ 12 °C
From Mt. Otakayama, I proceeded to Mt. Tenkaku. I took a wrong turn and went doubled back. The path was much more forested in this area but I eventually reached the summit of Mt. Tenkaku where there were only a handful of people. After they had left, I finished the rest of my snackeroos and took some more photos before heading back down and walking to Higashi-Agano station.Read more
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Kusatsu V
January 27, 2023 in Japan ⋅ ☁️ -4 °C
As part of the annual company trip, I find myself once again in the familiar hot spring town of Kusatsu. As it was already my third time here, I definitely wanted to see and do new things. In the Yubatake area, the center of town, was the famous Yumomi which was a show put on my the ladies in traditional garb as they sang, danced and beat paddles as a means to cool down boiling water so that they could be bathed in. I was also able to try a brand new onsen that featured several baths, A creamy indoor pool, two outdoor ones, a set of four pools meant to be taken in succession with one hotter than the next and a piney scented pool by the showers. We had okonomiyaki for dinner, the same place as last year except this time I was vegetarian.Read more
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Tsumagoi III
January 28, 2023 in Japan ⋅ ☁️ -6 °C
The second day of the Kusatsu trip was also one for snowboarding in Tsumagoi. The powder was one of the best so far but I was also a bit out of practice, the weather wasn't as good though when the sun did show up, it illuminated breath taking mountain views. I did numerous laps while listening to some tunes, with plenty of crashed in between but all in all, they were great runsRead more
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Kusatsu VI
January 29, 2023 in Japan ⋅ ☀️ -4 °C
Something a bit different for the third day, instead of going to Kusatsu Onsen ski resort, I decided to pamper myself with a nice massage which ended up becoming a bit later in the day so I spent a better part of the morning just lazing around. After the massage, I went to the same onsen from the first day, Ohtaki no Yu. Doubling down on rest and rejuvenation, I felt absolutely restored and ready to head back to Tokyo.Read more
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Mt. Tonodake
February 26, 2023 in Japan ⋅ ☀️ 1 °C
A snowy hike up Mt. Tonodake wasn't what I was expecting to do this winter but here we were. Scarlett and I were once again partners-in-crime in tackling this popular mountain. Starting from Shibusawa station and taking a bus ride to the trailhead where a bunch of plum were growing. We took some pretty photos of the pink blooms and started the hike up. Scarlett was quite talkative at first but soon went into focus mode as the path became steeper. It also started to snow and we could see snow patches already even though we were still pretty low.

The hike grew increasingly beautiful as the ground slowly disappeared under the snow. The views were amazing as well, the surrounding mountains and the sea in the horizon was nothing short of breathtaking. The towns looking like miniscule lego pieces. As we went higher, the star of the day showed up: Mt. Fuji. Majestic Mt. Fuji, it has been a long time since I have seen it in full as it was a very clear day with nary a cloud in sight.

We stopped by a shack right before the final trek to the summit. The udon really hit the spot and gave us enough energy to make it through. The summit had one of the most amazing views with rolling mountain ranges all the way to the towering Mt. Fuji. Unfortunately, we didn't have enough time to finish the hike to the other side and so we went back down the same way. On the way down, we ran into a Japanese lady named Reo. She started chatting us up and tagged along on the way down. It was all pretty good for us as she gave us a ride to the station which helped me save some money but when I got back to Tokyo, seems like it was all for naught as my bike got towed away and I had to pay a lot more to get it back.Read more
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Mt. Otakayama
March 12, 2023 in Japan ⋅ ☁️ 15 °C
I invited Nikita to join me for a trip to Ogose to catch the Plum Festival happening at Ogose Plum Grove, one of the three plum forests in all of Kanto. First, we had to climb up Mt. Otakayama. We made our way up towards some stairs which happened to lead to a Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. From there, we went deeper into the forest but not before taking that puff-puff which started to make me much more connected with nature. The hike was a fairly simple one with Nikita having to catch his breath every once in a while but we made good time and soon found ourselves up at the summit with really nice views of the town below. The hike down was also a bit heavy on the knees but it was all well worth it because we found ourselves at the other side of the mountain range, in Ogose the village of plums.Read more
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Ogose
March 12, 2023 in Japan ⋅ ☁️ 15 °C
Ogose was known as the Village of Plum, and we could see why. With the hike, it seemed like everything was well worth it as we were rewarded with an almost extravagant view of plums all around the base of the mountain with nobody else present. I could hear the faint sound of drums in the distance as there was a festival going on but we sure took our time to enjoy and take in the beautiful scenery. As we made our way into town, we stopped by Umezono Shrine as a detour. I gave Nik the full rundown on the various deities present such as Jizo and Inari which was coincidentally one of the kami enshrined at Umezono.

I had to pay for both our tickets as Nikita didn't bring enough cash but it was all worth it as we saw the festival was in full swing. I had thought that there was some kind of dancing monkey but turns out there was some traditional lion dance going on, it was really mindblowing to see something like this as we didn't expect it so Nik and I were just beaming at each other, blazed out of our minds. We went around the festival stalls and I got some okonomiyaki which turned out to be too salty. We went around the plum grove but I personally found those outside were much better as there were a lot of people here, I took my time to just sit down and take a nap. We also found another plum grove in someone's backyard, we were about to sit down on some chairs but I was wondering why they were so many bugs flying around. It turned out to be a bee hive which made us back away with a lot of nervous laughter. The long walk back to the station was bearable after such a fun-filled day.Read more
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Mt. Kobo
April 1, 2023 in Japan ⋅ ⛅ 21 °C
It was one of my last hikes with Scarlett before she was leaving Japan. I decided to go for Mt. Kobo in Hadano to catch the last sights of cherry blossoms before all the petals fall off. Scarlett was late for a bit but it all turned out pretty well for us. On the way to the trailhead, we were walking along the river and suddenly Scarlett seemed to recognize one of her old friends from before. We slowly approached and it seems like it really was her acquaintance with her own group of friends. As they caught up with each other, I slowly got to meet the guys behind them. Teep from Thailand with his girlfriend, Chinatsu. Dev and his wife Dolly, both from India and the one with Scarlett was Umi, also from Thailand. They were a really nice bunch and I got along with them straight away.

At the start of the hike, I started to talk to Chinatsu and then to Umi. It was a pretty serendipitous occasion as Scarlett was a long time hiking buddy of mine and with her leaving, I was quite sad but I guess the universe always does its thing and I ended up making five new friends as a replacement. The hike was really easy, with not much inclines and a smooth one all the way until we reached the first summit of Mt. Asama. There was an observatory to get better views of the surroundings and plenty of people taking picnics below the sakura. We proceeded further up along the mountain to the summit of Mt. Kobo where we had a picnic.

The last bit was another easy way down towards Tsurumaki Onsen, where we said goodbye to Scarlett as she had to go back to Tokyo while I wanted to get to know these new people a bit more so we all headed to a nearby onsen which was unfortunately full to the brim. Giving up, we went back to Tokyo and had dinner in Shinjuku's Tim Ho Wan. I got to talk about Hinduism with Dev and Dolly. We touched on the Gita and Dev's line really struck a chord with me, "There are no shortcuts in life," it's something that really reinforced a lot of the things I was planning on doing moving forward. The dinner was absolutely fabulous and I went to the sento near my place to catch up on the missed onsen opportunity.Read more
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Mt. Takatori
April 16, 2023 in Japan ⋅ ☀️ 21 °C
It was Nikita and I again today, it was an ambitious day of exploration and our first stop was a "sidequest" up in Zushi. It involved climbing a short and easy mountain, Mt. Takatori. It pretty much took less than 2 hours to finish the whole thing but this mountain was very special as it had a ton of interesting spots to see. Notwithstanding the fact that the trail was actually extremely lush with greenery even though it was so close to the city. It felt like we were transported into a jungle with a birdsongs all around.

We arrived at the first landmark which was a forest Buddhist temple, Jinmuji. It had the famous guardians of Agyo and Ungyo as well as the Boddhisatva Ksitigarbha, or Jizo in Japan's case. Holding a staff on the right hand and a jewel on the left. I prayed for safe and beautiful day ahead and saw a squirrel immediately afterwards. The hike was easy albeit a few slip ups but the summit was right around the corner.

The summit of Mt. Takatori was pretty unique in that it was some sort of quarry, with a lot of strange rock formations resembling ancient ruins. This was all cool and all but the main sight to see was the giant Maitreya Buddha stone carving which required us to go deeper into the mountains. It was super worth the effort coming here first and seeing this amazing work of art.

On the way down, we got lost again and had to backtrack but eventually we made it back to the station and proceeded to Miura.Read more
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Miura
April 16, 2023 in Japan ⋅ 🌬 21 °C
After a train and a bus, Nikita and I found ourselves in Miura. This place was known as the Tuna Town and it was immediately made apparent to us since every restaurant seemed to advertise tuna, or maguro in Japanese. I had first wanted to check out the sea shrine, Kainan Shrine before grabbing lunch.

On the way to the shrine, we saw a cat with lunch in its mouth, poor lizard. It scuttled its way into the graveyard probably excited to chow down. Kainan Shrine had excellent vibes, with a lot of koinobori, or carp streamers, strung about. There was a shrine dedicated to Inari as well as a horse kami. The main shrine had a severed tuna head on display which felt so out of place but okay why not. After praying, we went to find lunch. We just had to try out the tuna ramen which the town was famous for but unfortunately the restaurant serving it was closed so we went to another one nearby. After a long wait, we finally got to order along with some spicy prawns as a side dish. It was surprisingly good, but definitely not the real thing. Now, we were ready to go to the main attraction of the day, Jogashima.Read more
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Jogashima
April 16, 2023 in Japan ⋅ 🌬 19 °C
Jogashima proved to be a place that not only exceeded all expectations but easily became the most beautiful place I have ever seen in Japan, hands down. We didn't know what we were expecting as we were crossing the long land bridge, I mean I have seen some pictures but never in my wildest dreams could I have imagined for it to be that beautiful.

Nikita and I shared a puff of the pen that I brought especially for this place, just as we were approaching the first spot of the island. The cliff of the sea cormorants, from December to April, these birds would nest at the side of the cliffs and I was hoping to catch them before they migrate. I was feeling lucky that day and lo and behold, there they were. Such magnificent creatures though it was a bit too far away for my eyes to see them clearly but I was so happy nevertheless. The wind here was so strong, it felt so invigorating and energizing. Nikita and I were definitely ascending at this point and having this sense of oneness with the nature all around us.

We proceeded deeper into the island, into the park area where we were able to descend to the coasts and really feel the energy of the ocean, feeling the sea breeze and seeing the waves crash on the island's jagged rocky coastline was so mindblowing. We approached the first lighthouse which marked the end of the park and there were two paths downwards to different sides of the coast. The island felt alive as each part seemed to have a different feel, the winds here were soft and smooth and the waves much calmer. The terrain was rocky and mossy, there were fishermen doing their thing at the edges of the coast. We went to the other side as well to explore before going back up to the light house area and laying down on the grass just to chill.

We backtracked to the birds again and went pass it to explore the other side of the island. Umanose Cave Mouth, or Horseback Cave Mouth which was this natural rock formation with a view of the ocean was the next attraction we found, from there it was one way just following the coast towards Nagatsuro Cape, where we planned to watch the sunset. Everything turned out perfectly, the timing was right and we were exactly on time to watch the sunset behind Mt. Fuji, with dazzling hues of scarlet and a very vaporwave-y feel, it was paradise on Earth and a day forever etched on our minds. We went home feeling rejuvenated and the whole day really felt like a journey of the soul.Read more
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Kamakura II
April 22, 2023 in Japan ⋅ ☁️ 14 °C
Going back to Kamakura after several years, this time I had a friend from the Philippines visiting, Aim. He had originally wanted to check out the "Slam Dunk" station which was apparently in Kamakura so I suggested that we can explore the area for him to really get immersed in the culture and spiritual side of Japan.

We met up in Ikebukuro station and took a direct train to Kamakura station, from there we went to Komachidori Street on the way to our first stop, Tsurugaoka Hachimangu, a Shinto temple perched on top of a hill with a beautiful lily pond and really intricate architecture. We were lucky to have witnessed a traditional wedding ceremony with full on instrumental accompaniment, the flute-like instrument sounded so ancient, it gave me goosebumps. There was also this circular object where we would go around it several times in a symbol of infinity while carrying a paper human-shaped doll. We would then place it on our body and blow on it before putting in the box. The doll was said to absorb all negativity from our bodies. Super dope. We went to the main temple to pray and saw some floats where the kami were enshrined before going to the next temple.

A couple of minutes away was Ennoji Temple, a Buddhist temple dedicated to Enma, the god of the underworld. The fragrance of incense wafted through the air as we approached the temple. Outside stood Jizo, a boddhisatva of the underworld. It was a good time to introduce them to Aim and he was keen on learning as well. The main temple had Enma in the middle with several more statues lined up on each wall with another more detailed statue of Jizo at the left-most side.

We went to Kenchoji Temple next, another Buddhist temple but this time at a much larger scale. There was a monk in black robes giving a sermon. We went to the left side first where there was a cemetery, we went to the main temple where a giant Jizo was enshrined, one of the best I have ever seen in my life. At the back was another temple dedicated to Amitabha Buddha with Shakyamuni Buddha in front of him. We went deeper to find a Zazen meditation session on-going with the chanting of the lead monk accompanying us as we circled around to the Zen garden. On the way back, I also got to introduce Kannon to Aim.

We went to Eishoji temple next, a smaller temple but the main sight here was a bamboo grove and the wisteria trees that Aim was a fan of due to the Kimetsu no Yaiba anime. Nearby was Jufukuji, another small temple which thankfully was free unlike the rest of the temples so far. It was situated deep inside the forest with mossy cobblestones, just a quick look as we couldn't enter.

We grabbed some lunch at this place called Sasuke Cafe where I ordered tomato curry ramen while Aim got the hamburg steak, he treated me today too which was really a nice gesture. The cafe had a really nice aesthetic going on and it was a nice place to recharge.

The next few stops from here on out are some of the main highlights of Kamakura, right nearby was Zeniarai Benzaiten Shrine, a Shinto shrine dedicated to one of the Seven Lucky Gods, Benzaiten who is the goddess of fortune. Originally derived from the Hindu goddess Saraswati, she is still seen carrying her lute even in the Japanese Buddhist tradition. Her shrine was tucked away up above a hill and deep inside a cave which led to an opening of a sprawling temple complex. With numerous wooden torii gates, we knew we were entering into a highly spiritual place. We went to the right side first where there was a shrine dedicated to all seven lucky gods, there was also a waterfall and a koi pond. The shrine was pretty unique because it had a special practice. People came here to wash their money in the sacred waters of Benzaiten which was believed to bring abundance and multiply wealth. It was a fun cultural experience so Aim and I opted to try it out, we got the woven basket and a candle and incense. The candle was the easy part but the incense took forever to light up, we then went to another cave to pour the water and prayed for success in our business endeavours. We decided to keep the washed over bill as good luck charms.

Sasuke Inari shrine was another major Shinto temple near Zeniarai Benzaiten shrine. A temple dedicated to the Shinto goddess Inari, the goddess of agriculture and commerce. The fox is an iconic symbol for her and they are known to be messengers of the gods. There were numerous red torii gates leading up to her shrine with a lot of tiny foxes sitting around the columns. The main shrine was really something else, with hundreds or even thousands of foxes placed all around. There was also a cave with a tiny shrine in the middle of the pond with a singular fox inside. They really know how to create a vibe.

The second to the last place was pretty much the most popular spot in Kamakura, the Kotokuin Temple which houses a giant Amitabha Buddha statue, it was really amazing to finally see it up close as we only looked at it from afar the first time we were here.

Finally, we went to Hasedera temple, another temple that we skimmed out on before because my companion didn't want to pay for the entrance fee. Now I know we made the right choice because this was truly the best one and it somehow ended up being the last as I decided that we didn't have enough time to visit the caves in Enoshima if we continued on with our temple hopping. Hasedera temple was probably the biggest one and pretty unique in that it was both a Shinto and Buddhist temple. A classic example of religious syncretism in Japan. We went up the stairs and saw a shrine for Jizo again but this time there were hundreds of tiny Jizo statues all around, with some more bigger ones towering above them. Behind the shrine were even more Jizo statues, the most I have seen in my life! We went higher up and passed by the main temples to check out the outlook platform first, with amazing views of Kamakura and the ocean. We also passed by a temple with prayer wheels where if we span it, we could gain the benefits of the whole sutra that's carved on the wheels so of course we did them. We did another smaller hike above to get even better views of the ocean before checking out the main temple dedicated to Kannon. Outside was a statue of a monk where it was believed that by touching the body part of the monk would also heal the afflicted body part of oneself. Inside Kannon's temple was an extremely grand, giant, golden statue of Kannon that stood above us, the feelings of reverence welled up inside me.

The other temple nearby was for Amitabha Buddha. We went down to the other side to find a cave temple for Benzaiten, inside were stone carvings along the cave walls of Benzaiten and there were also hundreds of tiny Benzaitens on the lower cave platforms. Further back below were temples to the seven lucky gods with statues of all seven of them which was a first for me. There was also a giant wooden Daikoku statue outside with his mallet and smiling face, apparently touching it was good luck. We had a lot of luck and blessings today it seems like, I felt really good.

With Kamakura coming to a close, we got on the train heading to Enoshima next.Read more
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Enoshima Island II
April 22, 2023 in Japan ⋅ ☁️ 15 °C
Back on the familiar bridge leading up to Enoshima, we started off pushing through the crowded main street and began our hike up the island. We passed through several shrines and outlooks on the way. Enoshima was also one of the cat islands of Japan and Aim had really wanted to see one. He got his wish not long after when a black cat showed up. I really wanted to check out the Iwaya Caves that we missed out on before as well but it was closing at 5 o'clock so we pushed on slowly but surely. There was a performer on the way catching blocks but when he started to do his advertising, we moved on. I was feeling peckish so we stopped by for a quick snack, I ordered some takoyaki while Aim got fried octopi. Both were amazing but having to chow down the hot balls was quite difficult. We passed through a shrine inside a cave with a dragon mounted on top. Going down towards the coastal side, we finally got amazing views of the ocean. We were just in time to line up for the caves. One of the many caves we went to today but this one was the best, it was huge and formed naturally due to the ocean tides. It was dedicated to Benzaiten as well, and through this cave, I really got a better understanding of her role in Japan. There was a legend with Benzaiten and Enoshima where long ago, a dragon resided here and Benzaiten reformed it. A monk then built the first shrine of Enoshima inside the caves here. The cave itself was said to be connected to the ice caves all the way to Mt. Fuji. Iwaya caves were an immersive experience, there was a projection mapping on the cave walls with the pond acting as a reflection that showed the lore of the island. To the left side, we were give candles to carry as we went deeper, with cave sculptures of different Buddhist characters such as Benzaiten, Kannon and Amitabha. To the right side was a path going outside into the coast, leading to another cave. We were able to see some amazing god rays which somehow made Aim's day. The right cave had a sculpture of the dragon where by clapping in front of it, a sound from behind imitating the roar would be played. All in all, it was an amazing day in Enoshima. We went back for Aim's photo with Kamakurakokomae Station so he could finally get that dream shot from his Slam Dunk anime.

Back in Tokyo, I went with him to Ueno so he could try Ichiran Ramen which instantly became his favorite like with all the rest of the friends that tried it.Read more
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Mt. Ogami
May 28, 2023 in Japan ⋅ ☁️ 21 °C
I wanted to do a nearby hike so I went to my favorite hiking town, Hanno. From Agano station, the trail head towards Kaburitoge was only a short walk away. I passed through a statue of Benzaiten and prayed at a shrine before beginning the hike.

The trail was lush with vegetation but it also covered the sky, I was deep in the woods most of the time with some clearings along the way. I particularly liked the shrines and temples that were just scattered around the trail. I passed through Jizo statues and after more than an hour I reached an outpost of some sorts where there were plenty of udon and soba restaurants. It was perfect and I decided to eat something from there instead of my usual onigiri.

After a satisfying meal, I continued on towards Mt. Ogami, scaling a small cliff as I was too lazy to backtrack when I realized I took a wrong turn. Passing through several smaller shrines along the way, the summit of Mt. Ogami was shrouded by trees. The summit was boulder and in front of it were stacked-stones and two tiny shishis guarding it. A small window gave me a glimpse of the horizon though today was a bit cloudy. The hike down was also pretty easy, my body wasn't used to it after not hiking for a while so it was a great hike to start getting back into it.Read more
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Mt. Izugatake
June 4, 2023 in Japan ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C
Another week, another hike. I went back to Hanno again. From Shomaru station, the path towards Izugatake was a calm one with gentle inclines. I was accompanied by a flowing river all throughout. It was a beautiful sunny day and the just the right temperature. I stopped by a small shrine right in front of the trailhead to ask for some blessings and protection for the hike.

The beginning of the hike made me so giddy as the forest was breathtaking, it felt like entering another world and the atmosphere was so different from just walking by the river. The space was huge, plenty of tiny critters flying around and towering trees surrounded me. The river was still there but this time it added a really refreshing and cool feel so it was quite comfortable and helped me ease into workout mode.

After the river, came the fallen trees. Plenty of trees that were either damaged from a landslide or something but it was actually pretty difficult to navigate through this part as the paths were covered or fallen over, the inclines are getting a bit more steep and I had to catch my breath several times before I finished this portion.

From there, the path was more or less manageable with some steep inclines here and there that was until I reached the bouldering section. I didn't understand at that time that there was another route to take but I wasn't going to be taking that route either way as I couldn't pass on the opportunity to try out this semi-wall climbing route. The sign clearly said that this path was dangerous and had risks of falling rocks. They weren't lying. The people attempting to do this part actually had helmets and gear on but I was really one with my body, I did some free solo-climbing and actually ended up leaving them all in the dust.

Afterwards, I made it to the summit where I paid homage to Daikoku, one of the seven lucky gods and the god of wealth. I ate some onigiri and continued on to the next mountain, Mt. Takahata.Read more
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Japan Treading Through Gaia
Mt. Takahata
June 4, 2023 in Japan ⋅ ☁️ 24 °C
The trip to Mt. Takahata was actually much more chill but the downslopes were very steep. I was actually worried if it was going to be like this the whole time cuz if so my knees were in trouble. It eventually leveled out and I was able to reach the nearby summit quite easily.

The next target was actually Nenogongen Tenryuji Temple, which I saw was on the way back to Agano station. After two mountains, my legs were feeling it a bit, but this temple was actually above by a hundred or so more meters and after going down Mt. Takahata, to think I was going back up again was really something. The inclines were really steep. I was thinking to myself that this temple better be worth it cuz it was making me work really hard for it.

The short answer: It was. From the distance, as I passed through more shrines, I could hear the sound of a bell reverberating across the woods. It meant I was really getting close. As I approached the temple grounds, I was struck to see giant orange-colored statues of Agyo and Ungyo, guardians of Buddha. So was this a Buddhist temple? Yet I saw the familiar water basin and a dragon spout so was it a Shinto temple? It was actually both, I love Japan's religious syncretism. The temple complex was pretty huge, the main temple had stone shishis guarding it and to the right stood Kannon with a tiny Ebisu at her lower right side. The sides had two pairs of giant Buddha slippers. Continuing on passing through a couple of smaller shinto shrines, there was a shrine for Jizo and above the hill stood a smaller statue of Kannon and a giant bell that I rang for blessings.

The way down back to Agano was a much more simpler one, I felt so energized after visiting such an amazing temple. Who would have thought that there was such a grand temple tucked away deep in the mountains?Read more
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Japan Treading Through Gaia
Mt. Ontake
June 4, 2023 in Japan ⋅ ⛅ 23 °C
When I reached the bottom of Mt. Takahata, I was already supposed to go back but then I saw giant torii gates. I thought it would be a small temple so I gave it a look, it turned out to be another giant temple complex on a hill named Chichibuontake. It was a winding route that required a lot more hiking but it was worth it. Such a place was even more forested and the spiritual energy here was really palpable. I passed through and paid homage to plenty of shrines and temples as I tried to make my way to the top temple, it was like a spiritual pilgrimage. At the top, was another smaller bell for happiness that I rang.

After such a spontaneous adventure, I was so ready to go back so I made my way to Agano station, passing through Suwa Shrine. Today was a really blessed day after so many shrines and temples!

I had missed my train as I approached Agano station, but in return I was able to see a temple dedicated to the seven lucky gods with a fertility Kannon outside with plenty of babies and Hotei, one of the seven lucky gods carrying a child as well. This day turned into such a spiritual day when I was just expecting to climb a mountain. All in all, it's definitely one for the books.Read more
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Japan Treading Through Gaia
Kuroyama
June 25, 2023 in Japan ⋅ ☁️ 23 °C
My good friend Nikita joined me for this hike and it brought us back to the familiar plum village of Ogose, except this time the plum trees were all green instead of pink.

From there we took a bus towards the trail head for Kuroyama but instead of going straight to the highlight of the day, the Three Waterfalls of Kuroyama, we went around it so that we could actually hike first and end it at the waterfalls.

The hike up was quite smooth and the inclines were very gentle, what made it harder was the humidity and heat and so I found myself sweating and short of breath faster than usual. We scaled around 300 m in an hour or so and we made it to another familiar place for me: Kaburi Pass. I was here just a few weeks ago when I was doing the hike to Mt. Ogami and visiting the hidden mountain temples.

From there, we had lunch at the same udon restaurant that I ate before and I ordered the same tsukimi udon which I would have preferred cold with the hot weather but it was still delicious.

We walked on the road side for a bit before getting back on the trail and ending up on the road again, there was a sign saying keep out due to the landslides but we still went through, thinking to ourselves that if it was really that bad then we'd turn around.

The descent was steep and much more challenging and twice as fun as the rest of the hike, we had to do a lot of maneuvering, parkour, and jumping to get across the rivers. After about an hour of descent, we finally reached the fabled waterfalls of Kuroyama. The first one was the Tengu Waterfall which was a tall waterfall tucked deep into the cliffside cavern, we were quite impressed with Nikita mentioning that the energy here was very palpable.

We thought that maybe that was it as the Tengu Waterfall seemed to have some cascades but not just yet, we went further ahead and saw plenty of make-shift shrines for various Buddhist deities such as Jizo, Kannon and Buddha, and even some other deity that I wasn't familiar with, a long white-bearded man sitting on a tiger.

The next waterfall, the Male, was bigger and even much more impressive than the Tengu one, and the second cascading waterfall was the Female which was directly below the Male waterfall. Both of them created a mesmerizing view, washing my face with the cool waters was very refreshing and there were even some trout swimming against the current.

After a nice hike and a nice reward, we wanted to go home but the bus schedule had other plans and we were forced to walk back all the way to Ogose station instead of just waiting there. It was a 1 hour and a half walk but it was still strangely pleasant and time passed by quickly and we were back in Tokyo before we knew it.Read more
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