Brompton Ride & Hike to Mt. Tohnodake 1491m

In order to escape from terrible heatwave in summer, I tend to go anywhere well beyond 1000m in its elevation in the past weeks. Today's destination, Mt. Tohnodake, is located in Tanzawa Mountains and popular for its spectacular view with Mt. Fuji and other high mountains around it. 

Brompton hill climb: Ubayu Hot Spring in Yamagata Prefecture

Last Sunday I climbed up toward the end of the mountain trail in another part of Azuma Mountain Range located over Northeast Japan to enjoy hot spring which has cured local people for 500 years.  The name of the hot spring is "Ubayu Onsen". Ubayu's Uba means a mountain witch and Yu means hot spring. 

The hill climb ride is supposed to be  8.45 km in distance and 527 meters to ascend.

https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/7516310950

Early in the morning I took a bullet train from Tokyo to Fukushima Station to change to a local railway running through mountain range between Fukushima Prefecture and Yamagata prefecture.

Local railway line starts at Fukushima station to go through a dozen of tunnels and bridges in the deep mountain range.

Finally arriving in Toge Station. The name "Toge" literary means "Mountain Pass" in Japanese. Very simple name because the station is located just on the Pass. The station was built in the age of steam for switch-backs to tackle one of Japan's toughest climbing railway routes; even after electrification for a while (now the yamagata Shinkansen and local trains run without switch-backs.)

Brompton and I started from Toge Station. The trail continues narrow and steep but I can enjoy such a view everywhere.

The trees provide shades all the way through Ubayu hot spring.

The slope is getting steeper grade in the last half way to the destination.

Still 2 kilo meters to go.

Experiencing extra steep slope of 22%.

Even a wagon vehicle struggles at one of the sharp bends with extreme slope.

Suddenly the valley of the hot spring appears in my sight. Famous Ubayu hot spring comes from that half-cup crater.

Upon arrival, I checked in at Ubayu Hot Spring Inn for bathing. It only costs 600 Japanese yen. (approx. 5 US dollars)

What fresh hot water it is!

The location is dynamic. It is surrounded by a trace of large scale volcanic eruption of 15,000 years ago. Volcano is still active. Hot water gushes out from the naked mountain surface. The hot spring is bluish white and smells like sulfur. 

Lying on the shallows of this hot spring pool and looking up a volcanic crater. It's nice and healing.

It was a great day in fall after hard hill climb ride with Brompton to be soaked and healed in the best "hidden bath" ever.

 

Mt. Fuji capped with snow

A day in mid November, Brompton and I went to Tenka Chaya, a historic tavern in the mountain with a perfect view of Mt. Fuji.

[data]

Route: Fujikyu Railway Somoyoshida Sta. ～ Misaka Pass ～ Fuefuki City

Total Distance: 42.31 km (hillclimb part 16.29 km)

Elev Gain: 1,335 m (min elev 256m max elev 1,416m)

Moving Time: 2:47:39

Avg Moving Speed: 15.1 kph

Calories: 1,307 k C

Equipment: M6L-X (44T chain ring)

https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/5819015937

Started from Shimo Yoshida Station.

Found a local shrine on the way.

Gradually gaining elevation. On the way of hill climb to Misaka Pass, a view of Mt. Fuji appeared time to time.

The mountain, Mount Mitsutoge, was filled with autumn colors.

At 1300 meters above sea level, a whole body of Mt. Fuji suddenly appeared in front of my eyes.

I love to see this snow capped Mt. Fuji. Sacred and majestic.

Before long, I arrived at Tenka Chaya, where a Japanese famous novelist Dazai stayed to name it Tenka Chaya, meaning the best view of Mount Fuji.

She is Koume, a restaurant dog. 

After freezing ride in the mountain, I enjoyed Hoto, a signature noodle menu in the restaurant.

Escape The City And Explore

Let's escape the city and explore. Brompton brings you to adventures which you have never experienced.

I post some of my adventures with Brompton, exploring Japanese high mountains and being dipped in wonderful hot springs in the great nature.

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Brompton Peak Hunting and Hot Spring - Mt. Hakuba Norikura 2,469 m
Brompton S2L and I went over a part of the ridge of the Japanese North Alps, the highest mountain range in Japan with those around 2,000 - 3,000 meter peak elevations, to dip in the Renge Onsen, a mountain hot spring with the best panoramic view located in another side of the mountain.

Adventure for your own wild hot spring - Yumata Hot Spring
Brompton and I went to Yumata Onsen, definitely the most secluded hot springs located deep in the Takase Valley.

Mt. Nasu - Beautiful Snow Mountain with Brompton
Brompton and I went for a snow ride to Mt. Nasu. In order to secure the ride on snow-covered road, Brompton was equipped with a pair of 16-inch stud tires.

Kamikochi - Great Old Route Via Tokugo Pass

Brompton and I  traced the Grand Old Route to Kamikochi.

Mount Gongen, A Paradise of Trail Ride - Mt Gongen 1,312 m
Brompton and I climbed Mt. Gongen up to watch over Mt. Fuji with a snow cap.

Let's go to Nakabusa Hot Spring for a snow ride and downhill
I went to Nakabusa Hot Spring for a snow hill climb with Brompton equipped with a pair of 16-inch stud tires.

A hot spring experience deep in the mountain - Akayu Hot Spring
Brompton and I went to Akayu Onsen which is located deep in the Kiyotsu River.

Bromptons went to the best Island hot springs ever in the world
Bromptons went to the best island onsen located in the Shikine-jima Island. The setting of this onsen couldn’t be more dramatic: it’s located in a rocky cleft in the seashore of the tiny island Shikine-jima. The hot spring pools are formed by the seaside rocks all in nature. It only works when the tide is right.

Hot spring experience after a volcanic mount trail ride - Mt. Adatara 1,699 m
Brompton and I went to Kurogane Onsen where the fresh hot spring is gushing out from the ground of Mount Adatara, an active volcano located in Fukushima Prefecture.

Akiyamago, the most secluded mountain village in Japan

Brompton and I went to Akiyamago, one of the most isolated mountain villages in Japan and located deep to the end of the Nakatsugawa Valley.

Your Name.

"Your Name." (Japanese title:  Kimi no Na wa.) is a 2016 Japanese animated film created and directed by Makoto Shinkai with music composed by Radwimps. It tells a fantasy of time travel and body swap between high school girl in rural Japan and a high school boy in Tokyo. It achieved a major commercial success and received widespread acclaim.

High school girl Mitsuha has become bored of her traditional life in beautiful Hida mountain region where she was born in a shrine as a successor of a sacred maiden.

She wishes if she were a teenage boy in modern Tokyo and, on one day, she had it in a dream. However, when she sees a message on her notebook asking "Who are you?" and when her friends react at her strange behavior on the previous day, she suspects something is going on. At the same moment, high school boy Taki experiences the same thing.

They finally realize that their spirits swap back and forth at random and start communicating with each other by leaving notes and messages in notebooks and smartphones. Mitsuha enjoys Taki’s high school days in Tokyo and Taki also becomes accustomed to the Japanese traditional life in an unknown rural village. During the time, Taki wonders that Mitsuha's latest note tells about a comet approaching to the Earth as a nationwide news but he never hears about it.

One day, Taki, as Mitsuha, accompanies her grandmother and sister to go to the sacred place in the mountain. The sacred body as a huge stone is located far in the caldera of the mountain top. It is a regular event for the shrine family to leave Kuchikamizake, the ritual sacred sake, for the god stone located on the mountain. Grandmother tells Mitsuha (Taki) that there is the body of the village guardian god who rules time, human experiences and reconnections. For some reason Taki is impressed by her words. Grandmother seems to notice Mitsuha is not Mitsuha but Taki on that day.

After a while, the body switching suddenly ends. He decides to visit her hometown though he does not know its name and where. Based on his memory of the scenery, he finally reached Hida-Takayama which has to be a vicinity of Itomori Villege where Yotsuha lives but hears that the village was vanished 3 years ago due to an unexpected fall of a fragmented meteorite.

Taki understands that the disaster happened exactly on the ritual day 3 years ago when he watched a beautiful meteor shower from the balcony. He finds the names of Mitsuha, her sister, grandmother and other people in the list of victims. He suddenly realizes their timelines were separated by three years. Taki despairs but an idea comes across. He goes to the mountain top where he once visited as Mitsuha with her sister and grandmother in his dream.

～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～

Five years later, Taki does not remember anything but he senses he is missing something important, being interested in the Itomori's miracle that most of the inhabitants survived by chance due to the mayor's unanticipated direction.

One day, Taki and Mitsuha recognize each other when their trains draw parallel near Yoyogi Station. They disembark in the different station (because he was on Chuo line and she was on Sobu line.) and search for one another, finally meeting each other on a stone staircase near Sendagaya station. Feeling as if they have met before, they ask for each other “what’s your name?” with burst of tears.

source: Kimi no Na wa Official Page http://www.kiminona.com/

End of the story

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If you bring Brompton to Japan, you may visit locations where Mitsuha and Taki live and pass each other. 

Trailer:

Reference article: Your Name review – a beautiful out-of-bodyexperience (The Guardian article)