Kurobe Gorge Railway

Let's go to the secret hot spring located in the deepest part of Kurobe Gorge. Today I took a ride on a Kurobe Gorge Railway narrow gage train to reach BABATANI Onsen.

Kurobe Gorge Railway is a narrow gage train which runs along the deepest V-shaped valley in Japan. The original purpose of the rail was to transport materials and equipment for the electric power development project of Kurobe River in the 1920's. The railway facilities were completed in 1923. The rail starts at Unazuki onsen and reaches Kurobe dam site. Only first 20.1km, so called "Lower Track" between Unazuki and Keyakidaira, is open to public for sight seeing. "Upper Track" of 6.5km is for Power Plant and Dam Site use only.


Starting from this terminal.

Extra narrow gage train!

I get on this small coach. If you are a big person, you might not fit into it.

The small train brings us beyond those mountains.

Unazuki Dam and Unazuki Lake.

First station comes by but only workers and employees of Kansai Electric use it. There are a dozen of such stations on the line.

It is a monkey bridge. Because there are groups of monkeys who go to and fro between both sides, the power company built it for them when they made dams and the width of the river was extended.

Arriving Kuronagi, a first passenger station. By walk you can reach one of the secret hot springs, Kuronagi Onsen, from the station. Today I try another one and continue a trip.

Pass Atobiki Bridge to cross Kuronagi River.

A view from Atobiki Bridge. Kuronagi Onsen is located at the end of the gorge.

The train is running this hight all the time. Not good for a person with acrophobia.

The world most thrilling railway.

This is the Kurobe River Second Power Plant, constructed in 1936.

The narrow gage train goes foward deep into the valley. Though it is September, greens are very fresh like those in spring.

The railway is single-tracked. Need to pass each other at some places.

Because of its shape, Temple Bell Mountain .

Arriving Tsurigane (temple bell) Station. You can go to one of the hot springs where you need to dig and make your own bath at the river side. I pass this wild hot spring and go beyond.

Finally arrived at Keyakidaira Station, the terminus for travelers.

My adventure continues to the extremely secluded hot spring in another Canyon, Babatani Onsen.

(To be continued to Babatani Onsen.) 

Unagi (eel) KIKUKAWA

Kikukawa, one of my favorite Unagi restaurants.

This is a good place to try unagi for travelers because it is close to Kanda Station, one of the centered downtown areas in Tokyo. You can choose to either sit downstairs, or upstairs on the tatami.

Though I arrived a little before noon, there was very long line to wait.

I finally got a seat after 15 minutes.

As Unagi is an endangered species in recent years, very expensive. But I need this as an energy booster before another tough cycling trip.

I ordered TOKUSEN OODON, a special big portion of grilled eel over rice. It was wonderful!

Kanda Kikukawa (main shop)
1-24-2 Kanda sudacho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo

Brompton Gathering in Palace #14

Today I went to a Brompton gathering held near Tokyo Station. There were 115 Bromptons in lines.

The gathering called "Brompton Palace" is held bi-monthly, 10:30 am on the second Sunday of January, March, May, July, September, and November at the edge of the Imperial Palace Garden. If you have a chance to visit Tokyo, come and join us!

Brompton goes to Nikko Onsen Temple

I am sure that you know Nikko and Tosho-gu Shrine which was built by Shogun family more than 400 years ago.

But do you know there is Onsenji, a Buddhist temple with a secluded, religious, and historic hot spring in Nikko Yumoto Onsen?

[Transportation examples]
Tobu Railway (RAPID): Asakusa Station dept. 06:20 → Tobu Nikko Station arr. 08:25
Bus: Tobu Nikko 08:40 → Yumoto Onsen 10:05
Tobu Railway (RAPID): Asakusa Station dept. 08:10 → Tobu Nikko Station arr. 10:19
Bus: Tobu Nikko 10:40 → Yumoto Onsen 12:05
All nikko pass 4,520 yen (Train & Bus)
TOBU RAILWAY CO., LTD.

Brompton and I arraived at Tobu Nikko Stattion where was the nearest station to Nikko Tosho-gu, a famous Shito shrine complex which was registered as a World Heritage site in December 1999.
http://www.toshogu.jp/english/

Today I am going to the secret hot spring before visiting that shrine complex. An elevation of the Station is 543 meters. The elevation of Yumoto Onsen, today's destination, is 1472 meters. You had better take bus rather than by Brompton. Yumoto Onsen is connected with central Nikko by Tobu bus. Buses leave from Tobu Nikko Station and are bound for Yumoto Onsen. There are one or two buses per hour.


Arrived.


As it is mid May, mountains of Oku Nikko are yet covered with snow. Nikko Yumoto Onsen is still in Winter and waits for Spring.


From Yunohira Marsh, where fountainheads of Yumoto Onsen are located, you will see Onsen-ji, Hot Spring Temple. The hot water must be very fresh!


Each fountainhead is covered by a wooden roof. The yield of the fountain is enormous enough to supply not only to hotels of the vicinity but also to distant places all around the Nikko area.


Let's go to the temple.


Onsen-ji Temple was established in 788 by Saint Shodo who was from Shimotsuke region.


When I rang a bell, a young bald kid appreared to open the gate. I thought that he must be an apprentice of the temple but I found that he was just a grandchild of the chief priest of this Buddhist temple. The kid and the wife of the priest escourted me to the bath. Let's be soaked in a hot spring!


See this color and strong smell of sulphur! Wonderful!


When I finished bathing, I was treated with rice crackers and Japanese tea. Just for reference, you need to pay "dedicatory rest" instead of charge or fee. It is because a temple is in difinition "religious corporations" in terms of Japanese tax law.


It was good hot spring and I enjoyed. I am thankful to the god (Buddha?) and nature.

After this Onsen experience, you go back to Tobu Nikko station to visit Tosho-gu, the famous shrine complex of world helitage!

http://www.toshogu.jp/english/access/index.html
http://www.lonelyplanet.com/japan/north-of-tokyo/nikko/sights/religious/tosho-gu?ctv=control

Ubayu Hot Spring - An ultimate onsen

Are you interested in one of the most secluded hot springs in Japan? Brompton and I went to one, Ubayu Hot Spring, today for a day trip.

Ubayu is a hot spring located in 250 km north of Tokyo. It is hidden by a deep mountain valley with an elevation of 1,250 meters. Ubayu was found 500 years ago by Lord Endo who started Masugata-ya, an only Onsen lodge there. Masugata-ya has been succeeded by Lord Endo's offsprings for seventeen generations since then.

The open-air bath is very out-of-the-way hot spring surrounded by rough mountain surface.
http://www.yonezawa-kankou-navi.com/langage/en/onsen.html

[Transportation]
Shinkansen (super express "TSUBASA") Tokyo Station Lv. 6:12 Fukushima Station Ar. 7:44
Local rail (Ou line) Fukushima Station Lv. 8:05 Toge Ar. 8:35

[Brompton to ride]
Toge Station → Ubayu Onsen Masugata-ya Lodge → Toge Station
Distance 17.1 km
Maximum difference of an elevation 611m
Average inclination: total 0% ascent 10.3% descent 9.7%
Gained elevation ascent 754m descent 753m
https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=zVh_vanqLQwc.kj-M7I7GFtTI

I started a ride from JR Toge Station, an unmanned station with a huge snow canopy in the middle of an isolated mountain. Ubayu was just 8 km away from the station but we needed to conquer amazing elevation of more than 600 meters to get to that secret hot spring in Shangri-la.

Brompton and I climbed a series of steep inclines. The inclinations were getting steeper and steeper. The speed slowed down to almost 3 to 4 km per hour, which was almost a speed of walk.

 
The inclination reached 17%! Visually like this.

 
I found that 17% was not final. See, next slope was 22%! But we still needed to go for another 2 km from here. Already tired!

 
I continued to pedal Brompton, almost fainted. Finally I reached the pass and looking over Ubayu Onsen at the end of this deep valley. That is Masugata-ya Lodge and its hot springs!

 
I used up all the energy to climb up the last slope to the lodge.

 
Finally arrived. After payment, I hurried to the hot spring.

 
This is "Yamauba no yu" open air bath, the mountain witch bath.

A wonderful location, pleasant temperature, and nice flegrance impressed me a lot. The hot spring came out directly from the volcano just over there. It attracted me with this natural environment and strong sulfurous odour.

When I looked up, such wild scenary was awaiting.

 
Nobody cannot help but being filled with palpitations in the situation.

 
You can expose yourself into such wild but priceless experience if you accompany Brompton to your Japan trip. I recommend you to achieve this ultimate onsen experience by combination of Shinkansen and Brompton as I did. I hope that your schedule allows you to do so in Japan.

Please make sure that Ubayu Hot Spring is only open from May to October due to severe climates of the high mountain in the north east region. You can well understand when you see the above photo taken last May.

http://www.love-yone.com/hitou/ubayu-english.html

Kamikochi

Kamikōchi, a sanctuary in the heart of the Japan Alps, is the place you must go as long as season is good.

You can take an express train from JR Shinjuku Station to Matsumoto Station.

I advise you to bring your own Brompton.

At Matsumoto Station, change to Matsumoto Railway to go to Shin-Shimashima Station.

At Shin-Shimashima, please get bus to Kamikōchi.

It takes about an hour and half to Kamikōchi Bus Terminal.

Nature of Kamikōchi is perfectly preserved.

A group of wild monkeys are also well preserved. Hi!

"JAPAN ALPS KAMIKOCHI Official Website"
http://www.kamikochi.or.jp/english/

Cherry Blossoms Bloom

Brompton and I have been in Hocchi to see the cherry blossoms.

[data]
route: From Numata Station to Shiei-juutaku Iriguchi, take bus. Then starting to ride to Hocchi and Kamihocchi
distance: 10.5km
maximum difference of an elevation: 208m
average % of inclination: total 1.8% ascent 3.4% descent 2.2%
gained elevation: ascent 220m descent 35m
https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=zVh_vanqLQwc.kig-uENyB-WQ

Weeping cherry trees in full bloom at Tenshoji temple. I was lucky.

Next, another kind of cherry blossom, Higanzakura. It is very famous tree of Natural Monument (Gunma Prefecture Designated). The cherry tree is in full bloom on April 19.

Then, a huge weeping cherry blossom at Kamihocchi. This tree is often called Jizo Zakura, a cherry blossom with stone statue. Can you see small Jizo and my brompton at the foot of the tree?

The tree still needs some more days to bloom but scarlet buds are beautiful with the blue sky backdrop. It will bloom soon next week.