The journey to famous Japanese mountains continues, with the next stop being Mt. Kiso Komagatake. From Miyada, take a bus, then train, to Komagane highland, which is the start of a trail up Mt. Komagatake. In Komagane, t ake a stroll and visit the Kozenji temple, an old Tendai sect temple. The whole temple site is registered as a place of National Scenic Beauty. In the main hall of the temple, you will find an unexpected animal - a sacred dog called Hayataro. It was named Hayataro as it ran as fast as the wind. The story goes that 700 years ago, at Iwata in Shizuoka, a human sacrifice was made to a monster on a feast day every year. This superb dog Hayataro of Shinshu defeated the monster. Since then, Hayataro has been worshipped as a sacred dog, as it is believed to protect people from disaster or evil.
You can stay at the Hayataro inn. Hayataro’s hot spring, Seizan-So, is visited by the locals too. Its warm family-like atmosphere is its charm. The view from the rooms is another draw - you can get a panoramic view of the southern Alps through its windows.
Wash off the weariness of the trip in the hot spring here. The excellent hot spa instils vigour in you for your climb up Mt. Komagatake. You can also tuck into some local specialities at the Hayataro inn. Try the Koi (carp) which is Shinshu’s speciality. It is seasoned with sake, sugar and soy sauce and cooked over a high flame. Other dishes offered are steamed Matsutake mushroom soup and sashimi made of carp and horse.
Next, head to the Chuo Alps by bus. It offers a superb view of autumn leaves, and the air is nice and cool. Get off at Shirabidaira station, which is 1662m above sea level. Take a ropeway from here. It goes up 7m per second, and goes up 950m at once. You will get a great panoramic view of coloured leaves. Next, enjoy an eye-opening air-walk which takes about 7 minutes . You will arrive at the highest station in Japan, Senjojiki, which is 2612m high. From here you can see Mt. Fuji and the southern Alps . It is truly a world above the clouds. Senjojiki was created by a glacier about 27,000 years ago. To go over the curl from Senjojiki to Nokkoshijodo, you need to climb up 250m. You will reach a steep hill called Haccho hill, where you will see a symbol of Senjojiki Curl in front of you.
From Senjojiki station, you will reach Nokkoshijodo in 50 minutes where you can see the mountain ridge of Chuo Alps. It is the main street above the clouds that connects to the 3000m-high mountains. While you rest, have a meal at Hoken Sanso cottage, built over 40 years ago. Try its delicious spicy curry which will give you energy for climbing.
The last hurdle is Nakadake. Mt. Komagatake is the main peak of the Chuo Alps, 2956m above the sea. From the top of Nakadake, you can see the top of Mt. Komagatake. In contrast to the rough Senjojiki Curl, the top of Mt. Komagatake is graceful and elegant. It is about two hours from the Senjojiki ropeway station. At nearly 3000m above the sea, Mt. Komagatake offers 360 degree views. It is a giant observation deck above the clouds, with an amazing view of mountains below you.
Another mountain to explore is Mt. Buko, which is located at the southern end of Chichibu basin in west Saitama. It is 1304m high above the sea and is named after the legend of Yamato-Takeru . Since it is a rich source of limestone, a raw material of cement, it is also called Treasure Mountain by the locals.
The Seibu Chichibu line runs from Ikebukuro to Chichibu at the foot of Mt. Buko, which is rich in nature. Before you embark on your climb, you may want to do some shopping. The Nakamise Street shopping centre in the Seibu Chichibu station features a host of local specialities. You can try the rice cakes, rice balls or even fried bean-curd rice. The snacks also come in packages, suitable for takeaways. Another item worth trying is Shakushina - Chichibu’s famous pickles.
Check your climbing route at a tourist centre. There are two points for the trail up Mt. Buko. You can take Chichibu line, and get off at Urayama station. I t is about three hours to the top but t he view is better here. The other route is from Yokodeguchi – you will have to take a taxi to Ichinotori, which is about two hours away. But there is a thick cedar forest, so there is no open view if you choose to take this route.
Should you decide to take the Chichibu line route, travel to Ohanabatake and t ransfer to the Chichibu line. A fter a seven-minute ride, you will arrive at Urayamaguchi for the start of the trail. You will soon come across spring water at Fudo Meisui. It is the underground water of Mt. Buko and famous in Chichibu as the water is cold but delicious. You can take some of it along for your climb.
Mt. Buko is Chichibu’s famous mountain. It has two faces the helmet-like limestone surface, and also green forests. It is a refreshing and scenic three-hour walk to the mountain, and the air is very fresh. You will reach a steep hill, where you can take a break, munch on some snacks you have brought along, and quench your thirst with some spring water. During the autumn season, climbers can see the pretty flowers of the wild plants, and Japanese pampas grass. As you reach closer to the top of the mountain, you will notice that the leaves have changed colour. You will also come across Ontake Shrine a symbol of the mountainous religion of Mt. Buko. The top of the mountain is behind it. The observation deck at the top of Mt. Buko is 1304m above the sea. It is a beautiful and amazing sight, with a superb view of Chichibu basin below you. It commands a panoramic view of Chichibu city and Nagatoro. On a clear day, you can even see Mt. Akagi in Gunma or Mt. Tsukuba in Ibaraki.
The next destination is Mt. Naeba, which is located between Niigata and the Nagano prefecture. It is 2145m above the sea. You can start from Niigata then go to Nagano. Take the Joetsu Shinkansen to Echigo-Yuzawa from Tokyo. Transfer to the Jousetsu line, then take the Iiyama line to Tsunan town, the southernmost point of Niigata by the Shinano River. Mt. Naeba is known as a ski area, but it actually is a mountain with rich nature. To discover another charm of Naeba, take a bus from the Tsunan station to go to the hidden region of Mt. Naeba - Akiyama-Go with 13 villages across Niigata and Nagano. It is a hidden spot where Japanese traditional lifestyle still exists. One of the villages is called Ketto. Here you will find terraced rice fields with stone walls. Because of the sloping land, only millets or barn grass used to be grown here, so the whole village built the stone walls in 1872, and developed rice fields on top. Mt. Naeba provides water to the rice fields directly from the ground . Niigata’s famous rice, Koshihikari, is grown in Mt. Naeba’s water.
In Ketto, buckwheat is grown as well as rice. At one particular soba noodle shop here, the noodles are made in the traditional way with seaweed and pokeweed. The traditional homemade soba comes with seasonal wild vegetable dishes at a price of 900 yen (S$14).
Continue your journey to the hidden spot Akiyama-Go, on the Nagano side. You will discover an excellent hot spring there. The bus route runs beyond the prefecture border. When it goes across a bridge over Nakatsu River, then you have reached Nagano. Koakazawa village lies in the bosom of Mt. Naeba. The start of the trail to Mt. Naeba is located here. Explore the village and you will find delicious treats such as red bean paste wrapped in traditional Horse Chestnut Cake, and grilled rice cake with miso sauce.
You can stay the night at an inn located in Koakazawa village, which is called Deguchi-Ya. It is actually named after spring water – Deguchi (exit) of water as there is a natural spring just behind the inn. A speciality at the inn is Nozawana pickles; the lightly-pickled vegetables are crisp and good. The spring water of Mt. Naeba is also used for farming chars, which you can try for dinner. You can eat them to the bones as they become soft after being grilled by charcoal. The menu also includes homemade tofu, wild plants and mushrooms. Give the local traditional dish called Haya (quick) Soba – buckwheat dumpling with Japanese radish - a try. It derives its name from the fact that you can eat it quickly .
