Nothing is more invigorating and exciting than an adventure following the rushing rivers of Japan to their source. Join us in this next part of our adventure as we go follow even more rivers to their origins. Who knows what other adventures await?

Picking up from where we left off, head to Tome City from Iinogawa town. Tome City has shared a long history together with the Yodo River, and the town used to flourish from the river traffic of the Kitakami River. Today, some streets still look as they did in the old days in the Edo era. In fact, many old houses are still used as residences today.

One such historical place is Jinjo Primary School, which was built in 1888. Unusually built in the shape of the letter U, the white balcony drew its inspiration from Greek architecture. Stylishly built, the school has also preserved many antique elements, even replicating a class in the Taisho era.

While in the vicinity of the Kitakami River, there is one dish that visitors must not miss out on – wild eels. Cooked with a long-standing special technique, this special dish can be enjoyed in an old-established restaurant. A 130 year old storehouse for rice, which was moved from Yamagata to here, the rebuilt old house has white plaster and superb beams. As an additional bonus, it also boasts a spectacular view of the Kitakami River from the second floor.

After filling your stomachs with such a nutritious meal, head to the Kurikoma highland station and take the Shinkansen to Shinhanamake. A town in the middle reaches; it’s also the hometown of the poet, Kenji Myazawa who likened the place to walking on a white beach in England. Interestingly, the bottom of the river hasn’t ever surfaced as the water level has risen, causing the landscape to change continuously.

While there, visit a painter who is an ardent fan of Kenji’s and is committed to painting the scenery that the poet loved. Don’t be confused by the two signboards that indicate a hairdresser and an art gallery being in the same place. Mr Takita has been a hairdresser while he’s been painting for 30 years.

Heading to the recommended place to stay for the night, get on a pick-up bus to a spa inn along Toyosawa River, also one of the branches of the Kitakami River. Kikusui-kan is an inn along the Toyosawa River, it was also where Kenji Miyazawa’s childhood home. Decorated as a Japanese style room with the traditional wooden framed windows, there is a superb view of the dazzling greenery and clear stream. It also provides a comfortable and relaxing sound of the rushing water.

After taking a comforting bath in the inn’s open-air bath with a superb view, do enjoy what’s to be served for dinner with a menu that changes every month. This time round serving a great variety of locally produced vegetables and seasonal fish, also enjoy the char bone sake which is made by pouring sake over the hot grilled char.

The next morning, head to the Hanamake station and take a 40 minute train to Morioka, a city of woods and water. It is here that Kenji Miyaza and Takuboku Ishikawa spent their youth as well. Standing at the Kaiun Bridge near the station, visitors will be welcomed by the seasonal flowers by the promenade of the river.

Just a minute away from the bridge, a popular restaurant serving western food is a great place to have a meal. Michinoku used to be a sweet shop when it opened 80 years ago, and was only changed to a western restaurant in 1961. If you’re feeling adventurous, do try the tongue stew which is typically cooked for a week. If not, one can’t go wrong with the pork steak, which has been a popular choice for a long time.

Next, head to the Mido station where it’s takes an approximate 40 minutes walk to the source, 250 kilometres from the estuary where the journey began. The source is in the Mido Kannon Shogakuin temple. Built in 807, the temple has a long and distinguished history. Legend has it that Yoshiie Minamoto, a general in the Heian era shot an arrow as soldiers were very thirsty after the war. From the arrow he shot, a spring appeared from the rock. Falling drop by drop, the spring provides all the water to Iwate.

It’s time to begin another journey with yet another river in Japan. This time round, we’ll track the Tama River that flows through Japan’s capital, Tokyo, running from Haneda to the source in Yamanashi.

Taking the bus and train, head to the Tama River station on the Tokyu-Toyoko line and you’ll arrive at the Maruko Bridge, 13 kilometres from the estuary. A 15 minutes walk from the Maruko bridge, an Oden (stewed food) shop is located in front of the ex-Giants’ baseball ground. Two years after the shop opened, the Giants’ playground was completed and since then, many players such as Oh or Nagashima started frequenting the place. The famous Oden which is usually cooked the day before being sold is also loved by many baseball players. The glory of the Giants in its v9 era can truly said to be etched in the Tama River.

The next stop on the itinerary is Futako Tamagawa, which is growing in popularity for its stylish atmosphere. Along the way, stop by the waterside school which offers rare opportunities for city children to play in the river, catching creatures in a river with a scoop net. Known as Gasa-Gasa (rustly), you may even don some wellingtons and try your hand at catching Maruta Ugui and other creatures like shrimps.

Heading next on the mono-rail to get to Koshukaido Station, it only takes a five minute walk to come to the Tama River which is now 40 kilometres from the estuary. If you’re beginning to feel hungry after all that travelling, do head to Sakura-an which offers a meal with a full view of the Tama River. Serving a variety of dishes including Asari clam soup with buckwheat and a Japanese and Chinese yam dish, the meal consists of a total of eight dishes. Not only is it a great spot to visit when you come for a walk along the Tama, the restaurant also strikes a chord with people who love natural and organic food.

Head to the Ninata-Wada station by the Oume line, as you make your way to the upper reaches of the river. Five minutes from Oume, you may even try canoeing in the pristine, clean waters of the Tama River. The Tama River is a perfect place for canoeing, not only for beginners, but also for advanced canoeists with its fast currents in the upper reaches. It is no wonder that this is the best place in Kanto for canoeing, allowing you to enjoy the river and beautiful nature surrounding the place as you paddle along.

Take the JR Oume line to the Kawai station, which is a five minutes walk to the inn where you can stay the night. Also located by the river, it’s an elegant inn which was established 82 years ago, and is located in a house which has been around since the Taisho era. It has nine detached houses in a tranquil garden for visitors to stay.  Surrounded by rich nature and also boasting a great indoor bath with an awesome view of the river, the feeling is almost surreal.

Dinner at the inn is equally impressive. Serving a total of 13 Japanese-style dishes from the river and mountains, one really can’t leave feeling more satisfied. Some of the dishes include a grilled char with salt grown in the Tama River’s clear waters, the chef recommended wild plants tempura, a steamed dish that took 10 years of creation and many other colourful dishes filled with blessings from the Tama. This is one meal that will be sure to please both your eyes and your palate.

	Be sure to wear good walking shoes when making the climb up to the river source, as the journey can prove to be quite arduous.
	For all wild eel lovers, be sure to plan your trip between May to October as this precious dish can only be savoured then.
	You might want to head aboard the galactic railway to visit the home of Takuboku Ishikawa in Shibutami, which is famous for its landscape by the Kitamkami River.
	A great spot to stop at before heading to the source of the Taba River is where the river changes its name to Ichinose River, along the way to the Kasatori Mountain path.

The next day, take a 15 minutes train journey with the green view of the mountain till the last stop of the JR Okutama line, Okutama station. From there you’ll have to take a bus to head to the upper reaches where soon, Tama River “changes” into a lake.

Okutama Lake is one of the largest water supply reservoirs in Japan. Not only is it a water jug for people in Tokyo, this large lake and forest are also the symbols of nature in Tokyo.

The upper reaches of Tama River from Okutama Lake then changes its name to Taba River, where Taba means the place in the heart of the mountain.

The last bus stop is at the Taba mountain village in the Yamanashi prefecture. From there, the source is in reach. But before heading to the source, do stop at a noodle shop called Yamabik-An along the way. Locally grown buckwheat is ground in a stone mill, where 80 per cent is made into flour and 20 per cent is kneaded into dough. The dough is then skilfully cut into soba noodles, with the source of the Tama especially enhancing the taste of the truly freshly made soba noodles. Eaten with locally and freshly produced wasabi, there’s no better way to enjoy a Japanese soba.

You’ll probably need to hire a guide to bring you to the source of the river. Driving up to the entrance of Kasatori Mountain path, you’ll have to drive to Sakubahira-guch to reach the entrance of the path. From there, you’ll have to make a two and a half hour climb up to the source, known as Mizuhi. While the source is but a drop which falls down to the ground, this drop is the beginning of the 138 kilometre long Tama River.

Not for the faint of heart, this journey proves that rivers are not only a good source of water, but are also a great source for soothing the spirits of travellers.