This week, we explore beautiful mountains in the countryside. We will discover nature’s fresh foliage and marvel at the alluring wildlife along our journey. Of course, there are mountain delicacies to savour and healing hot springs to indulge in too!

We first travel to the Tanzawa Mountains. The northwest of Kanagawa, Tanzawa, boasts dozens of mountains occupying one-sixth of Kanagawa's total area. This Tokyo suburb is a popular spot among many mountain climbers. We will begin our adventure in Hadano, after which we will climb up to Mt Nabewari. Our goal is the summit of Tou no dake. First, ride the express train on the Odakyu Line at Shinjuku and alight at Hadano. Head to a panoramic spot to see the mountains. In the south of Hadano, Shibusawa Kyuryo has a hiking course with beautiful views of the Tanzawa Mountains. You will be able to see the Tanzawa Basin and the surrounding mountains, which are located really close to the town. Return to the town and visit a famous place where Japanese monk Kobo Daishi is said to have touched the ground with his cane, leading spring water to gush out from the spot. The springs of Hadano Basin have also been selected as one of Japan's 100 remarkable water sources. Rain and snow from the Tanzawa Mountains serve as a source of water for the villagers. The water is thus cherished by the villagers. And for hundreds of years, some of these families have been channelling the water gushing from their gardens into their houses to use. Take a sip of this delicious legendary water and make a monetary offering at an offertory box.

Continue exploring the town and look out for the huge torii (gate) of the Shirasasa-Inari Shrine. It is one of the three largest Shirasasa-Inari shrines in the Kanto area. It holds a grand festival every February, which attracts about 20,000 worshippers. The shrine is associated with the mountain gods. It is said that in spring, the gods come down from the hills to protect the rice fields, and return to their mountain homes after the harvest. Furthermore, the fox is seen as their envoy which eats the enemy of the crops – mice. So while at the shrine, you can pray for a safe climb up the mountains. The Tanzawa Mountains are a part of the daily life here, with the locals considering the Tanzawa Range as divine mountains. For lunch, go to the Shirasasa Udon restaurant, which is situated in a 100-year-old house. It has an elegant ambiance and offers some unique dishes. Order the special menu. The udon is made with domestic flour and Tanzawa’s water, and comes with many other ingredients from Tanzawa Mountains. The dish is garnished with rape blossoms, bamboo shoot and pickled yaezakura (spring cherry blossoms). The Chimura region of Hadano is famous for cherry blossoms. Fresh blossoms are pickled using salt and vinegar, a practice dating back to the Edo era, when farmers began doing this to earn money. These cherry blossoms are a speciality of Hadano and are even used in the sakura-yu (bath).

After enjoying the delicious delicacies of Tanzawa, resume your journey on the Odakyu Line and alight at Shin-Matsuda Station. From here, take a bus to your inn for the night. The bus stops anywhere along the route and will drop you right in front of Sedo in Yadoriki. It is a camp site set in natural surroundings. Similar to a mountain hut, the 50-year-old inn is also popular among climbers. The rooms are comfortable and offer a nice view of a mountain village. The sight of the beautiful mountains will make you forget the hustle and bustle of city life. The inn serves Tanzawa's mountain delicacies and Kanagawa ingredients for dinner. Enjoy a meal comprising boar pot with rich miso and ground sesame; raw deer; and char from the clear streams.

The next morning, the inn’s owner will drive you to the start of the trail to Tou na dake. Start by walking to Mizuhizawa, before heading to Mt Nabewari. Along the way, enjoy the beautiful view of the various flowers in bloom. Be careful as the climb up is quite steep. As the trail widens, look out for some wild Sika deer, which live only in the mountains. After climbing for 3.5 hours, you will reach Mt Nabewari. There is an inn called Nabewari Sanso at Mt Nabewari. This rustic inn with its unique hut was built by the owner all by himself with materials which he carried up the mountain. If you are hungry, try the inn’s speciality, Nabeyaki udon, a dish loved by mountain climbers. After this, head to your final destination, the summit of Tou no dake. If you are lucky, you may be greeted by the Sika deer at Tou no dake. The summit of Tou no dake is 1491m high and offers an amazing view of the beautiful natural scenery near Tokyo. On a clear day, you can even see Mt Fuji.

For our next trip, we will travel to Mt Kusatsu Shirane. First, take a 2.5-hour express train ride from Ueno to Naganohara Kusatsuguchi. From here, board a bus heading to Mt Kusatsu Shirane. Kusatsu is said to be the best spa town in Japan, with its water source coming from active volcano Mt Kusatsu Shirane. Make a stopover first at Kunimura. Alight at the stop near Maruya Toge. Enjoy the peaceful scenery and the wonderful contrast between the greenery and snow. From here, go to the Akaiwa region of Kunimura. Head to the Fureai no ie (friendly house) and get a villager to be your guide. Visit some traditional buildings which have been culturally preserved following certification by the Japanese government. You can also ask your guide to recommend some of Kunimura’s top scenic spots. For lunch, one of the restaurants worth visiting is an old-fashioned tofu shop – the only tofu shop in the area – which sells delicious hiyayakko (cold tofu). The shop has preserved its way of making tofu since being founded 50 years ago. Soya beans are soaked in water overnight, then slowly ground using a stone mill. You can also check out a soba shop and try its tasty handmade soba with hen of the woods mushrooms. Kunimura's soba is a favourite among foreigners. After lunch, to find out more about the history of Kunimura, you may wish to visit the Fuyuzumi no Sato (winter country) Museum. This museum was rebuilt from an ancient warehouse and exhibits interesting items such as a map dating back to 1788.

One of the attractions of Kusatsu is the Yubatake hot spring. There is a Shingonshu temple beyond Yubatake called Kusatsusan Kosenji. It is believed to have been established by Buddhist priest Gyoki. Make a stop at the temple and pray for a safe and successful climb up Mt Shirane the next day. After this, head to your inn for the night, Yamamoto. It is a 15-minute walk from the spa town. The tasteful inn, established nine years ago, has been built and decorated using wood. The owner is a carpenter and built the traditional Japanese rooms and even the outdoor bath himself. Dinner is served in the restaurant and consists of 18 dishes. These include crab from Niigata, local mountain delicacies, Aralia Elata and udo shoots, Gunma beef teppanyaki, and duck pot.

The next morning, you can get the inn to pack you some lunch – rice balls for example - which you can eat later. A mountain climbing guide will pick you up from your inn. Make your way to Mt Motoshirane first. Walk along a snowy trail for 45 minutes. Along the way, you will pass by the Yumiike volcanic lake, known to be highly acidic. As you walk along the wooden road, you will notice various types of plants growing on both sides of the road. These include alpine plants, snakeberry – whose flowers look like dancing cranes – and iwakagami with its glittering leaves. Once the snowy trail ends, you will come across interesting sights such as craters called Karagama, rocks with chizugoke moss growing on them, and red komakusa flowers.

Continue climbing up to the summit. If you want to take a break or have some lunch, go to a special lookout where you can rest. Enjoy the view while munching on the snacks prepared by the inn earlier. After this, continue climbing and after about five minutes, you will finally reach the peak. Take in the panoramic view of Tanigawa Renpo, Mt Asama, Mt Yokote in Shiga Kogen and Mt Kasa.