Sunday October 5th
We had an early start today. The bus from Shinjuku terminal to Kamikochi in the Japanese Alps departed at 7:15 a.m. and we needed to get ourselves over there. It wasn’t far but we needed to get up and organized, check out of the hotel and grab a taxi. So that meant up at 6 a.m. for us to make sure we had enough time.
Our plan worked flawlessly, with the taxi coming straight away and the trip over to the bus terminal taking less than 10 minutes. We had time to grab a coffee for Justine and head out to the bus bay (C8). Everything runs very smoothly in Japan. There was a 10 minute pre-board announcement, and we were off at 7:15 on the dot.
On the bus! We got seated in the same row, which meant we both had window seats!
It was a grey, overcast day as we headed out on a very packed highway. A bit of a surprise for 7:30 on a Sunday morning. The cause of the traffic, as always, was road work and about half an hour further on we finally picked up speed and were on our way. It stayed grey and overcast for about an hour.
Then we went through a magical tunnel - grey and overcast and in the city on one side, and then we pop out the other side to blue skies and sunshine and beautiful mountain and valley views. It was crazy.
The drive was a nice one. We were in the mountains for a good 2/3 of the drive, and the closer we got to Kamikochi the more spectacular the scenery. The bus actually made two rest stops along the way, which was nice. At the second one it overlooked a lake so we got some scenery to see as well as pick up a beverage.
Sadly the closer we got to Kamikochi the worse the weather got. It started with the clouds thickening up, then it started to rain. By the time we arrived at the bus terminal, it was a full downpour.
Getting close to our destination.
But before we get there, we have to talk about the road! Once off the main highway, the road up towards Kamikochi is this amazing, twisting, turning road that seemed too narrow for the bus we were on. And the tunnels! They have built so much infrastructure to enable people to access the park and the mountains and it felt like half that parting the drive was through a tunnel (that also seemed too small for the bus!).
As we made our way through the mountains, past huge hydro damns and through narrow tunnels, the traffic often had to stop to allow each other to pass - especially other buses and the few trucks that we saw. It was a great drive!
While I knew that there was a bus terminal at Kamekochi, we were shocked by the number of buses that were at the terminal! So many buses had to come up that crazy, tiny road.
To get to our hotel we had about a ten minute walk up a trail through the forest. Not ideal given our huge suitcases, but what can you do? We had to also cross the famous Kappabashi Bridge, dragging our suitcases behind us. And the crowds, wow was it busy. We were just hoping that because it was Sunday many would be leaving in the afternoon.
The Park Lodge Kamikochi, our home for the next few days. Did I mention it was raining when we arrived?
The famous Kappa-bashi Bridge in the center of Kamikochi. The Kappa-bashi bridge is an iconic suspension bridge spanning the Azusa River in the heart of Kamikochi. It's known for the stunning views of the Hotaka mountain range, Myojin Peak, and Yakedake Volcano.
The Kappa-bashi bridge is famously associated with the kappa. Kappas are legendary amphibious humanoids or water imps found in Japanese folklore. They are typically depicted as green, scaly creatures with a shell on their back (like a turtle), webbed hands and feet, and a plate-like depression on top of their head that holds water. They are said to live in rivers and ponds and have a mischievous, sometimes malevolent, nature. Sadly, we didn’t see any…
We headed to the hotel but as it was just after noon we were too early for our 3pm check in. But we’re were able to drop our bags and go exploring. The rain kept coming in and out - it would pour for a while, then lighten and even stop for a while.
We did a loop along the river, to the bridge downstream, and then back up. It was very busy and everyone seemed to be carrying an umbrella. But the walk was lovely, with amazing views of the river to reward us at every turn.
Sadly it seems that we’re just too early for the leaves to be changing colours. Another few weeks and it will be spectacular. There were some yellows and oranges and a few reds but not a lot.
The walk led us back to the bus terminal so we took the opportunity to check out the climbing center and the small store. Kamekochi is the epicentre for climbing and multiday trekking through the mountains, and this is the place you check in and get your permits.
It was still pouring with rain as we headed back up the river towards our hotel. We needed some lunch so we ended up at one of the only little restaurants that was open to serve food. We ordered some udon soup and sat at a communal table to enjoy our lunch. After lunch we perused the store that’s attached to it.
There’s also a visitor center in this area so we walked up to it and explored the presentation center. They have lots of interesting items, and I picked up a little book on the area.
A local brewery had a beer stand setup, so we grabbed a drink and stood at a little table and admired the view. The rain had stopped momentarily to give us a bit of a reprieve. It was finally 3pm so we were able to get checked into our room.
The room was nice - fairly basic - and we had a shared shower, which will be interesting to see how that works. We got ourselves organized and relaxed in the room for a couple of hours before it was time to head for dinner. Another interesting thing about the hotel is that both breakfast and dinner are included in the room rates.
We went down to dinner around 6:00. It was a buffet, but filled with all sorts of interesting things. We had a few helpings and tried some new dishes. It was all really good.
After dinner we went out for a walk, but as there are no lights, and with the rain still falling, we couldn’t go very far. So we headed back to the room for a relaxing night in.
Daily Step Count: 10,879