Onsen hike

The following morning I go to Mitake Station, next along the line, to meet my trekking partner. We’d planned a five-hour hike through the mountains followed by lunch at Tsuru-Tsuru Onsen, a volcanic hot spring day resort. The name is onomatopoeic, imitating the sound of smoothness. The gentle alkaline water is supposed to beautify the skin.

To save time, we jump on the bus, then take a cable car up the mountain.

At the highest point of Mount Mitake, at 929 metres, stands Musashi-Mitake Shrine. The sacred Shinto site, which dates back over 1,000 years, features exquisite carpentry including a traditional torii gate framing the surrounding hillsides; and stone statues of dogs considered to be gods are scattered through the grounds. Passing a short queue of people eager to get their fortunes told, we exit towards the town below.

Slipping out of the tiny mountaintop village through its quiet backstreets, the track narrows as the vista once again opens out over woodlands. We leave the houses behind, following the stretch between Mount Mitake and Mount Hinode, which is dominated by cedar trees.

Over this way, the path cuts a passage midway along the mountain. It is too high up and distant from any creeks, streams or access roads for there to be any signs of wasabi. The only noise breaking the woodland atmosphere here is the occasional crack of a chainsaw or an offroad motorbike. I haven’t seen any animals and think back to a friend showing me a photo of a huge bear walking on the road in a town near here. Maybe I’m okay about missing such an encounter.