MAGIC HOUR

While reading news articles in early June, I learned that the ice had begun to melt at Mikurigaike Pond in Murodo on the Tateyama Alpine Route, turning the pond color to blue. At that time, I did not think much of it. However, a few days later, I heard my wife was taking a day off from work to visit to Kamakura with her friends. I could not find any logical correlation, but if that was the case, maybe I should have taken the day off too.

Just before the rainy season began, a high-pressure system passed over Japan on a Thursday to following Friday. Looking at my office schedule, that Friday was planned as a work-from-home day. Taking one-day off on the Friday would likely have minimal impact to my work. In Toyama Prefecture, Thursday evening seemed to be the best time, as the system was expected to move out over the Pacific side of Tohoku region by Friday morning. Even so, with both the low-pressure system and the rainy season front were far away, weather conditions did not seem bad.

While there seemed to be no logical correlation between my wife’s plan and my own, I reviewed my schedule logically. I realized that I had taken days off from work in the previous month to visit Gunma and Niigata, causing me to hesitate. In times like this, my theory is not to make decisions on my own will. Despite it was the day before, I managed to make a reservation at a sushi restaurant in Toyama City. This must be the gods of Toyama telling me to come. Since there was no use crying over spilled milk, I decided to go before I would cry. This was no longer a matter of logic anymore.

I boarded the first Hokuriku Shinkansen from Tokyo Station and then took a bus from Nagano Station to Ogisawa. The live camera showed Murodo was under clear skies. I hurried to Murodo via the Alpine Route. At Daikanbo, the last viewpoint overlooking Nagano Prefecture (the Pacific) side, it was mostly clear with a few clouds.

From there, I took an electric bus, passing through a tunnel under Mt. Tateyama to reach the Sea of Japan side. After a 4.5-hour journey from Tokyo Station, I arrived at Murodo, finding it was overcast. The sun was hidden behind clouds, and blue color of Mikurigaike Pond did not appear as vividly blue as I would hope.

Although they were little too far from what I expected, I thought it was okay as I was able to see the ridgeline of Tateyama Range. When I got out my camera from backpack, I heard a strange “goo-goo” sound. Although I thought it might be a weird tourist making a stupid noise, it was really a ptarmigan. It was indeed myself who was stupid at that moment.

I continued walking and saw several ptarmigans, making me wonder if they were really designated as Special Natural Monuments of Japan. Perhaps it was molting season, I was able to observe multiple plumage patterns.

After a while, the clouds thinned, and sunlight began to break through. I immediately returned to Mikurigaike Pond, the sunlight made the blue water shimmer. A miraculous moment occurred – the Pond’s waves stilled and Mt. Tateyama was perfectly reflected on the surface.

I savored the breathtaking view until the very last time before heading toward Toyama City for sushi restaurant.

The sushi restaurant was delicious, and I went back to Toyama Station just before getting completely drunk. I bought “oshi-zushi (pressed sushi in a wooden box)” as a final treat before heading to the Shinkansen platform. I was self-praised, thinking everything on that day was super perfect, but then I boarded the wrong Shinkansen. Being tipsy, I just jumped onto the first train arrived, then realized it was indeed the previous train.

In case like this, it was almost obvious that the train stopped at almost all stations beyond. Although the reserved train I should have boarded passed at an intermediate station and my arrival to home eventually delayed, I managed to get a seat on the return Shinkansen actually boarded. I supposed that was something good end. It was not super perfect, but overall, it was a highly satisfying day.

After all, if timing seems right, it is wise to act without hesitation. Fact of the matter is that I would not cry before the milk is spilled.

COLO’s Traveler Guide: Tateyama Alpine Route

Tokyo 0616 (Kagayaki 501) > Nagano 0736
Nagano Station 0750 (Bus) > Ogizawa 0925
Ogizawa 0930 (Electric Bus) > Kurobe Dam 0946
Kurobe Lake 1010 (Cable Car) > Kurobe-daira 1015
Kurobe-daira 1030 (Ropeway) > Daikanbo 1037
Daikanbo 1045 (Electric Bus) > Murodo 1055

・Murodo

Murodo 1420 (Bus) > Bijodaira 1510
Bijodaira 1540 (Cable Car) > Tateyama 1547
Tateyama 1603 (Train) > Toyama 1700

Dinner: Sushi-ei Kakeo Branch

Toyama 1940 (Kagayaki 516… missed) > Tokyo 2156

Tips
・Since Murodo is in Toyama Prefecture, I thought going via Toyama would be faster, but it turns out going via Nagano saves about an hour.

When I visited Yokokawa for the second time in May, I was told that trekking to Ichinokurasawa of Mt. Tanigawa in that week was impossible due to road closure, yet I had already taken Friday off. I considered just going to the Tanigawa Ropeway, but I felt it would be somewhat unsatisfactory as a one-day trip. Besides, upon checking the online live camera, I found that there was a little late-lying snow on Mt. Tanigawa at the end of May. It was quite different from what I had imagined. I probably did not make enough research last year when I thought of seeing the late-lying snow on Mt. Tanigawa.

I could cancel my company leave, but I was already in a three-day weekend mood and had lost all motivation going to work on Friday. While I looked at maps thinking about where to go, I remembered that I thought of visiting Kiyotsu Gorge Tunnel in Niigata Prefecture.

The foothills around Joetsu area, where the Tunnel located, would be in their fresh green season. It was still before the peak summertime, it probably would not be too crowded on a weekday.

I took Joetsu Shinkansen from Tokyo Station bound for Echigo-Yuzawa. I hoped to arrive right after the Tunnel opening time, when it would likely be the least crowded, so I took a taxi from Echigo-Yuzawa Station. The first northbound Shinkansen and the local bus, which only run a few times a day, did not connect well by missing almost ten minutes gap. Kiyotsu Gorge Tunnel is a difficult spot for one-day trip using public transportation from the Kanto region.

Under the blue sky, the fresh greenery was dazzling. Wildflowers bloomed along the river in the valley. Water was filled in the pool at the deepest part of the Tunnel, reflecting the blue sky and valley on its surface. There were few visitors as expected, allowing me to take photos at a leisurely pace.

However, there were some snow residuals remained in the valley, slightly blocking the view in the shadier corner. Perhaps I came just a bit too early in the season. My first visit to Yokokawa in May failed due to insufficient research, but even crossing the Joetsu border into Niigata Prefecture, I wondered if I did not make enough research.

Although they were snows, because of branches and leaves had fallen, they looked like some brown masses. At first, I did not mind too much, but after taking several shots, they started bothering me. I would have to rely on AI correction when processing the RAW files in Adobe Lightroom.

I could not take a taxi back considering costs, so I adjusted my schedule and took the local bus to Echigo-Yuzawa. Only three other passengers were on board. They all boarded at the bus stop nearest the Kiyotsu Gorge Tunnel, so they must have had the same fate as me on the way there.

I could have just going straight back to home. However, I had heard there were large colonies of dogtooth violets in the nearby town of Muikamachi, so I went to see the flowers. I thought I had read mid-May was the peak time, but there was no trace of dogtooth violets at all. In fact, locals were removing the restricted access ropes on that day. I walked quite a distance from Muikamachi Station, only to end up wasting my time. Ultimately, it was due to another poor research, and it was obvious that I had not learned from mistakes made several times.

There is a Japanese saying that even monkeys fall from trees. A monkey who falls from a tree must surely learn something afterwards. Otherwise, he cannot survive in the harsh wild.

As a human, I should be intellectually more evolved than a monkey. Indeed, I can write and maintain a blog site, I can handle some mathematics as well. None of such can be done by monkeys for sure.

That said, even after falling from a tree, it seems I do not actually learn much. I have to wonder if I am really fundamentally smarter than monkeys.

Questioning my dignity as a member of humanity, I ate bamboo leaf dumplings, which are famous in Joetsu, on the Shinkansen ride home. Whatever the answer to that question may be, both riding the Shinkansen and eating bamboo leaf dumplings are privileges of being human.

I am glad that I am human.

COLO’s Traveller Guide: Echigo-Yuzawa

Times listed are from the schedule at the time of visit.

Tokyo 0608 (Toki 310) > Echigo-Yuzawa 0722
Echigo-Yuzawa Station (Taxi) > Kiyotsu Gorge Tunnel

・Kiyotsu Gorge Tunnel

Kiyotsu Gorge Entrance 1212 (Bus) > Echigo-Yuzawa Station 1240
Echigo-Yuzawa 1314 (JR) > Muikamachi 1336

・Iizunayama

Muikamachi Station Front (Bus) > Shiozawa Post Office

・Shiozawa-juku

Shiozawa 1631 (JR) > Echigo-Yuzawa 1649
Echigo-Yuzawa 1708 (Tanigawa 86) > Ueno 1814

Last summer, I stayed at Yubiso Onsen and took Tanigawa Ropeway to Tenjindaira for trekking. Unfortunately, Mt. Tanigawa was hidden behind by clouds. I heard that Mt. Tanigawa would be crowded with people enjoying the autumn leaves, so I was thinking of revisiting during the late-lying snow season.

Taking the ropeway to see Mt. Tanigawa up close is not bad, but trekking to Ichinokurasawa allows to see the majestic rock walls of Mt. Tanigawa, which is said to be a breathtaking view. The road to Ichinokurasawa-deai, the entrance to Ichinokurasawa, is closed during the winter. It would be re-opened from late May. That should be in the time of May sunshine season before the rainy season in June.

After returning from trip to Mexico, I read an online article that Japanese National Railways’ EF58 locomotive on display at a railway preservation facility in Yokokawa had undergone repainting. Since she was displayed outdoors, I wanted to take photos while the paint was still beautiful. Both Yokokawa and Mt. Tanigawa were in Gunma Prefecture, it seemed a good one-day trip plan.

I kept checking the weather forecast of Gunma Prefecture almost every day. Perhaps because the rainy season front moved northward earlier in this year, the weather was consistently unfavorable. I finally found one day in mid-May that looked promising, but even that day did not seem to be entirely sunny. Considering the possibility that the weather might not be improved even if I waited until the end of May, I decided to visit Yokokawa first.

The day looked promising was Tuesday. If I cleaned-up all of my work on Monday, it would not be too busy at the office on that day. Considering wake-up time, taking the Shinkansen to Takasaki is ideal, but as an old man with claustrophobia who cannot stand crowded trains, I can only take commuter trains early in the morning on weekdays. I took the first regular train on the Tokaido Line from Yokohama and rode all the way to Takasaki, stopping at all stations.

I transferred to the Shinetsu Line at Takasaki and arrived Yokokawa. I then found that the railway preservation facility was closed. I was aware that Yokokawa’s famous kama-meshi (rice cooked in a pot) restaurant, Ogino-ya’s main shop was closed on Tuesdays. I had wondered why another branch along the national road in Yokokawa was also closed on Tuesdays, but I thought I finally understood the reason. I realized that the world did not revolve around me, but it was already too late. To prevent further damage, I returned to Tokyo using Shinkansen and worked from home in the afternoon.

The weather remained unfavorable for several days, but in the following week, forecast predicted good weather on Wednesday and Friday. However, the clear skies were expected only until mid-morning on both days, so I still had to split my plan into two occasions. Since the trekking road to Ichinokurasawa-deai was scheduled to reopen on that Friday, I decided to revisit Yokokawa on Wednesday.

From there on, it was basically as same as the previous week. Yet, I was able to take some satisfying photos and ate kama-meshi at the Ogino-ya’s main shop as originally planned.

Even though I am who I am, I can supposedly learn something. While waiting for a train on the way back, I called the tourist information office of Minakami Town. I was told that due to possibilities of avalanche, the trekking road would remain closed for some more time.

Indeed, I learned that the world did not revolve around me.

COLO’s Traveler Guide: Yokokawa

Listed schedule is based on timetable at the time of visit.

Yokohama 0525 (JR) > Takasaki 0750
Takasaki 0804 (JR) > Yokokawa 0837

– Usui Pass Railway Culture Village
– Kama-meshi Ogino-ya

Yokokawa 1110 (JR) > Takasaki 1141
Takasaki 1152 (JR) > Yokohama 1413