Akigawa Valley

Today we are getting out of Tokyo ! After almost three weeks here I was happy to change landscapes and dynamics for a day. Tokyo remains a gigantic city with millions of Souls. This can be draining on the long run. We are going to a place called Akigawa Valley , a place surrounded by wilderness and also good for hiking. But first let’s have a Morning treat before embarking into new adventures !

Matcha Latte in a nice coffee place next to my station. Tasty , cheap ( 370 yen , 3 euro) and the owner was very friendly. I’ll make an article on the nicest coffee place that I have tried in Kichijoji (which has plenty).

It was time to head to the station to catch my dear friend on the way , ohayo Hisako san.

Let’s explore some rural part around Tokyo !

To get there we are going to the final station of the Chuo line at Musashi Itsukaishi. This station is located 1h40 min away from downtown Tokyo (Tokyo station). But the fun fact is that Musashi Itsukaishi is located at the Hyper west side of Tokyo but it remains Tokyo ! Which is crazy because this area is nothing like the Tokyo we know.

Arriving at destination already felt like a breath of fresh air. Very few people and cars. No sounds of human activity , simply nature. How good is that. The contrast from Downtown Tokyo is quite strong and interesting for sure.

Sweet Japanese countryside. The small house on the right is Toilet. Fun fact : they were Toilets every 500 meters during our day hike. Awh Japan .. I love you.

Another pace. Sharing simple moments.

There are many hikes do to around but we choosed a pretty easy one. In Autumn the main focus is the Momoji , or the color change in the trees ( Japanese maple trees). This moment in time is always so precious to Japanese hearts. We wanted to part of it , to witness the beautiful turn of colors in the leaves. A moment of transition from Summer to Winter. We actually almost missed the pick of colors as it was too late but there is still some nice trees around. So my recommendation is : plan ahead if you want to catch the best colors in Japan but avoid the Week-Ends as it might be packed with Japaneses and tourists. Kyoto is probably hectic at the moment.

Momiji colors. Isn’t it that beautiful?

One of the Buddhist temple on our way. Very old apparently.

Zelda anyone .. ? This was probably an emblem of a Family during the Samurai Era. But this is probably not Link’s house 😉

Gingko leaves and Naked trees.

Happy day. There is no need for much to be happy 🙂 A friend , a day to explore , and some sunlight.

Sakura flowers , which seemed to bloom. Normally these guys are blooming in spring during Hanami time. But it might be some winter species here. Quite in advance apparently.

Some forest trails on our way.

And some Japanese mosaics..

Time to eat a well deserved lunch even though the hike has been pretty small for now. We tooked our time without any plans. As “tourist” we often get carried away with seeing as much as possible in little time but we tend to forget to enjoy each of theses experiences. I am for the Slow Travel. Doing less but enjoying more. Also understanding and feeling more the place you are in , in a particular moment. if you take more time you will create deeper connection with people which is key I think.

My last travel in Japan was of a very high pace with many destinations along the way which was intense and beautiful but also draining. This time I have the opportunity to go on Slow Travel mode which is a completely different experience. I guess with time we get to tune better to what suits us better. What is our way ?

Wonderful Bento’s from Hisako san. Japanese cuisine with the most magical ingredient : the pinch of “Love”.

Another Buddhist temple on our way.

And Running downhill like kids !

Rural Tokyo. Yes , we are still in Tokyo here ^^ This place feels like another world to me. Also you can spot the Urban Jungle from afar.

I’ll highly recommend people to explore the lesser known area of Japan (or anywhere else) to get the nicest experience. In fact local people get tired to see so many people all the time in bigger cities and touristy areas. If local people see you in an unknown place you’ll stand out more and therefore the connection could become more interesting. That’s what we had all day actually. Many unexpected meetings along our way. And I’m happy to see that my Japanese is finally starting to improve. Practicing it every day with some short home studies and language exchanges really give me more confidence to actually talk and learn.

On our way to find a famous Onsen. After a cold day of hike one of the best thing to do here is to bath in hot mineral water , Onsens !
But before getting there : let’s have Amazake !

Local Amazake and local vegetables .

Amazake is a traditional sweet, low-alcohol Japanese drink made from fermented rice. It’s nice to drink it in colder months as it is a hot beverage. The veggies were all from a local farm, needless to say it was delicious.

Let me introduce you : Konnyaku (Konjac) which can be seen on the lower left corner of my plate. When you eat Konnyaku for the first time, you might wonder, “What is this made of?” It has such a strange texture , very chewy. In fact, when foreigners (including myself) find out it is made from konjac potato (Araceae), they just can’t believe it. These potatoes takes up to three years to grow which really is a lot ! They are also vulnerable to low temperature and rot easily, making them very difficult to preserve. Since 98% of Konnyaku is water, it has few calories and can clean out your intestine. It’s a food that always intrigued me and I’m glad I learned more about it. Japan has many interesting food like this Konnyaku.

After that we spended almost three hours at the natural hot spring nearby. It as gender separated so we had a break and just enjoyed the natural goodness of this precious water. No picture is allowed in Onsen so nothing to show you my friend. But I can tell you that theses places are like little “churches” or “temples” to me. A place to reconect with nature with humility and a place to truly unwind. I think If I had to pick up my three favorite things in this life it would be : sharing good sex , eating fine chocolate and bathing in outdoor Onsens (in Japan). My love for onsens didn’t changed in one year. With time you are getting used to new experiences and if it feels right it might become a routine. Routines might help one to find a better balance which mean more energy and strenght in the daily life , which is precious.

To finish the day let’s eat Ramen !!!!!

For all Naruto lover , if you never tried ramen , make sure to do it in this life 🙂
Last year I was strict vegetarian so I did not got to experience really the Ramen culture in Japan. How wrong I was . This was simple yet yumy and warm. Perfect with this cold weather. Cost 900 yen (around 7 euro). Find the middle way in every things in life. Extremes might not be the best.