Yatsugatake-Massiv, seen from Nobeyama from
It's Golden Week – Child's holiday, There are four free days at, and you would not like to spend but completely at home. So think 130 Every year millions of Japanese, and so everything pulls through the country, which has enough time and some change left. So we also, and it was also a good opportunity, to seeing good friends and to wander together through the area. The goal this year was the 八ヶ岳 Yatsugatake-Solid, focused on between the prefectures of Nagano and Yamanashi 30 km long stretches. The peaks in the massif are up to 2'899 meters tall.
Actually traveling is a nightmare in the Golden Week, because everything is overcrowded. A fortiori, when it was decided quite spontaneously and thus could not reserve tickets. The trip also started equally well at home station buying tickets. “Two adults, a school child, to Kofu Please” I told the lady switch, and looked at me pityingly equal: “Oh dear – there was a personal injury in Shinjuku, why are all the lines in the direction, and we do not know, when it goes. Do you still want…?”. Personal injury – which may be a suicide or simply too much crowd on the platform, and the latter is connected to the 1.4 Billion passengers per year world's busiest train station in Shinjuku, no trick. With 30 Minutes late and much Herumsteherei way it went but still going. We met up with our friends in Hachioji (Westen Tokyos), to move from there to the late and also coming from Shinjuku Express. Place cards we had not, and the wagons with the non-reservable sites were proppevoll. But after all, the trip took only an hour, and we were there. In Kōfu we went to the Hoto-food – these are very broad, thick noodles in a very healthy soup, with half pumpkins, Potatoes, Carrots, Taro-Kartoffeln, Beans and what-do-I. Very pleasant, when very large, thick noodles like, and one of the specialties of the prefecture.
'Is your child on the Trekker?’ – 'Um, how to get it!?’
Shōsenkyō or, was the decision after. Or: Go by bus and cable car, or with the train. The long queue at the bus stop did not bode well, and so it went on the express train until after 小淵沢 Kobuchisawa and from there a taxi to the train station piglets 清 里 Kiyosato, a district of Hokuto, and after all, already located at over 1,200 meters above sea level. Without your own vehicle to get away from there, but not, so we went to the nearby park 萌え木の村 Moegi-no-mura (literally: Growing Tree Village) – a beautifully landscaped park, in which one tries, to make agriculture with the familiar whining offspring or vice versa. Admission is free, there is much in the area produced food and all in all the idea is nice and quite nice for children. Since 1971 there is the system, and it is among other things an American priest named Paul Rusch due, of the 1925 until his death 1979 In Japan lebte (see more here).
After adequate Keep the fun we went back to the station, only to find, that the departing train in front of us, the last for the following 1.5 Hours should be. We decided an early dinner and went to a restaurant recommended to us, which probably specializes in casseroles. 17:15 we were there, and instruction plate should 17:30 be opened. We waited, and 10 Minutes later, waited with us already to the 10 People behind us. A good sign! Shortly before 17:30 woman stuck her head out and said, “Please wait a bit!”. There was 17:30. Then 17:40. Our train should 18:30 go, which is almost. At 17:45 makes one to. We are the first, be placed in the farthest corner, and then take the orders on. Of all the other guests first. We make the time to worry, and when the operation finally comes to our table, we ask as a precaution: “Our train leaves 18:30. We create the?” The answer is pretty harsh: “No, which is probably nothing”. So let us hungry checks. Either you like the restaurant in no rush, no foreigners, or no children. Apparently the latter was the case: When we left the restaurant, We saw some small notices: “Please change diapers in the restaurant no”. “Please do not let children run around freely” and a few other signs prohibiting. Given.
In this restaurant, the food stays cold wohk
So we drive a station further, because there we stay. We call on the board, for us to do so, so you can get us. We have now eaten nothing but. The woman on the phone says: “You can at the Onsen (Note: What Heiße) something to eat. In that case, we simply come to the station, give you the free tickets to the hot spring, and if you are there ready, call us again to, and we will pick you up from the hot source”. This is very helpful indeed. Said, done. An older man picks us up by car, gives us the free tickets, and chauffeured us to the 200 Meters away from the station Onsen. There is apparently heaven and earth – the onsen is overcrowded, but since we have already been there… In the adjacent dining hall, we still eat a few little things, during my 2-year-old decides to, all others present in the room, and not a few, through his songs in a totally unknown language the parents, to entertain his running around and other hooliganism. I would have like to claim, I do not know the bawling child, but the origin can be difficult to deny, especially since I am the only foreigner.
Against 9 Giant clock spits us out into the darkness Onsen. The pension man had previously explained to us, that there is only 200 Meters were to board, But we should call him anyway, because it was difficult to find because of the darkness. We just try our luck alone, but it is in fact dark as in the bear *****, So we call him. He drives off – several hundred meters to a bridge, they fall links, right, links, into the woods and getting along a forest path. When the finished, he drives an even narrower path along. Those were the longest 200 Meter, I have ever seen. We would not have found it until today. The room is nicely decorated. Mind you a pension, So European style, with real beds. And so what happens, if you let go of two accustomed to kids on futon beds? Stages! It takes one hour, place until they finally calm down and sleep. The old man, probably the innkeeper, previously said to me: “If you want to smoke or to drink a beer, just come into the living room!”. Said, done, asleep than anything. The living room looks like a museum. The board and its owners agile woman sitting with two regulars (I learn later) at the table and watch TV, while alternately tickle a properly large Labrador. As a family they sit there, and immediately engage me in conversation. This is pleasant, that people are not pushy and treat me as a foreigner, but “Ganz normal” talk to me. This is relatively rare in Japan and very pleasant. It is really “at home”, and the old man still obliges me to potato chips (not welcome) and a can of Japan's best beer (very welcome) on. Whoever dwells times randomly in the area and is not necessarily on tatami and futons – the Little House in Kai-Ōizumi (Kaioizumi station) than Bed & Breakfast definitely a recommended option. One night including breakfast costs 6’000 Yen and a great onsen and the train station are within walking distance. The only disadvantage: You can not eat dinner there, and too many ways to do this, there are not near.
Japan's highest-altitude railway station: Nobeyama
The next day we went to a more or less English breakfast go for a walk in the area. Da der City so liegt hoch, Here begins the spring until a month later than in Tokyo. Say, everything has bloomed blossoms. With snow-capped mountains in the background and around. Only the Fuji-san, let not show up, for there was too hazy. The second highest mountain in Japan, laid 3'200 meter hohe Kita-dake, was, however, nice to see, and so a large part of the other peaks of the Southern Alps Japanese. We drove to the small 小 海 线 Koumi-Linie two stations on to the railway station 野辺山 Nobeyama – which is already in Nagano Prefecture and is 1,345 meters above sea level (Swiss to smile about) the highest railway station in Japan. How beautiful. After Japan's northernmost railway station (in Wakkanai) and the station with the longest name (Chōjagahamashiosaihamanasukōenmae) So is now also checked. Unfortunately, there is not much in the town itself to see. There is a panoramic platform in a small park overlooking the Massif Yatsugatake, but the view is wonderful disturbed by heavy ignorable power lines and a highway. So now we have to kill two hours until the next train, but that is ultimately quite quickly: We are looking for a restaurant, walk there, order… and wait forever for the food. It has seemingly all the time in the world, but I've noticed for a long time: Time pressure and the velocity in Japanese cities is one thing – life in the country another. There one takes a little longer for everything, and they quickly, how much one has yet accustomed to living in a big city: The food comes first 10 Minutes or later, one is nervous. But the wait should be worth it: I blundered me of a dish called Stone ware Kaoru Tatari nn Getting メ nn – Estimate (Noodle Soup) with smoked beef tongue in stone pot, and it was something new and highly recommended.
Passable: -Smoked beef tongue ramen
It continued thereafter with the same rail line north, hour and a half across … Landscape, up to 佐久平 Saku-Daira – from there you can continue with the Shinkansen. What we did, and the kids were thrilled of course. To the boarding, because of course the Shinkansen was hopelessly overcrowded, so that we 75 Minutes spent standing to Tokyo. But who gets involved it, to travel in the Golden Week, must always expect. It was still worth it, and that (or a similar tour) I can only recommend. The whole thing is doable as a day trip from Tokyo (and Rail Pass users have it good, as all train lines are JR and thus available), but one or two nights are more than justified. I'll be back sometime, when it is slightly warmer: The mountains in the Massif Yatsugatake irritate me.
