弁天山 Benten Mountain, Tokyo -- Part 4

Climbing two mountains north-west of Tokyo, continues.

Part one is HERE. Part two is HERE. Part three is HERE.

After completing our two climbs, and filling our stomachs with hot udon noodles, we hiked to our final destination -- a Japanese temple. (The map labels the temple as "Daikoji". The characters are: 大光寺)

The hike took us past the Akigawa river. The wooden teepees in the foreground show stones encased in metal frames. These long stone tubes are used to clean the river.

Akigawa:

We had to climb more as this temple was located on yet another mountain. The view from the top was great though!

Autumn countryside: 

Walking to the main gate of the temple: 

Most people come to see these -- two very tall, yet old ginko (?) trees:

Temple bell in the background:

Detail of gate, under the roofing: 

From here, a friend and I had to hurry to the station to catch a train home. I was working in the evening, so a two hour, six transfer ride later, I sat back at my desk with an hour to spare. Whew!

It was very long, tiring, yet fun day. I am looking forward to our next hike, which will take place after the New Year. We are planning to cook and eat a very traditional New Year food -- mochi! (pounded rice cakes)

I will be sure to blog about that in the near future.



~ Information ~ 

Mount Benten is located in Akiruno city, north-west of Tokyo city center. Nearest station: Musashi-Masuko on the JR Itsukaichi line. Travel time from Tokyo station: approx. 1 hour. Cost: ¥1,000 ($10) one way. 

A hiking map of the area is available HERE. 

弁天山 Benten Mountain, Tokyo -- Part 3

Climbing the hiking trails near Akigawa, north west of Tokyo, continues. 

Part 1 is HERE. Part 2 is HERE.

After reaching our summit goal of Benten Mountain, we hiked to another peak -- Mt. Shiroyama.

Signpost: 

It wasn't very far to this mountain from Mt. Benten. I think it took us approximately 30 minutes. The climb followed a narrow trail and climbed up and down. The top of Shiroyama looks like this:

This sign in Japanese, explained the area's topography & history:  

From Mt. Shiroyama, we hiked down a seemingly never-ending set of wood stairs. Once we reached the bottom, everyone in the group exclaimed: "Thank goodness we were coming down instead of going up!!"

The long stairs down:

The guide of our group led us to a park. The hike there was along a road; however, the view was just as lovely:

The park, which houses a visitor's center, specifically for hikers:

Visitor's centre:

At this park, our guide planned to cook udon -- Japanese, thick dough noodles. The other climbers brought toppings to add to the udon soup. I have never cooked udon before, so I observed carefully how the noodles are boiled and what vegetables are added.

Preparing the udon:

My bowl of hot noodles: ^_^

After lunch, our guide told us of an old yet beautiful temple in the area. We would hike there next. Along the way, we found this giggling group of adults:

They were pruning their persimmon tree of the fruit. We stopped to observe them and made a comment that they were very creative, catching the falling fruit via a tarp. These kind neighbors rewarded our group with some persimmon. I got four! ^_^ Japanese hospitality -- so nice!


I'll show photos from the temple next time.


~ Information ~ 

Mt. Benten and Shiroyama are located in Akiruno city, north-west of Tokyo. Travel time: approximately 1 hour by train. Google map is HERE. 

A printable map showing some hiking trails in this area is HERE. The closest train station is: Musashi-Masuko on the JR Itsukaichi line. From the station, it's a 15 minute walk to the trail head. Train cost from Tokyo station: about ¥1,000 one way ($10).

弁天山 Benten Mountain, Tokyo -- Part 2

A hike to Mt. Benten, continues. Part 1 is HERE. 

Passing through the red torii (gate), the trail moved up the mountain. What surprised me most were the leaves, which had fallen to the ground. Our route transformed itself into a river of autumn leaves; I enjoyed "splashing" my feet in them as we walked. ^_^

Rising stone steps:

The "river" of leaves: 

A lady in the group, who was very knowledgable about vegetation, pointed out these -- 雪イチゴ[yuki-ichigo = winter strawberries]. She added: "They are edible; however, quite bitter."

Map pointing our current location (in red):

The trail passed this spot -- an abandoned temple. Long ago, it had been used for hosting traditional dances to appease the Gods.

Leaves & lanterns:

Main temple:

Further up the mountain was this cave. The opening's shape reminded me of a bicycle seat. ^_^

Inside the cave, which was large enough to hold approximately 20 people standing upright, 
were several statues: 

Another, smaller statue:

The ladies talked about the history behind these statues, but the Japanese was too difficult for me to understand, sorry.

From the cave, we pushed up a steep section of the mountain to reach our destination, the summit of Mount Benten!


Summit view (Tokyo city centre can be seen in the far distance):

It was hazy, but we managed to spot the Tokyo Skytree. 

Close up of the river, Akigawa: 

Signpost marking the summit of Mt. Benten:

These signs posted by the PTA association in the area. It was a nice gesture!

I am always homesick for the natural beauty of Canada. But, as I mentioned to the ladies in the group, hiking in Japan comes pretty darn close. I hope you enjoyed the photos. ^_^


We continued hiking to another mountain after completing Benten Mountain. I'll post more photos tomorrow. See you soon.


~ Information ~ 

Mount Benten is located in Akiruno city, which is north west of the Tokyo city centre. Access: JR Itsukaichi line to Masashi-Masuko station. Travel time: about 1.5 hours. Cost: ¥1,000 one way ($10).
Map showing Akiruno's location is HERE. 

From the station, it's a 15 minute walk to the trail head. A printable map is HERE. More information about hiking trails in the area is HERE. 

Akiruno city has many small mountains, perfect for a day's hike. Click HERE to read more information and see maps. 

弁天山 Benten Mountain, Tokyo

The typical image of Tokyo is high rise buildings, jam packed trains and people everywhere. Today, I'll prove Tokyo has some scenic, quieter areas.

An early morning departure and many transfers later, I arrived at Musashi-Masuko station. From Tokyo station, it takes about 1.5 hours (see: Google Map & Directions). Tucked at the bottom of Mt. Odake, the area is very rural, but it's still considered part of Tokyo!

cutenekko outside the station:


I was here to join a few members of a mountaineering club. Our hike for the day would be Mt. Benten; afterwards, we'd cook udon noodles outside. The weather was perfect for hiking: clear skies and no wind. As Japan is experiencing fall temperatures, we would also be able to view autumn colored leaves along the route.

From the station, it was a 15 minute walk to this river, which is a major landmark for the hiking trail.

Casting shadows: our small mountaineering group -- I'm waving, of course!

View of the river (I believe it's called 秋川 Aki-gawa = autumn river):

If you're interested in hiking in this area, just follow these green metal signs....

...or these smaller, wooden route markers. (Ability to read Japanese is a must)

Sign reads: Benten Yama 

This area has a lot of various trails and routes for all levels; if you are living in Tokyo, I recommend visiting Musashi-Masuko station area very much. Trail maps are available HERE.

Some famous 紅葉 momiji leaves (autumn leaves) seen along the route:  

Another signpost, pointing the way:

Our group paused here for a bit: a harvested rice field, which had been grown by elementary students living in the area. The rice was being dried in a traditional fashion:

A group member said: "Let's get a photo for your blog!" (laugh) 

Can you see the red temple gate in the background? 

This is just the beginning of the trail. I have a lot more photos to share, so please visit again tomorrow.



~ Information ~ 

Musashi-Masuko station is located north-west of Tokyo. Access: JR Itsukaichi line. From Tokyo, it takes about 1.5 hours. Cost: ¥1,000 ($10 - one way).

Benten Mountain trail information is HERE. A large PDF, printable map is HERE. (Japanese only)

The area has many camping, fishing and hiking spots. Visit this site for more info (Japanese only).

Wada-Nahama Beach

Before discussing the beach, I attended a local concert sponsored by the city office in my area. Even the smallest towns in Japan have a cultural hall where music concerts or other cultural events are held. If you are a resident in Japan, check with your local city office to find out more. Most of these events are free!

The community string ensemble under the direction of their string teacher:



They performed the very well known Pachelbel's Canon in D, which I enjoyed very much. Looking around, I noticed I was the only foreigner (and youngest!) in the audience. It's a shame more young people don't take advantage of these free concerts.

The following day, a friend and I went fishing. Despite the cold weather, we tried a very local beach in the Miura area of Kanagawa -- Wada-Nahama Beach.

cutenekko at scenic Wada-Nahama Beach:

This beach is located at the far end of Arazaki (see: THIS blog post). It's possible to hike from this point to Arazaki park, which I saw many people doing on this fine day. 

View of the shoreline:

There is a hiking trail skirting the shoreline; non-skid, waterproof shoes are a must:

The fishing wasn't very good but staying until 4pm to watch the sunset was the main highlight of the day.

Sunset from Wada-Nahama Beach:

Miura has a lot of fantastic beaches such as this. If you are living in the Tokyo area, skip Enoshima, Shonan, Zama and all those other popular beaches. Beaches in the southern Miura area are quieter and dog friendly.


~ Information ~ 

Wada-Nahama Beach is located HERE. (courtesy of Yokosuka U.S Naval Base) Nearest station: Misakiguchi on the Keikyu Line. From the station, take a taxi. Parking is free; open 6:00 ~ 18:00.  No overnight parking or camping allowed. This beach is dog friendly.

Wada-Nahama Beach has a Facebook page HERE. (日本語）

飯田牧場 Iida Farm

On the American Thanksgiving Day, a friend and I had planned to go fishing during the daytime. Due to high winds and waves, we cancelled that plan in exchange for another -- eating delicious ice cream. The shop we visited is the famous Iida Farm, located in Fujisawa Kanagawa.

I got a photo of the menu for the day: 

Translating the sign, the shop served the following gelato flavors:
- Royal Milk Tea
- Almond
- Milk
- Vanilla
- Rum Raisin
- Raspberry
- Cream Cheese
- Choco Chip
- La France (pear)







The selection:

I purchased a double cup as it was on sale this day. My flavors? Chocolate chip and raspberry! 

The taste was very creamy with a strong milk flavor. My friend purchased Rum Raisin which was had strong butter and rum flavors.

While eating, I noticed this poster on the wall: 

Translated, it talks about Iida farm providing their premium ice cream and puddings for the famous Japanese cruise ship, Nipponmaru. (dated: October 2012)

There were many other signs on the shop's walls signed by Japanese celebrities who had visited the farm to try the ice cream. Iida Farm has been featured on numerous morning and food programs in the country too.

My friend snapped a photo of me outside the Milk House:

If you are in the Shonan-Fujisawa area of Kanagawa, a trip to this farm's ice cream shop is recommended. The staff said many foreigners visit too. 

~ Information ~ 

Iida Farm & Milk House is located in the Fujisawa, Kanagawa. Website is HERE. Scroll down to see the map. Access via car/taxi is best (just off the 403) 

Ice cream prices are: ¥310 for a single and ¥360 for a double. Soft ice cream is ¥310 ($3 ~ 3.60) Hours: 11:00 ~ 18:00 . Closed on Wednesdays. 

The Milk House (Ice Cream Shop) website is HERE. They specialize in handmade waffle cones! Pics are on the website. 

Information about the Nipponmaru cruise ship is HERE.